RAZOR SHARP vintage Keen Kutter embossed carving axe hatchet camping woodworking

Item description : This Keen Kutter hatchet head was a little rough but worth the effort. I started by reshaping the edge a bit to make it symetrical and sharp, 10,000 grit sharp... Then i darkened the head with chemical gun blue, sanded both sides of the blade with increasingly fine grits (220 to 1000), and polished it, which made the edge even sharper. I always spend about an hour searching through the piles of 6/4 and 8/4 ash boards, selecting those with the straightest grain and widest growth rings.

At home, I draw my handle for a specific head on the board while making sure the wood grain will be continuous for the whole length of the handle, then I cut it on my old Rockwell Beaver bandsaw. The final shaping is done with a pattern maker's rasp, spokeshaves when the wood allows it, a drawknife for the eye, a scraper to remove the scratches, and finally some light 220 grit sanding. Then I can burn the handle with a torch to give it a black or dark brown color, like in this case, or leave it natural.

Either way it is protected with many coats of linseed oil, which is effective to keep moisture from damaging the finish. ALL MY HANDLES ARE INTENDED FOR ACTUAL USE!

In other words, even if your new axe is beautiful and shiny and looks delicate, it is still able to take deep and strong cuts without breaking (unless you overstrike repeatedly), because ash is light and has great flexibility, which also helps with dampening shocks in your hands when chopping. Another important feature is that the blade is well aligned with the oval of the handle, so your hands know exatly where the edge is pointing, ensuring more precision and safety. Your sheath will be made with 6-7oz vegetable tan cow leather using a 3-ply construction where I glue a strip of leather that follows the exact curve of the blade between two flaps. Then I imbibe the inside of the middle strip with CA glue, which hardens with the leather creating a protection that doesn't hurt the blade's sharpness, while making it practically impossible to cut through. Then I further secure the 3 plies together by doing some stitching with waxed thread and the stitching is recessed into the leather to protect it against failure due to abrasion. My sheaths are simple but very user oriented: their tight custom fit make them easy and quick to put on or remove, they are light, durable, and easily fit in your pocket, so you don't lose it and your movements aren't hindered by its bulkiness. My name is Emile Bournival and I used to be known as Boletus Trinity, but now you can just call me the three-mushroom axe guy! I've been restoring woodworking tools for 8 years now, specializing in axes for the past 5 years. I've done restorations and modifications on hundreds of axes and it's now become my main gig! I wanna thank my many returning customers for their trust, great feedback and friendship! You can find me easily if you have questions about my axes or if you want to have work done on one of yours.

Keywords : embossed, axe, hatchet, sharp, woodworking, sweden, finland, swedish, finnish, camping, bushcraft, survival, knife, hunting, viking, pack axe, boy's axe, scandinavian, leather, sheath, custom, restoration, restored, canada, hand-made. The item "RAZOR SHARP vintage Keen Kutter embossed carving axe hatchet camping woodworking" is in sale since Thursday, December 10, 2020. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Tools, Hardware & Locks\Tools\Carpentry, Woodworking\Axes, Hatchets".

The seller is "say-it-with-an-axe" and is located in Chertsey, QC. This item can be shipped to Canada, all countries in Europe, United States.

Modified Item: Yes
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Modification Description: Blueing, polishing
Brand: Keen Kutter
Original/Reproduction: Vintage Original