Antique hatchet question

[Peter Tremblay]

Hello all,

In response to my post about a broad hatchet I recently got an old one off of eBay.

It is a Zenith Marshall-Well broad hatchet that was refurbished and in very nice shape.

My question is about the blade.

I can't figure out if the blade was laminate steel. The blade looks to be well care for but well used and sharpened back a lot.

I don't have picture but it is a lot shorter than it probably would have been when new.

Like I said it was well cleaned and restored but there is some (rust free) pitting left and that goes right up to the blade.

Does hardened steel pit? or only softer steel?

I tried the edge on the grinder for a moment and I got sparks like what I would have expected from hardened steel and I also tried a file on it. The file did cut but it cut like a normal axe bit would.

Finally I tried the edge on a thick piece of scrap walnut. I beat the wood's long grain for a few seconds and a dozen of really hard wacks but I didn't see any edge degradation.

I'm tempted to sharpen it (better) and just use it but I'm curious if there is any hardened steel left on the end of the hatchet.

[Timberwolf]

Peter, high carbon steel is more prone to pitting than ordinary steel...wrought iron is almost impervious to rust, but very little of it is made anymore...

I'm betting that your hatchet is forged...not laminated, but if it is laminated, you may be able to see the forged weld an inch or so up from the edge. Those welds are usually faint, but are discernible in the right light. I would suggest you try a "spark test" higher up on the body of the blade and see if the sparks are noticeably different from those thrown by the edge.

[Peter Tremblay]

Thanks,

I think you might be correct about it being forged.

I'll post pictures when I get back to the shop.

Also, I looked but I could not see a lamination line which is why I was worried that it might have been "sharpened away"

But if it is forged then all of the bit would be hard... no?

[Timberwolf]

Quote:

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But if it is forged then all of the bit would be hard... no?

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More than likely the entire head is hardened and tempered..You should be able to tell by testing parts of the head with a file...There are ways to harden just a portion of the tool, leaving the upper section less hard than the edge, but I doubt that's the case with yours...

[JustinTyson]

Peter Tremblay said:

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But if it is forged then all of the bit would be hard... no?

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No, good axe manufacturers only harden the outer inch or two of the blade. The area around the eye should be unhardened to increase its toughness. It's a simple matter for a tool manufacturer to harden the steel in this way. I really don't think you have a problem.

[JustinTyson]

Hey Peter,

As you noted, those branching sparks are a good indicator that you've got hardened steel. And yes, hardened steel pits just as well as untempered steel. I've got a some old Stanley irons to prove it. One other thing you'll notice is that if you soak a blade in vinegar, the line between the hardened and unhardened steel will show up quite clearly. But it doesn't sounds like you have a reason to do a vinegar soak.

You might also check for hardness testing dimples . In this picture, you can see clearly the line between hardened and unhardened steel. You can also see a shallow dimple in the hardened steel and a larger dimple in the unhardened steel, indicating that the hardening process worked correctly.

[Timberwolf]

The whole axe head is heated but the edge is hotter than the top portion...The red hot {non-magnetic} edge of the head is quenched, leaving the edge harder than the top...Then the head is tempered in an oven to reduce the possibility of chipping...The entire head is of the same type of steel, which in itself is harder than ordinary mild steel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCpgDtihJfg

[Arlin Eastman]

Peter

All metal will corrode even stainless steel. There is no difference between mild or hardened steel they will go back to dust as soon as they can.

The only thing that keeps them from corroding slower is a mixture of other metals.