hewing hatchet rework question?

[toolmiser]

I have a hewing hatchet that I picked up at a garage sale and I want to prepare it to use.   It has a handle that is offset to one side and in usable shape.  Someone ground a back bevel on the edge that I am going to remove, as with it the axe is pretty useless.  My question :  is  the edge supposed to be straight, or have an arch?  

I am not talking about the bevel that you sharpen, but of the part that actually strikes the wood.  I've looked at some places online, and I've seen both straight and arched.  Since I am in the business of getting rid of the back bevel I might as well make the edge straight or arched.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[AHill]

What do you want to use it for? That would dictate what kind of edge best suits your work.

[toolmiser]

To be honest, I don't have a use right now, but since it's cold and white outside, I think this would be a nice time to prepare it for use before I have a use. I tend to "bank" garage sale purchases made over the summer, and prepare them for work in the winter. My shop is in a heated basement, but I don't enjoy being there as much in the summer, when I can be outside.

what is the use for a "straight" edge vs one with a curve? I've seen both online, but nobody seems to talk about one vs the other.

Thanks

[AHill]

If you want to use the hatchet for carving or shaping wood, a symmetrical bevel (bevel on each side) is probably best, along with a curved edge. When carving, you'll likely want to cut from either side of the axe, and the curved edge allows you to target specific places on the wood. A "hewing" axe is more suited to using the hatchet to create a flat surface. Carpenters of old would use a hewing hatchet to square up boards or beams. A hewing hatchet's edge tends to be more straight as you don't want a deeper cut in the middle vs. the outer portions of the edge. For my work, I use a carving axe. You can make a flat edge with a double bevel axe that has a curved edge, but it requires a bit more attention to the angle you attack the board with compared to a hewing axe design. I find the double bevel curved edge to be more versatile, and it's likely what most potential buyers of an axe are looking for.

[Timberwolf]

If you want to use the hatchet for carving or shaping wood, a symmetrical bevel (bevel on each side) is probably best, along with a curved edge.  When carving, you'll likely want to cut from either side of the axe, and the curved edge allows you to target specific places on the wood.  A "hewing" axe is more suited to using the hatchet to create a flat surface.  Carpenters of old would use a hewing hatchet to square up boards or beams.  A hewing hatchet's edge tends to be more straight as you don't want a deeper cut in the middle vs. the outer portions of the edge.  For my work, I use a carving axe.  You can make a flat edge with a double bevel axe that has a curved edge, but it requires a bit more attention to the angle you attack the board with compared to a hewing axe design.  I find the double bevel curved edge to be more versatile, and it's likely what most potential buyers of an axe are looking for.

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I find the double bevel curved edge to be more versatile, and it's likely what most potential buyers of an axe are looking for.

Same here.

[toolmiser]

Thanks for the responses! I noticed that the handle needs to be replaced. The handle itself looks fine, but what is in the hatchet itself isn't very good-I wouldn't use it like that. Time for me to work on my "shaving skills" and since the handle needs to curve away a bit, that will make it fun.