Hewing hatchet
#11
Bride and I spent some quality time hitting up some local antique places this morning. I've been really itching to try some spoon carving but have none of the tools needed so I was keeping an eye out. This Keen Cutter broad hewing hatchet followed me home:

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At $40 I don't feel like I stole it but am.happy with my purchase. The cutting edge is 5 1/2" long. Now I need to sharpen it up and start practicing with it.
~ Chris
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#12
You might not think you "stole it", but I can tell you that you did extremely well at 40 bucks...I call that a $75.00 tool if it's a nickel!! Keen Kutters are collectible!!

And they are danged good users, that one in particular!!
Often Tested.    Always Faithful.      Brothers Forever

Jack Edgar, Sgt. U.S. Marines, Korea, America's Forgotten War
Get off my lawn !
Upset





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#13
I love the little axe. Great offset. Is the handle bent as well? I would probably try to fix the handle. Depending on how solid the wood is, you may be able to get away without a new handle, but I would get replace the nail with a proper wedge.

Price is relative. It looks to be in terrific shape. I have an axe problem and have not seen many like that one before.

Steve
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#14
Well I guess maybe I did a little better than I thought.

The handle is straight and I planned to replace the handle from the outset. There were 2 nails and a brass screw in place of a metal wedge. When I took the handle off the end was pretty mangled from the nails.

I did notice while taking the handle out if you look at the third picture a very faint vertical line where the head narrows. That is a very fine crack. I think whomever rehandled this didn't fit the handle and just pounded it in as it was extremely difficult to remove, probably causing the crack. The way I intend to use this hatchet, this shouldn't affect use at all.
~ Chris
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#15
Are you sure it's a crack, not a line where it was forge welded? I would think an actual crack that long would be a problem.
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#16
Looks like a good hatchet in good shape. I have a similar one, an Everkeen, but found it too heavy for me and ended up getting a smaller hatchet from Robin Wood. Did a right-up on that here. A lot easier for an OF like me to use and be able to hit what I'm aiming at.
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#17
I have that same hatchet. I sometimes use it for removing stock to bring a board to rough width. You think a scrub plane is fast, try a broad hatchet!

Jonathan


I only regret the tools I didn't buy!

“Think about it: Everything with a power cord eventually winds up in the trash.” John Sarge
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#18
Very nice!

I have a very similar hatchet, and I use it all the time for roughly squaring up split billets before running them through my bandsaw.

You're a woodworker. Replace the handle. It's not hard.

I will say, however, that you may not find this hatchet as useful for spoon carving as you might think. The broad blade is suited to making a (relatively) flat surface, and you might that find a regular double-beveled camp hatchet is just as good (or better) for hewing out spoons. But this hatchet is definitely worth a try.
Steve S.
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Tradition cannot be inherited, and if you want it you must obtain it by great labour.
- T. S. Eliot

Tutorials and Build-Alongs at The Literary Workshop
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#19
Bibliophile is correct - a single-bevel hewing hatchet is not what you want for carving spoons. If you're looking for an inexpensive way to get started, just pick up an Eastwing hatchet for $30 or so. That's what I used when I started carving spoons. They have fairly short bevels that are good for carving curves. The steel isn't the greatest, but it's easy to sharpen.

If you don't mind a bit of work, pick up a carpenter's/roofer's hatchet (their doesn't seem to be a consensus on what these things are called) and turn it into a dedicated carving axe.



"If I had eight hours to cut down a tree, I'd spend six hours sharpening my axe."

My Woodworking Blog: A Riving Home
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#20
Thanks for the info guys. I just thought it was really cool so I nabbed it. If I end up using it for squaring up billets or making kindling for the wood stove so be it, it's still cool to me.

Justin, you did a number on that hatchet, and I really like the looks of yours. I'll have to keep my eye open at sales for an oldie for cheap and make something similar to yours. Thanks for the idea!
~ Chris
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