Nice Old Axe Head

[fogrider]

Found this a couple of weeks ago in my farm yard, about 100 feet from the house, where an old fence line used to be. I've been ignoring the big old iffy iron signal for about a year, but decided to dig it up and get rid of it, thinking it was farm junk. WW2 era, judging from other finds in the same spot.

Gave it the reverse electrolysis treatment. I'll probably sharpen it and buy a nice handle for it. I'll put it in my 1947 shop, with the other vintage tools I've found around here.

 

[Doc Bach]

That's a very nice Ax Head fogrider.Do you have any idea about its age or what time era it may have come from? The curve under the business end remids me of some of the trade era Axes that come from your neck of the woods.By coincidence on New Years Day I found a similar looking Hatchet Head complete with the handle wedge and an unusual kids or salesman sample sized piece.

Not trying to crowd in or jump your post fogrider.

Doc.

[fogrider]

No problem. I just noticed the words "BLACK DIAMOND" on it. It's a Walters Black Diamond 3 3/4 lb. limbing axe made by the Walters Axe Company in Hull, Quebec. 1864-1973.

"The Walters Axe Co. Black Diamond brand represented the best that the Walters Axe Company had to offer. The brand developed a reputation for being of the highest quality and was used on a number of axe patterns. Observations reveal that axes bearing the BLACK DIAMOND brand were exported to Australia and quite possibly other countries. In situations where distributors or vendors competed for sales in the same area the EDGE brand was offered with the label suggesting that the axe had an edge comparable to the BLACK DIAMOND axes. 

      It is quite possible that the brand was intended to reflect the reputations attributed to a type of steel bearing the same name."

 

 

[Doc Bach]

Good job on the research and write up.

[JCR]

An axe was/is a much more specialized tool than us Moderns appreciate. Probably only second to a good rifle in opening the wilderness and equal to the plow. I have always found the different patterns very interesting.

Axe Info.pdf

[Rick N. MI]

Nice find. I enjoy finding iron relics.

[Cascade Steven]

congratulations on a nice ax find.  Just curious what you used for your reverse electrolysis?

[fogrider]

Remove as much rust as possible by hand before starting.

I attached the negative lead to the axe head with a piece of heavy solid wire and a small vice grip. It's important to get a good bite on the object being cleaned. The positive lead was attached to a section of galvanized pipe (available from farm supply stores). The zinc coating on the pipe transfers to the object being cleaned, giving it a black protective coating. I like the finish.

The two metal objects mustn't touch each other.

The process is a line-of-sight reaction, so I had to replace the mixture and flip the axe head over several times. Replace the section of pipe with a fresh one as it corrodes.

If you can't find washing soda, heat up some baking soda in a saucepan on the stove top, and shake it around until all the moisture is removed from the baking soda. It'll turn from a lumpy texture to a fine powder (about 10 minutes on medium heat). Mix it fairly thick with the water.

I teach Motorcycle Mechanic Apprenticeship in Alberta, and I've been using reverse-electrolysis to restore the insides of rusted gas tanks for decades.