Axe Restoration // True Temper Kelly Perfect

For years now I have been a custom knife maker, and I love all things metal. When I was younger I went to school to be a precision machine operator. That gave me the knowledge for doing some cool things, and an appreciation for all things metal.

For some time I have been a member for some edged art groups online. These branch out from just knives, but go to axes and other sorts of blades. It didn't take long for me to start to really find the most natural fit for my lifestyle... AXES!

As a homesteader, or someone that prefers the self reliant life style, I cut alot of fire wood. I am in the forest, near the forest, and around trees almost daily. There is something almost spiritual about being in the woods, and I love how I feel when I am there. I thought it would be a natural fit to start restoring axes, and then I could even get to use them.

When it comes to restoring old metal it is pretty simple. Mostly, it just takes time and effort. There are some details that you really need to learn, but those can come with time. When people see these old axes laying around, they just think that they are junk. The handles are usually broken off, and most often they are completely rusted. Some axes are even buried in the earth for a while before they are found.

The other day we were visiting a friend, and we took a bit of a tour of their new farm. In one of their out buildings there was a pile of rusted metal, which typically means treasure. Sure enough, I sniffed out an axe head like I was a hunting dog. I found a double bit True Temper Kelly Perfect.

For the restoration I tried something different. I have already restored a beautiful Collins double bit that we found on a farm in Michigan, and I used vinegar. This time I used WD-40 and a cupped wire brush. I sprayed it with the WD-40 a couple of times and let it soak in, and then dug right in with the wire brush. You can see here how it started to eat away the rust.

It took a good while to get all of the rust off of this one. I managed to get all of the rust off, polish up the ends a bit, file the top and the bottom smooth, and hand file the bevels down to sharp. This thing was just a rusted old hunk of steel, and the ends looked like the farmer used to feed his axe rocks, but now it is ready for action. I am going to hang this on a 36" piece of hickory and put it to work!

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I agree. There is something about an amazing old piece of steel that gets new life that really makes me happy.

Thanks for joining me today with a little bit of my adventure!

Be well
~The Yeti

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