So I love a boot sale and I’ve been looking for axe heads for a while. This is a Kent pattern 1lb head that I found, it turns out it was hung (fitted to the handle) the wrong way up and either it didn't work well because of that or it just hadn’t been used much as it was it very good condition all be it covered in rust.
So after struggling with getting the old handle out (drill it and push it out through the top of the eye) and a wire brush and some oil later, I was hoping to keep the brown colour, but as this is rust it had to go.
So into a plastic pot with distilled white vinegar it went, it was in there for about 4 days in the end. I took it out wire brushed it, I also covered it in baking soda and scrubbed it in that to neutralise the vinegar, but I now know I should not have done this until after I’d scrubbed it with a brillo to get all the residue off, this is why it went that funny yellow.
Because of the tarnish I had on it I used some multi purpose metal polish with a toothbrush and it now looks like metal again (the pinky colour in the middle is the reflection of me taking the pic) , but I have kept all that lovely pitting, I will not be grinding it down flat like you see in some vids online, I don’t see the point.
So I just need a good handle and to sharpen it, I will post that when it is done.
