Grandpa's Old Axe

I have my Grandpa's old double bit axe.  It's been moving from here to there in my barn because I don't quite know what to do with it.  Who uses an axe anymore?  Well, perhaps I would if it was refinished and prettied up.  So, that's what I intend to do.

Here's the old axe.  It's a pretty long dude.

It's called a "double bit" ax because it has two cutting edges.

The stamp in the head of the axe shows it was made by Brown Camp Hardware Company.  Interestingly, this is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa.  And right downtown, too!  That old building is now a bunch of hippie apartments and condos.

There is a lot of surface rust to clean up, and both cutting

 edges have a few knicks and dings to work out.  

The handle is in good shape, except it has a lot of dirt and grime, and some paint overspray from house projects of yesteryear.

I plan to sand off all that grime and make that old wood look a good deal better.  Perhaps then I'll be motivated to swing it a few times, but I'll probably just hang it on the barn wall as a decoration.

As a side story, my kids call it a "battle axe".  I just can't picture ol' Grandpa swinging around a "battle axe", but it's a fun thought to think about.  I asked my kids, "How do you know what a battle axe is?"  And they referred me to their new favorite Muppets Video.  

Click here:  Pumpkin Pie a la Bazooka