Harbor Freight ALMOST Built The Perfect Camp Axe

[@Shouldwegooutside]

To all those asking about the sharpening plates: a.co/d/f7paK9I

[@NickPelletier]

thank you

[@bigdaadio.K2WW]

Great video, very nice job! How do those inexpensive diamond plates hold up? i bought some a few years back that lost there $hit, quickly

[@Shouldwegooutside]

@@bigdaadio.K2WW I would say i use mine at an above average rate - but I haven't noticed a deterioration in quality after over a year.

[@bigdaadio.K2WW]

@@Shouldwegooutside Thanks for the reply, I'll give them a whirl!

[@very5ick112]

a rough handle is better than a smooth one

[@UnklKenny]

Very cool video and super realistic achievable alterations anyone can do to make an awesome hatchet out of affordable starting point. Thanks man. Keep up the content. Great vid

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Thanks man, appreciate the support. It was fun to mod and I’m excited to put it to use.

[@LisaTurner-d1b]

Really? I doubt everyone has such a workshop with those tools and talent to make these alterations. In fact most folks do not have the tools or experience to do this. Get real. Personally I will stay with my KA-Bar axe.

[@drut7512]

​@@LisaTurner-d1bPast time to acquire a few tools, use them to gain skill and become less dependent upon Walmart

[@douglasmcclure9492]

Its the steel its cheap wear saftey glasses i wont own one pay for what you get never liked h f but thats just me

[@douglasmcclure9492]

​@@LisaTurner-d1byour right h f is junk

[@threeriversforge1997]

FYI -- to remove the finish on that wood, the absolutely best and easiest way is with a wire wheel mounted on your bench grinder. Not only does this strip the finish in seconds, it tends to pull out tiny slivers of the softer wood. This leaves you with a smooth, almost polished, haft that is textured just slightly and feels delightful in the hand. I do this on all my blacksmithing hammers, and can use them for hours without a break. Just be sure to finish the wood with Pine Tar that you thin down a bit with Turpentine. This makes for a color and finish that's superb, but also serves as an anti-microbial/fungal thing so you don't get boring bugs or mold. It's a finish that's been around for about a thousand years, so we know it works!

[@donaldbuckner2935]

where do you get pine tar?

[@deputydang8291]

I feel like a card scraper is the better and more traditional option, takes literally 2 minutes without the need for a bench grinder.

[@threeriversforge1997]

@@deputydang8291 They certainly don't hurt. If you've got it, use it. The wire wheel is something that a lot of folks have, and the goal is to quickly and easily get that plastic coating off the wood. I've used my pocket knife on many occasions, too. The faceted finish a card scraper leaves behind feels good in the hand, and adding pine tar will only make that more awesome! 😁

[@angelostampanoni7336]

​@donaldbuckner2935 pine trees brother

[@YankeeWoodcraft]

I did the same thing with a Lowe's hatchet. That thing lasted me for a decade in construction work doing demo, then I retired it as a camping axe and restored it. These were made in Mexico and were great axes for $14. It was literally my best little spitter and I have axes from Sweden and American forged customs that are $600. I passed it on to a young lad with autism who found solace in camping & the outdoors for his kit.

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Love to hear it. This past year I’ve been trying to get the kids outdoors more, and we’ve brought this axe along for all of it. It’s been awesome.

[@connor638]

Once you know how to improve something good and cheap, the far more expensive versions seem silly

[@Hogprint25]

Have a son who is autistic and he finds solace in the outdoors also. Thank you sir for your kindness to that child!

[@jerbear7952]

​@@connor638or it makes the expensive ones make sense. I'm very make it yourself but sometimes I'll see something and be like "that's only $1,000"? I'm just going to pay some other sucker for that cheap" lol

[@jerbear7952]

​@@Hogprint25 I'm autistic and have always found solace in the woods. I suspect if we studied all of the mountain men and trappers you'd find some neurospicy people in that group.

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

9:38 the cracking wasn’t from lack of oil, it was a handle made of wet wood that dried out. Also, I have found that burning wood to a black char, then sanding at 180 and going up will give you an amazing finish and feel. Paste wax as a finish regardless of oil or no is amazing. I made file handles of Osage Orange that I polished to 1500 grit.

[@jerbear7952]

I heard your handles were bunk. Prove me wrong at P.O. box... ;)

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

@@jerbear7952 proving a negative is logically impossible

[@lyfandeth]

Properly lightly charring wood is a method that has been used on wooden spear points for millenia. And on arrow heads. That's a fairly long track record.

[@garypeterson3628]

Nice video. All you need is a $12 axe and $1500 of equipment to make it great. LOL But really, good video.

[@Shouldwegooutside]

That’s the painful reality we aren’t supposed to talk about! 😂

[@LouisMiller-m2w]

As I was watching I was thinking the exact thing, plus the unknown number of labor hours! None the less, this was enjoyable to watch and the presentation was excellent. Good job.

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

@@Shouldwegooutsideto be fair, sandpaper, a file, and something to hold it works. Or a $15 angle grinder with a flap disk.. it just takes longer. I have a handheld belt sander that I flip upside down in a vise .. it doesn’t require high dollar tools

[@sociopathmercenary]

Harbor Freight sells belt sanders for under $100

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

@@sociopathmercenary I have a 4x36” Bauer corded. Works great, but wish dust collection was better

[@drivestowork]

Hint: Harbor Freight sells leather punches too. JS

[@jerbear7952]

Helpful suggestions are rarely as useful to humanity as laughing at some dork make a hash of things ;) (I have totally drilled leather don't tell anyone)

[@heyallenify]

HF has these on sale currently for $8.99 if anyone's in the market. One just ended up in my truck after finding this video.

[@jackl45]

Huge, heading there today!

[@3henry214]

The $8.99 price is for inside track club members only.

[@rembrandthpc]

If you want to get rid of varnish use cheap oven cleaner spray. It's made of lye. Take it outside, place it on a plastic bag. Wearing rubber gloves spray the oven cleaner on the wood and let it sit out for ~30 mins. Take a coarse grill sponge and a water hose to wipe off the varnish, it should come off easily. I used this method sucsessfully on surplus rifle stocks to get the old varnish off mucked up stocks. I then sandpapered them and used linseed or tung oil to make the stock look like new again...well much better than before anyways. Some of them where in bad shape and non of them where "collector" item. Yes, I did also work on the metal to make it look good again, getting rid of rust and cosmoline. Oh...I also remember placing the stocks of SKS's into the dishwasher and run a pots and pan cycle with dishwashing soap and heat drying. They came out fantastic with NO varnish or cosmoline what so ever on it, ready to be sanded and oiled! Crazy but true!

[@daveh777]

As a Gunsmith I love the part about the SKS stock in the dishwaser!!!😅 Rock on Brother!!!

[@xxxlonewolf49]

@@rembrandthpc Don't you know you're only supposed to put glocks into the dishwasher? They are combat tubberwear after all 😉 Great bit of info, thanks!

[@davebryant8050]

Or, brush on some stripper and wipe it off. I prefer the second but that's just me

[@jerbear7952]

​@@xxxlonewolf49you clean yours?

[@jerbear7952]

If you want to know how nasty oven cleaner is, even non KZbinrs wear respirators. You are t kidding though, I use it to restore tool boxes. If you ever want to know what you are paying for with a snap on tool box it is paint adhesion. Holy cow, without easy off I wouldn't even play this game.

[@therealdiehl4671]

My Estwing was a more bucks, and a little heavier, but almost indestructible. And it was a Fathers day gift from my wife. I'm not a snob, but I think it's worth the money.

[@jerbear7952]

Here I'll help. "I have a lovely Estwing my wife bought me and I wanted everyone to know". Still looks braggadocios but at least it sounds authentic now.

[@ArmoredCore5000]

Estwing is made is USA and well worth the price. They are modest high quality tools and I swear by them. I’ve been using the same Estwing camp axe for camping and yardwork for 20 years now with zero issues, AND it has been a joy to use. Well worth the $30 I paid back then and it helped support american jobs and steel. These Chinese HF axes are fun project beaters but that’s all they are. They work in a pinch for $12 and they are fun to practice tool crafting and customization on. But Estwing is king without being expensive.

[@andrewcarlson2178]

Estwing makes good tools. I swear by their hammers

[@jacktrout5807]

Cool project. Good luck with the turkey hunt. I have a unit 1 tag.

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Nice! Probably better odds then my 13BS!

[@jacktrout5807]

@@Shouldwegooutside yeah there are alot of turkeys in unit 1. My tag is for may so a little later that might make it tougher. 1st tag out there so we will see.

[@Shouldwegooutside]

That’s awesome. Good luck!

[@jacktrout5807]

​@@Shouldwegooutside been out scouting the over the counter elk units over here. Been seeing a few .

[@Shouldwegooutside]

@@jacktrout5807 That's awesom! Any Bulls? I'm headed out to turkey this weekend, but I drove through Holbrook this weekend traveling form Albuquerque and now that I've seen the area, I feel like I have a better idea of what it would take out there. I'm a lot more excited to make it happen.

[@BigHarryBalzac]

I have a couple of full-size axes I got for free. The varnish finish is not only slippery when wet, It's also abrasive enough to give you blisters. Whether it's wet or dry it doesn't feel good and it only gets worse when it slips. I just used an electric sander to to sand the varnish off, then sanded it more by hand. I wrapped a piece of sandpaper halfway around and started stroking it lengthwise. That's one thing most guys are good at. 😀 I didn't use a fine grit sandpaper either, just 120 grit IIRC. I don't have boiled linseed oil, but always have a can of Johnson's paste wax so I used that on both axe handles. It doesn't penetrate like oil does, so it doesn't last as long before I have to reapply it, but it's still a lot nicer on the hands than varnish. Wax and oil both seem like they would be slippery but aren't. I tried reshaping the head on one with an angle grinder but couldn't keep it consistent. A belt sander like knife-makers all have would be nice, but I can't afford it and don't have anyplace to put one.

[@mannihh5274]

Wonderful transformation, well done. Allow for some remarks though: a) I hope you did the grinding on the back for the look, not to get a nice hammer - the steel around the eye is left quite soft to reduce the risk of cracks when doing the wedges. The hump at the back is a counterweight, it helps against the wobbling you see with original tomahawks. Hard pounding would cause the eye to deform and loosening the handle. b) you sanded the top of the head, but I couldn't see, if you put a 90° on it - would be a smart thing to scrape or debark wood or strike a ferrorod. c) Never drill leather, get a hole-punch and put a sacrificial board underneath. d) For the leather collar it would have been much nicer to use leather laces instead of paracord. Should have made the collar wet before mounting too, it will shrink when drying and make a bombproof tight fit. e) For a long time I thought, a convex grind would be best for an axe/hatchet - until I got a Fiskars with a scandi grind and micro-bevel - hell, what a chopper, cuts the time almost in half!!

[@mannihh5274]

@@originaloldpop8405 - game axes that I saw had a really nice rounded back, often polished too, so this Harbor Freight hatchet clearly is a camp-axe

[@chrisgolden1770]

I bought one of these a few days ago. Sharpened it up oiled the wood took it out and I really like it. It feels great in the hand, just the right size and weight. I’ve wasted so much money on hatchets and I finally found one I like for my camping bag. I think the tiny hole on the handle is to drop linseed oil into so it reaches inside the handle.

[@halfwayfarmsandoutdoors3550]

A piece of single pane broken glass is the best scraper I’ve ever found!!!

[@fngrusty42]

By flattening the back of the axe you made it where it will be very hard to use as a hammer. The rounded edge is so you don't bend the nails every time you hit them. There is a good reason every hammer you see head is rounded. Not flat.

[@ValerieValeska]

At 5:54: with power equipment it does reduce the time to balance the head, however it can also be done with a high quality Mill Bastard flat file. Thogh that will tak a little longer there is more control through the process.

[@daved8947]

Classic Harbor Freight. As soon as you get it home rebuild it

[@MCastronomy]

Thanks!

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Thank you so much!

[@wadeknupp5808]

Have you thought about using rawhide or sinew in place of the paracord on the leather? Weave and tie it while wet and a little stretched, as it dries it will tighten to never slip again. Trim off a little more of the leather to make up for the stretching.

[@SarahRiggs-p1s]

Fricken awesome. I'm going to get another one soon. Thank you.

[@simontenkate1786]

Impressive video. You knew the desired result, you ķnew how to achieve it, you knew how to show it to us. Obviously you are a skilled craftsman. When needed you could make a living doing this. Best wishes from Europe.

[@davebryant8050]

Probably not in the US. It's a Hrbor Freight, Walmart country now.

[@d.lindsey5583]

Make a top quality wood scraper out of an old, used up hacksaw blade. Burnish the back side of the blade with the smooth part of a round file. A burr will be built up along the edge which will be really sharp. The handy thing about this scraper is that a slight bend can be formed which can blend the edge of the scraped area to blend into the unscraped area.

[@jeffreywall4818]

I’ve had very good success with mixing boiled linseed oil with turpentine 50/50 for the first 2 coats in an oil finished tool handle. I warm up the mixture and the handle in the sun on a hot day and the mixture soaks in with far more penetration. After it has 2 coats of that I apply a final coat of pure boiled linseed oil and rub it in well. Then I let it dry for a couple of days in the sun and it’s good to go.

[@rickyserna1787]

Thank You. I have been since 2007 loyal customer Harbor Freight tools

[@DYLANTHESK8ER]

You could also use some broken glass to remove the varnish. It saves the edges on your knives. I used to keep a coffee tin with broken glass in it just for things like this.

[@C64278]

the roll going through the side of the axe is to prevent the axe head from sliding off the end of the handle when in use

[@brada1997]

Well that's excellent. What do you suggest if I don't have a giant belt sander

[@Shouldwegooutside]

I’ve seen a fair amount of people use a file - but you could also do it with hand powered grinder and clean it up with sand paper or a file… I think.

[@ValerieValeska]

At 13:17 I will give you this: The leather cuff is VERY smart. You listened to some oldtimer soomewhere along your life's journey.

[@Huey4214]

How cool to turn a cheap hatchet into a real beauty! Well done.

[@kevkev5935]

That was some incredible work. Those honing plates you had at the end are awesome too. Definitely want to pick some up for myself.

[@vamacharyakilaya8032]

Who makes those diamond honing plates?

[@petedufault8047]

Great video! Love the look of the toasted handle. I did the same type of mods to my HF hatchet except for the toasting and the leather (really like the leather protection, I used paracord on mine too). One other thing that I did that worked out great was to rub some bee's wax on the grip area of the handle after the BLO had cured. The wax gives a very positive solid grip. I am planning to do 3 more to give to my sons and will be using some of your suggestions, thanks for the tips! Good luck with those turkeys!

[@rlwoods61]

I know I am late to the party but winter is coming and I need a couple of projects like this for thos cold rainy/snowy winter days. I have the tools you used so for 12 buck, I will have a project to keep me out of trouble for a day! Thankls for the video!

[@sdnlawrence5640]

Nice job. Some very good ideas. I'll be doing this next weekend.

[@davidfrank2824]

Years ago I bought the cheaper one with the plastic handle. That was about 15 years ago. I just could not keep the blade sharpened no matter what I had done. Since it's Christmas Eve right now I'm not going to try to go out and pick up one of these today. I can guarantee you by The Weeknd I will have one. I'm going to do exactly what you have done. I really like how it turned out. I have everything that you used in this video on hand so all I need is the axe. The only thing I did not understand is what was the purpose of the cardboard? At first I thought you were doing that in place of the leather strap and then you went from the cardboard to the leather strap. So I'm wondering what the cardboard was for?

[@LarsSmith-rv4ot]

Walmart had theirs for $9.99 only online a month or so ago. I bought 3, so thanks for giving me some ideas. It has a flat head end already and hickory handle. Some YT chick from Canada used red wine to stain the ends of hers before burning. Again, thanks for the inspiration!

[@thinkfirst6431]

The problem with purchasing on line is that you can not check the grain orientation to pick out the ones with the right grain.

[@klutchdust4346]

What was the protective cover made from. This video was very enjoyable. I appreciate craftsman at work.

[@billwright9256]

What are those sharpening "plates" you were using?

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Just some diamond sharpening stones I got on Amazon. Diamond Sharpening Stone, 5 Pcs... www.amazon.com/dp/B09WM9NCK3?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

[@anthonyromano8565]

Scrape the varnish off the handle and stick the handle in rich moist worm castings and the handle will take on a perfect chestnut color that looks naturally aged. I did to my hammers one day after harvesting some worm castings. Humic acid powder and water would produce similar results but I left the handles in for 5 days in worm castings. I spilled humic acid powder on white oak once and I ended up rubbing all over the peace to even out the color.

[@Gzus]

Great video! What material did you use for the blade cover? I had a hard time hearing what you called it.

[@jdsmith-bl2yl]

He said Kydex

[@slouchyjoe]

I like your camping set up!

[@galen2843]

Thanks for the video, would there be any advantage of soaking the handle in boiled linseed oil for a period of time?

[@Shouldwegooutside]

I’m not sure… my guess is not unless it was diluted with mineral spirits so it was less viscous…

[@jimmys.8062]

I need to go that extra mile on my equipment too! Nice ideas. AND I'll have to invest in a protective cover if I go that sharp! I assume that you occasionally re-oil ??? And that you don't varnish? Thanks.

[@Shouldwegooutside]

I’ve re-oiled once. But it dries not unlike varnish.

[@morganstein13]

@Shouldwegooutside Awesome. Perchance you could tell me the model of the knife @ 5:52, good Sir?

[@BBQDad463]

Thank you for this video. You did a great job on that hatchet. Looks sweet!

[@1unvbill]

Can you out the oil in a small tin and let the very bottom of the handle sit in it for a few minutes to allow more to soak up? Or is that a bad idea? If bad, what would happen? Thanks!

[@Shouldwegooutside]

I bet it would work… just need something to keep the axe from tipping the container.

[@kevinconant6279]

That's a great video. Now I have a weekend project to do . Thanks

[@lowlowsandclothes9923]

New ones don’t have any varnish on the handles, I got one I wanna say 4 or 5 months ago and it didn’t have any on it

[@stupedcraig]

How close do you have to get to the turkey to be effective with the axe?

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Scary close. You pretty much have to dress up as the decoy…

[@Shouldwegooutside]

😂

[@WoolyBooger52]

Anytime you use leather or rawhide you want to wet it so when it drys it’s formed and tighter

[@scott.the.sailor]

cool video! I have a couple of suggestions: a carbide scraper (bahco pocket scraper would be the perfect size) would be much better than a knife. for the epoxy, use a syringe or eye dropper to inject the epoxy into a hole

[@ValerieValeska]

At 12:09 Why di you not use Jeweler's rouge on your strop? the edge would be much more polished.

[@troystallard6895]

Overall, I like what you've done. I especially agree with you about getting rid of the finish and oiling the wood. I'm a third generation carpenter, and that was always the first thing we did to new hammers and hatchets. I'm not wild about the blade guard, though. Those ends sticking past the blade are going to hang up on everything in sight... By the way, I'll pretty much guarantee the original finish on the handle was clear lacquer, not varnish. No one is going to use slow-drying varnish on a mass-produced item like that.

[@roglamb]

Great video, thanks. (Where did you get your sharpening plates?)

[@Shouldwegooutside]

a.co/d/hRspnCH

[@Shouldwegooutside]

@Shouldwegooutside just an amazing product I’ve been pretty happy with.

[@roglamb]

@@Shouldwegooutside thank you

[@codeblue2532]

HF should add the “Sharpening Plates” next to their axe/hatchet inventory….js

[@JoeSyxpack]

I have one of these axes that I bought at least a decade ago that I've brutalized. I removed the varnish and profiled the edge (not as fine as you did, but a more usable edge than you get from the factory. I've used it for everything from possessing firewood to chopping up roots to remove dozens of stumps from rocky soil (which is a horrible, horrible thing to do to an axe). But no matter how wicked I am to it, it only takes a few minutes to get the edge back with a file and stone. So far the only issue was the head getting a little loose, which I fixed by making a wedge from a flat masonry nail. Probably I should refresh the handle a bit since it looks filthy now with so much dirt worked into it and I can't remember the last time I oiled it. I should pick up a second one and make it my "craft axe" that I can baby and keep pretty.

[@johnnylightning1491]

Good video, I only have one question. If you're a leather worker why didn't you use a punch to make those holes in the handle protector instead of a drill?

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Good question: because I’m not a leather worker…

[@ct3282]

Why did you scrape handle first instead of sanding the whole way? Save time on sanding? Or another reason?

[@raffikkiz]

if it was a plastic coating, it gunks up the sand paper really fast. so scraping first isn't a bad idea.

[@ct3282]

@@raffikkiz thanks

[@marzmarch]

One of my GBs has no sheath because it was shipped in a bubble pouch. Shipping normalcy caused the edge to cut through the sheath. Edge arrived rolled and chipped. That was the last one I bought. It’s more fun finding gems like this for a great price versus getting robbed.

[@crazyhorseracing6130]

Will the blade start rusting now where you removed the black coating?? Thanks for the video!!

[@sociopathmercenary]

It will if you don't keep it oiled. Same with all tools

[@jackl45]

Could you possibly do a version of this without belt sanders? I unfortunately don't have a belt sander yet, and would love to do this, but I only have hand tools. Or do you think I would be okay with just putting a better edge on the original HF handaxe.

[@classCexplosive]

Use a metal file, that's how I do it. Just be sure to clean the file out every few passes. It doesn't take as long as you might think.

[@Shouldwegooutside]

This guy knows what’s up.

[@paullockyer7230]

only question I have is - is the steel, heat treatment, up to that thinner profile? Or is it gonna roll over when chopping something hard?

[@marzmarch]

I’d bet on it not lasting.

[@nosrin1988]

I have some old "tactical" cheapo hatchet that barely cuts, I should reprofile it but I dont have any sort of belt sander nor currently the money for it.

[@jasonstorie8740]

What about the steel does it hold an edge or is it soft and roll on you

[@Shouldwegooutside]

No rolling yet… and we’ve put it through some work.

[@craigcarroll6161]

To really seal the pores on both ends of that handle, let them soak for a while in your boiled linseed oil. If I didn't already have three hatchets I'd probably try one too. Love turkey hunting. Enjoy.

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Appreciate the tip, I’ll have to do that now. The turkey hunt was a success and the hatchet did good work!

[@theredfirecracker3504]

I don’t know why. But when you mention the turkey hunt again at the end of the video my sleep deprived brain pictured you trying to hunt turkeys WITH the axe

[@Mike-gw9yt]

No more Internet for you! LMFAO!

[@therealdiehl4671]

Hunting turkeys and other small game with an axe is another video. 😂

[@glemsydoodles]

Beautiful work!

[@cwolf8841]

Try Loogu Camo tape wrap. Why scrape? Why not sand?😊

[@rebekahmartinez9681]

who makes those sharpening "stones?" Love how thin they are.

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Check the pinned comment. :)

[@woogieman02]

Great winter project! Where did you get those sharpening plates? Have never seen anything like that.

[@Shouldwegooutside]

They are just some amazing diamond sharpening plates. Just an alternative to whet stones. They work pretty well.

[@Goochgravysuppliers]

It's probably off Amazon, most likely

[@Shouldwegooutside]

@@Goochgravysuppliers a.co/d/f7paK9I

[@DakotaMartinez32]

I've found you can just rub charcoal into the handle before oiling to get that level of burnt look

[@francostacy7675]

I’m curious on why you scraped the wood rather than just sand it

[@robertamaro5616]

Where did you purchase the sharpeners.

[@TedwarDoor]

what kind of tension knot did you use on the sheath

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Just a square knot with the ends melted and flared out so it can’t untie…

[@crashcootercoot]

Will you sell one with your updates?

[@ems_nightcreature8209]

Would you sell an upgraded axe lol? Beautiful work.

[@HorizonsleatherBlogspot2012]

I customized a Cold Steel Trail Boss axe, it's a medium size with a fantastic steel and after I removed the paint, I created a forced patina with vinegar which shows the layers of steel. Nice work on the camp axe, for $12 it's a great deal!

[@lyfandeth]

When it is designed to be swung with one hand, I call it a hatchet. Axes take two arms and take down trees.

[@sgt_retiredcharlie4102]

I'm thoroughly impressed with all the work you did to make this cheap hatchet nice! A real treasure of a find! I love my Gransfors but that's actually a nice hatchet now.

[@burnbluefox]

By far the best tool ive ever bought from HF. Amazing for the price and surprising from where it came from for sure.

[@ReztoTex]

good job and good presentation. I miss turkey hunting on my home reservation...and mule deer...and white tail...and antelope...

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Thank you. I hear there is some of the best hunting in the world on some of the AZ Reservations…

[@ChromeForDays]

Love it, will do the same to my HF axe.

[@robertmcmanus5875]

Great Vid! IMO, you should really be putting a convex edge on an axe like that if you want to have any semblance of edge retention

[@stevefulcher8031]

Where did you get those sharpening stones ?

[@cashew82914]

what was the knife wrapped in paracord?

[@seanhoude]

They've been great for axe throwing at home. Don't mind putting in a little elbow grease with such a low price. 👍

[@willfall7624]

As a little piece of feedback, you may want to wet the leather a little and pull it tight so it shapes to the handle. Eventually its going to stretch and may be a pain when you have to keep adjusting it.

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Thanks!

[@russwelday]

How about heat shrink under the axe head?

[@stephenhubchen4962]

Thanks for the vid, you show some really good ways to fix or mod an axe. I note, however, there was no discussion regarding the actual quality of the axe materials. This is important since there are really only two main parts of an axe, the head and the handle. Is the steel of decent quality, meaning, its composition, type of heat treatment applied and hardness? Is the bit (edge) hardened different from the rest of the blade body? Is the butt (opposite flat end) hardened at all? Is the wood grain decent? If the basic materials are suspect, no amount of modding will make a bad axe good, you will just have an ergonomically superior and cool looking axe that will not perform very well.

[@barlowjmb]

Very cool rundown. I love how it turned out

[@jules8430]

Do you ever sell them? If you ever buy additional ones & fix them up - let me know 😊

[@2bearms]

Any link to the sharpening stones he was using

[@Shouldwegooutside]

Diamond Sharpening Stone, 5 Pcs... www.amazon.com/dp/B09WM9NCK3?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

[@jeffschuler5659]

Amazon 12-16 bucks for 5 pieces

[@gwb8445]

I bought a Harbor Freight hatchet and use it just as it came. Works fine.

[@Metalhistorian]

Ive done a similar process with the Cold Steel trail boss axe (bought 4, some years ago off amazon for $22 each) might just need to get a few of these as well. Its a great fun project.

[@dennisd4452]

I don't see this axe on their website now.

[@danmorgan3685]

I did some mods on mine a while ago. Nothing this nice but I was able to reprofile the blade a bit and make it lot more versatile.

[@khgdkhgdhggh]

I bought a dozen to throw for $72 when they were on sale a few years ago, surprisingly decent little axe, and my homemade throwing lanes are a hit at family barbecues.

[@capt.martin5169]

Nice Job! Smart upgrades that really improve a nice tool!

[@kushpaladin]

i prefer paracord wrapped around it, that can come in handy if you ever run out and find yourself needing it

[@markh5889]

Use a cabinet scraper!

[@pyrosmoak53]

That's the name I was trying to remember lol. I was like "just use a uhh...uhh.. damn what's the thing called?" 😂😂

[@fireemblemistrash75]

I just wish I could find one of these. Mine never has these so ended up getting the fiskars one instead (also an amazing budget axe that Ive had and uses to produce tinder, process wood, work, etc. . Great steel!)