Carpenter's Hatchet

I have always wanted a good carpenter's hatchet. They just have a certain look that I find appealing. Pragmatic crossed with nostalgic. I don't know, but I needed one. I had been thinking I would find one at a random time in life, someplace like a garage sale or pawn shop. Well I got impatient, like I tend to do, and just bought one at an Ace Hardware. Then I proceeded to modify it.

The freshly purchased tool was covered in a glossy lacquer and VERY roughly shaped edges around the hammer side of the head. When I say rough, I mean I could have cut myself on the burrs. Plus it was embossed with an ugly "ACE" on the head and handle. It was $14. That's what you get I guess. So a few minutes with an angle grinder with a wire wheel, then a sanding disk smoothed out the head to a suitable condition. The handle was then stripped of it's gloss, and logo, as well.

Next was a degreasing and a bluing of the head with gun bluing. Just something to patina the steel a little. Then a couple coats of tung oil on the handle. A sharpening, some oil, and a quick axe mask later and there you have it. Something worth toting around. Maybe someday I can use it to build a cabin.