INCONCEIVABLE! 155-Year-Old CIVIL WAR ERA Rusty Axe Head Tool Restoration in 4K! BURIED UNDERGROUND!
Today we restore an axe from the time of the American Civil War. For more information about the history of this axe, please watch the video. I include it all there.
Sorry that it has been a while since the last upload. My main issue is that I am trying to film nicer video for you all and doing it in 4K but my old computer simply couldn’t handle the video. I had to build a new computer from scratch. This took both time and money - a lot of both. I’m hoping that you’ll all agree with me that it’s worth it.
Find me on Instagram - stevensfix - throughout the restoration of this axe I posted photos of the progress. I’ve also started a Twitter account - stevensfix -. You can also email me stevensfix@XXXXX.com (replace the x’s with gmail). I realize that in my other videos I had my email address wrong so if you wrote to me and I didn’t respond, it’s not personal, I’m just a dumb-dumb.
Feel free to tweet out to @Evapo_Rust on your favorite social medias and ask them to send Steven’s Fix some free Evapo-Rust. Don’t forget to tag me in your post.
“When Will The Sun Shine For Me?”
Performed by: Irving Kaufman
Released April, 1923 and is in the Public Domain Mark 1
The main body of that axe head is wrought iron and the cutting edge is carbon steel which has been forged welded on. This axe was made in a Blacksmith forge. If you look closely around the eye of the axe head, you can see where the iron bar was formed then folded over and forged welded. The eye was then formed with a drift of appropriate size. Also, you can see the "grain" pattern in the wrought iron itself. The Blacksmith who made this was an expert !!! The forge welding is superb. This axe head is definitely 19th century and probably 1850's - 1860's. Axe heads of this kind (wrought iron, forged welded) were not made on an industrial scale after 1880 - 1890 or so because of manufacturing tech advancements and carbon steel became more widely used after the Bessemer process came into the main stream here in the U.S., (research Carnegie steel, et al ). How do I know this?? I'm a 25 year professional restoration Blacksmith and have worked as a restoration Blacksmith for the National Park Service. I have reproduced this axe head before, although the main body was made from 1015 mild steel because wrought iron is no longer produced in the United States and I didn't have any available from old stock. Also, I have done historical research on this subject for the NPS
This comment is too darn great to not pin as the main comment for a while. Cheers!
@@StevensFix -- Wow, thanks !! It's a great find and a great restoration on the axe head. You did this artifact and the original Blacksmith justice. I love stuff like this, especially when you cut through the piece of cord wood.
Yeah what he said
@Jen farmer no
@Jen farmer definitely probably maybe.
Congratulations... You're the first to swing that ax in over a century.
Hi john172867! Thank you for your comment! And it felt great. Such a nice weight. Now it's just hanging on my wall for the impending zombie invasion. Cheers! :)
@@StevensFix I think the invasion is here now..
Over a century and a half to be exact! Either way, you're right
That ax is living history, those old tools have a soul !
Not any more 😅
@@janderooh I mean the purpose of restorations is to restore the soul of that object so he's not wrong
Yeah because they stole it
@@hollowtrappedinaelevator320 I don't understand your comment .
@@stevenrichards3699 you don't steal other people's souls to put in your tools?
Discussing and discovering history through every day items is one of my favorite things to do...More like this please!!!!!
Check out the BBC podcast about the history of humanity through the examination of 100 objects (from the collection of the British Museum)
You've done a magnificent job on that axe---and I'm glad to see you using the hammer!
"These sidewalls are too thin to ever really use this axe. This axe will be decorative" 17:31 - Y E E T
Paulo Roberto MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY LOL
Well, he had to make sure he had done the job right, I guess.
and yet he still used it was my imediate thinking XD
I bet it out lives us all
Even if it's not meant to be used, it still needs to be usable. Otherwise, it's not really an ax; it's just an old hunk of metal on a stick.
What a nice to watch this video during my quarantine days
I really like the enormous contrast between the scars of the rust and the high shine polish of the blade. Ver well done. 👍
Peter Kanzler i dont
@@JD-tq1lj I've had an old tattoo touched up.
@@JD-tq1lj Say ok boomer..
ok boomer
I love that this turned out to be a Dayton Style Axe. I'm from Dayton.
Great work yet again, Steven. Interesting axe head shape, I've never seen that before.
Hi Frederic Lynes! Thank you for your comment and welcome back! I was smitten by the shape of this one. In Canada, I've only ever seen the same one or two styles so this one was a treat. Cheers! :)
My grandfather had an axe shaped tike that and it was painted black except where it was sharpened. When I was little in the late 40's he would use it for his wood stove and for chopping heads off of chickens. No telling how long he had it. He was born in Kentucky in 1877.
You’re a miracle worker Steve! When I see you restoring objects from yesteryear, I can’t help but think about all the hands that touched it and what times were like for them! Ah, the stories encased in them!
Finally a KZheadr that says brass wire brushes are softer than steel wire brushes, and actually uses it. Also when you gotta mess something up on purpose cuz you did too good of a job is always funny to me
I love the fact that you used mostly hand tools, makes it look more antique. From junk to museum piece. Nicely done.
@@Snuffles_ Yes I did, very much so
@@Snuffles_ ?
@@-godsspeed-9159 probably refering to his terrible technique with a file.
The old music .. Classic! love it.
Hi Cstar! Thank you for your comment! I was hesitant to put the music at first, didn't know how people would react. I'm glad you liked it. Cheers! :)
THAT WAS AWESOME!!! love how you used the Hammer you restored
A hammer with very theatrical lighting lol...
You turned a rusty axe head into a work of art. I can’t think of a way to artificially create that effect and I sure wish I had the vision you do. Well done. You have another sub. Cheers Stuart 🇦🇺
At first I was on the fence when you decided to leave it mostly natural. Then I saw the sanding on the blade, which brought me back. Then you re-blued it, lost me again. Then you buffed and sharpened it and suddenly I’m all in. It was a roller coaster, but I loved the choices you made. Not just another grind and buff restoration. Well done.
Hi Chuck Under Fire! Thank you for your comment! Talk about a roller coaster, it was a roller coaster reading your comment. I couldn't tell if you were going to end it by saying you loved it or hated it but I'm so glad that you loved it. I second guessed a lot of steps in this project and having feedback like this lets me know I made the right choices. Cheers! :)
Never in a million years this would look like this very nice job.
Nothing more beautiful than the age and a mirror polished edge!!! The man who forged that axe is smiling!!! No matter where he is now!!! The single most beautiful axe head I have seen on KZhead!!!
Hi Mark schwegler! Thank you for your comment. I'm flattered that you'd say that. It means a lot - I really wanted to KZhead community to like this and I think I hit my mark. Cheers! :)
The nicks and groves of this arrowhead is what gives it it's character. 🙃 I'm holding my breath as you file down the blade...😲😭 Thumbs 👍🏾👍🏾! Great skill! ❤️⚒️
Loved the ode to the 1750's hammer you restored!
love the scars of the time... incredible work! congrats
Great work..”that went through like a laser” 😂😂👍 .. love it ! 😁
I love the effect the pitting has with the polished tip.
Man the grain on that old wrought iron axe head is something else it looks gorgeous.
Hi Josh Cade! Thank you for your comment! I'm so glad that so many people are seeing this restoration the way that I had envisioned it. Cheers! :)
By far, my favorite restoration you have done. Keep them coming 🪓
Hi dandeman46! Thank you for your comment! I'm trying to keep them coming, but my life is very difficult right now. Soon....hopefully. Cheers! :)
Love the Easter eggs. Keep them and the videos coming!
Hi Alix GT! Thank you for your comment! So long as awesome superfans like you keep watching them, I'll keep making them. Cheers! :)
That was Bad Ass, my friend! Great work and restoration! Love it.
Nice work, Steven. I love the history lessons.
Hi Charlie Smith-Brake ! Thank you for your nice comment and encouragement. Cheers! :)
Jeez if I was just walking in nature I would pass it thinking it was just a rock tbh
This is so cool. I love watching these restoration channels. And I truly appreciate that you only polished the blade tip and not the entire head. So many go ham and ruin the raw beauty of the craftsmanship on the piece. Absolutely stunning. Thank you for sharing.
Dude, awesome job.... I love your restorations.
8:55 Mom downstairs: STEVEN, HAVE YOU SEEN MY CAKE MOLD? Steven: ... NO, MOM
Wow! I'm glad I found this video! I have found a couple double bit axe heads on my property metal detecting and wanted to fix them up. Thanks for the information!
Hi JB Books! Thank you for your comment! Glad to help you out. Let me know if you need any more information. Cheers!
"...like a laser!" made me LOL !
At last a sympathetic restoration. Not overdone like some channels. It still has age marks and patina and it works. Great job.
Hi keeponpainting! Thank you for your comment. It's really nice of you to take the time to say that. Cheers! :)
When reading that title/thumbnail all I could think of was the Princess Bride. InCoNciEvAbLe
Same
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
@@The4MusketeersYT i was quoting the princess bride.
@@chrisgorman3997 I see
You've got a lot of patience. If I didn't know it's age I'd have gotten a screwdriver or something and started bonking that big knob of rust hoping to chip it off. I guess I like seeing stuff like that get removed in big chunks.
Hi Big Chungo! Thank you for your comment! I was so tempted to do that too. But then again, it wouldn't leave me with much of a video. I was really hoping that the Evapo-Rust would loosen it and I could pull it off on camera - instead it just dissolve it. 😕
kzhead.info/sun/pcqHmtGjmJ-ZYJ8/bejne.html would u please support me sir
Shaji kv kalluvalappil yes
Simply stunning restoration, Steven! I never would have believed that rusty hulk could come out looking so tremendous, especially with that big ol’ rust blister on the one cheek. The evaporust did an amazing job eating away the lion’s share of a century plus of heavy oxidation. I was mesmerized by the whole video (watched at least 3 times already!), but I particularly enjoyed that you used your restored hammer to set the handle - brilliant! Cool that you were able to do a little research and get a possible ID on the axe type and add to its history - I honestly had no idea about different axe patterns, so I learned some new stuff watching and reading some of the comments. Loved seeing it get one last whack at a log, too :) And thanks for the shout out in the video to me and the Friendly Metal Detecting Forum! I’m so glad I saw your open call for “rusty junk” on the forum - I can’t think of a better possible outcome and new home for that axe! Hopefully I can dredge up another interesting restoration candidate in a future detecting hunt soon!
All thanks go to you AirmetTango. This whole thing wouldn't have been possible if you didn't have the generosity to send me this axe head (and the other one, shh!). I'm glad that you feel that I did it justice. Imagine if you knew what kind of journey this axe head would have gone on when you pulled it out of the ground. I have been checking the comments here regularly just waiting to see if you liked it. Thanks again for being so awesome. Cheers! :)
Simply beautiful 👌🏻🌟 I really liked the shape you decided. Thank you for sharing with us 🗜️⚒️✌🏻 stay safe
Beautiful work. You did this venerable old tool justice. Subbed 👍🏼
Hi rpc717! Thank you for your comment. I'm flattered that you'd say that. It means a lot to me that you see the restoration the way that I do. Cheers! :)
Love this one too.😍 Greetings from the Netherlands.
Zeker
Such a cool piece of history glad you brought it back to life I wish I could find something like that
I love the use of the hammer and how you presented it in the video!
Hi Michel! Is this SUPERFAN Michel Tremblay? Great to see you here again. Thank you for your wonderful comment. I'm glad you liked the bit of silliness I added there. Cheers!
patience when handling tools gives a perfect result
Hi Carlos Moo Vargas! Thank you for your comment! I'm glad that you liked the results. Cheers! :)
I like how you become one with each tool that you restore and not just a quick make it pretty and sell it off job. You keep and use these tools because you have made them your own tools. Very cool videos.
Hi David Howard! Thank you for your comment. It's really nice of you to take the time to say that. I'm glad that there are a few people who see these videos the same way that I do. Cheers! :)
I kinda relate to this axe, its like me. Been through a lot, restored by my friends and came out still kicking ass. Depression sucks. This is a cool video i appreciate the craftsmanship! I salute you sir.
Hi blake montenegro! Thank you for your comment! Depression is a beast. But like any beast, the more you shine a light on it, the less power it has. I'm glad that you sound like you're on the mend but in my experience, it never goes away, it just gets very quiet. Come back here often and watch my vids and comment if you want, this is a good place. Cheers! :)
@@StevensFix you seem like a good dude. Keep being that way.
Always 👍
@@StevensFix I've had depression nearly 8 years ago. As far as I'm concerned its gone, never to return. I refuse to let it come back!
Awsome dude that's what taking pride in your job looks like . Proud of you I hope your are too.
Man I'm addicted to these vids 😀
Hi Kenny F! Thank you for your comment! I'm addicted to awesome viewers like you! Carry on :)
Nice job on the axe, well done 👍🏻
Hey Stef Knives! Thank you for you positive comment. I really appreciate it. Cheers!
Incredible restoration, 10/10 job.
I like how you took a store-bought ax handle and made it your own. Nice work!
I really appreciated this restoration ! Let this tool eated by the time was a very nice idea :)
at 13 :15 you say "OVERKILL?" I think it's a good idea because since it'll be an indoor "DECORATIVE" piece, you'll have an added layer of protection with a piece of metal that sharp hanging on the wall.
Holy smokes, man, I had that toaster oven growing up! Forgot we had it! What a blast from the past.
Favorite part of the video was the sharpening process. It looks great!
Hi vexatiouswind! Thank you for your comment. I really like that part too. I think I got some pretty groovy camera angles on those clips. Cheers! :)
LOVE the old record at the beginning..... ....throw in that song from “The Green Mile”.....and the one from “Wall-E” Love the vid!!
Hi Warren_M_28703! Thank you for your comment! I'm glad you liked the song. It was hard to find one that was nice and generally appealing to most people. And in the public domain! Cheers! :)
Love how you can see the grain of the wrought iron body and the different high carbon cutting edge
Hi Just Gonna Get Better! Thank you for your comment! I really like that too. Cheers! :)
Yup, I was noticing that also, and I like that you did only a small amount of sanding/polishing so that it's still there in the final piece. There's a lot of story in that axe head once the rust all came off.
I'm glad you liked the final product :)
The long term difference between etching in acid and rusting, are pretty similar. The softer bits of steal will rust first. What's left is the harder metal. The grain shows through. I would have liked to see that "cancerous" lump of rust fall off. Evaporust just melted it away - also I was surprised how little that lump impacted underneath.
The lump left a slight indentation in the axe head but you really have to hold it in the light at the right angle to see it. Cheers! :)
Damn, that edge is like a mirror! Beautiful job!
Hi Amber & Nena Dalydisanto! Thank you for your comment. It's really nice of you to take the time to say that. Cheers! :)
this video was so entertaining we viewed it again . thanks for sharing.
Great job with your restoration idea. I would have dressed it down smooth if it is not going to be used and etched it with ferric chloride and maybe instant coffee. You can see the beautiful grain structure of the Civil War era wrought iron and the juncture where the high carbon steel was forge welded on. The etching process would have brought out the contrast of the metals more dynamically I think. But that is just my opinion. I think the wall thickness for a seldom used axe would have been okay with an inside dressing up for a better handle fit. I'm 64 and any dressing yon my account is an improvement and I am a seldom used item myself.😁😁 But I liked the job you did and the final sharpening was not overkill. If you have ever used a full axe even seldomly, then you know what I mean. Keep up the good work. Old Man Andy.
Hi James Douglas! Thank you for your comment! With my hammer video, a lot of the feedback that I got was 'you went too far' so with this one, I wanted to take a less-is-more approach. I have another great video like this in the pipeline and I definitely want to try acid etching in that one. Each time I do a video it contains a lot of suggestions that people gave me from the video before - and this'll be one of them. Cheers! :)
Prácticamente es un fósil amigo. Pero realmente lo vas a dejar increíble
IMPRESIONANTE. Increíble lo duro que suena ese Acero. Te ha quedado de lujo tío. Un abrazo
Ver nice it turned out beautiful, what a great find.
Hi Robert Gilkerson! Thank you for your comment! I'm glad you liked it. I'm forever indebted to AirmetTango for donating it to this channel. Cheers! :)
I've never seen someone make a file suffer like you
His use of the file makes me cringe!
Next episode - "How I restored abused files"
Wow, over fifty years of using files, I never realized they would cut in both directions. ;-)
this is a shit have soo pulicity
Me too. It hurts me
I recognize that oven! My family had it in the early 80s :)
Hi Kevin Kang! Thank you for your comment! I picked up this oven at a used-stuff-store. Maybe it is your family's old oven? Cheers! :)
Awesome restore without compromising its story and history!
Its story was erased with every file pass.
Ohhhh Dude Most Awesome Axe I Ever Did See!!!
I work in a chrome shop. We use muriatic acid to dissolve rust. It’s 10 times faster and cheaper than evaporust and doesn’t die out quick either
I like the salt water electrolysis method. Got to be the cheapest way surely
Acid dip removes metal in addition to the rust, and makes the pitting worse. Electrolysis removes only rust. I don't know what Evapo-Rust is, but it claims to be non-acidic. Naval Jelly is phosphoric acid. Very aggressive stuff, that also removes bluing and chroming. Muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) is also very aggressive stuff. For historic conservation electrolysis is the most benign.
Great restoration, but I’d have left the roll-over as part of its history. Good though well done. It lives again!
Hi Brian Marshall! Thanks again for your comment! I agree that leaving the mushrooming would have left it more original and I debated long about whether or not I should - but in the end I decided that it would have more of an elegant look if I straightened it. Cheers! :)
Yeah filing away at many of its dents dings and original shape hurts the possibility that its origins could be triangulated .
@@StevensFix Late to the party here, but it looks like the axe, due to the mushrooming, was used as a hammer as well.
Hai rovinato un attrezzo invecchiato con dignità’ , comprane uno nuovo che e’ più divertente il gioco, manovale senza rispetto
Americani senza cultura e rispetto, sareste capaci fi mettere le rolladen al Colosseo
Looks beautiful, great job!
Amazing restore! Love the finished look you accomplished
Me: sees thumbnail Me: Ah! Yes! *a block of fricking rust* !
😂👌
Hi Snail Kale! Thank you for your comment! I'm glad you clicked on my block of fricking rust. Cheers! :)
@@StevensFix :)
"That belongs in a museum" XD
So do you Dr. Jones! 😄
@@StevensFix i understand that reference, because movie character Indiana Jones said it.
Amazing!! Very talented!
Really appreciate someone who knows how to use a file properly. One way, not back and forth. Love your videos.
@Prowler Cam I saw that since I watched the entire video, but as a practice, the file is and has always been make to cut one direction. Using it back and forth can roll the file and make it useless. Please refer to the many more examples to see what I was talking about. An old timer at my old machine shop (his name was Myles Dolin-RIP) taught me how to use a file properly after scolding me for doing it wrong. lol! I have diamond files I can push and pull, but never will I do the same with a regular steel file.
Nice
Hey Gustavo Affonso! Thank you for your comment. I really appreciate it. Cheers! :)
@@StevensFix my pleasure and have a nice day.
You as well. You are a great person. :)
@@StevensFix thank you.
Nice job! From the look of the mushroomed butt the poor old thing spent at least part of it's life chopping firewood.
probably how it ended up in the dirt, went from a felling axe, demoted to firewood splitting until it broke off handle and they left it.
Hey Jeff Betts! Thank you for your comment. I definitely think that someone was hitting on the back of that axe hard at some point. Not just using it for felling trees.
Hey Villa Nova Farms! Welcome back! I completely agree with your statement. At least now, someone is treasuring it again. Cheers!
You are an artist! Amazing work!
That evaporust doesn't mess about! Great stuff!
And because of the success of this video, the cool people at Evapo-Rust want to send me a free bucket of it! Win Win! Cheers! :)
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
First!
What word?
Lol
What word?
@Riley Dwyer what
YOU SHOULD GET A STANDING OVATION FOR THAT RESTORATION!
Hi John Albrecht! Thank you for your comment! Judging by your profile picture and your comment, you seem like a great guy. The world needs more people like you. Cheers! :)
I love that you don't use the sandblasting machine like any other KZhead restorer, your work is more handcrafted💪🏻😍
lol, if he'd done it that way, there'd be nothing left but sheet metal
Great job and the back history on it was the icing on the cake and good recovery by playing the old record all around awesome
👍🔥
Hi TysyTube Restoration! Thank you for your comment! I'm pretty chuffed that you took the time to watch my vid. I imagine your shooting and editing schedule it pretty hectic. I would love to collab in the future - hit me up! :)
Beautiful piece! I can't believe you actually split wood with it after all of that work!😱 Now clean it off and display it properly.
Hi KC Dilbeck! Thank you for your comment. It's really nice of you to take the time to say that. It's been cleaned of and re-oiled and is waiting to take a trip up north to go live in the cottage. Cheers! :)
If I had this axe for display I'd have kept the mushrooms as part of its story. I don't know much about forging but I think I can see where the blade was forged onto a softer metal body and the creases where the eye was made. A really cool thing. I love that you put an amazing edge on it, if it was in a museum it would have been left as found (with mushrooms!) but you have shown this axe respect as a tool and not just an object.
Woaaaaa! Amazinggg!
Hi Steven. I have a Civil War sword that as passed down through my family. It’s in decent shape but I’d like to have rust removed and just have it restored. Is that something you could do?
Get a professional, please. The way this guy abuses files shows he’s not experienced enough.
if i was you i would just keep it as it is, as precious as it sounds you don’t want to risk it getting damaged
it was beautiful just like that why would you grind again after derusting?
Sylvia Marak Because he wanted to
Hi Sylvia Marak! Thank you for your comment! I do really see your point, however, in the end, the axe looks exactly like I had envisioned it and, if I had changed any step, I don't believe I would have gotten it to that point. Cheers! :)
Very interesting Video. Thank you. Everything was good up to the filing, then the value plunged.
Restoring an ax that was used during the Civil War. Just imagine all of the soldiers that held it, used it, wielded it. Fantastic restoration.
" I do not think it means what you think it means." Hahahahaha.
Hats off to all the princess bride fans. Funniest movie ever.
Are there rocks ahead? If there are, we'll all be dead No more rhymes, I mean it! Anybody want a peanut? AAAGH!
@@jenniferarnold9681 my favorite movie!
You can tell from the 'grain' pattern that the main body of the axe is wrought iron . The area of the blade is a different color/pattern ,which indicates the the blacksmith that forged that axe head used hard to come by tool steel and forge welded it in place for the cutting edge.
Hi Louis Larose! Thank you for your great comment. This is why I love the internet. Cheers! :)
Simply amazing work 👏💪
I've watched this 3 times now!!!! Wow...is all I can say. From dirt comes a 400 year old work of machinery.
Files are made to go in one direction only. Doing it back n forth rolls close the groves in the file and runs the file. Stroke forward then lift...repeat.!
That freakin rust was growing like a tumor on the side of that thing. A week to get it off, that's nuts.
i.pinimg.com/originals/d3/a2/69/d3a2698353b624c53935d6b2ef20984f.jpg
@@StevensFix LMFAO
This is one of my favorite KZhead videos.
I love seeing the difference between the less carbon steel in the back, and the higher carbon steel in the front. Definitely gives a better insight on the technology of forge welding back then.
Hi Infinimetrical! Thank you for your comment! I very much agree with that. When I first started the restoration, I couldn't figure out why the pitting was so different from one part of the axe to another. Cheers!