Picked up a couple of really old hatchets from a neighbor

[Steve LaFara]

I have a 93 yr old neighbor that is moving to a nursing home and offerd me the two hatchets you see below. He says they were his Dad's and he was born in 1886 so I figure these are from around the early 1900's. Anyone know anything about them and how I should go about cleaning them up and sharpening?

This one has the head tilting forward a little. Not sure it that was intended or just happened that way. The handle looks to be hand made and has a slight curve to it. No mfg marks that I an see.

http://www.fototime.com/DF91A01758812C9/standard.jpg

This one has a bunch of surface rust but is in pretty decent shape. The handle is obviously mass produced and is very tight to the head. Both have double bevel cutting edges.

http://www.fototime.com/DD52EAD3B5D9E36/standard.jpg

Any help would be appreciated as I intend on cleaning both up and putting them to use. Sharpening techniques also welcome as I've never had a hatchet.

[george wilson]

Those,especially the first one,would make nice cabinet maker's hatchets. In the old days,builders of gunstocks,curved legs,and other such things didn't waste anymore time than they had to. They'd starve.

The shop hatchet was a commonly used tool for competently chopping off the bulk of wood after it was sawn to shape. I keep a very sharp hatchet in my shop. DO BE CAREFUL of your fingers if you use them as described!

We dug a lot of unfinished pieces of furniture out of the creek running under the cabinet maker's shop. Many pieces had been chopped out,ready to spoke shave,rasp,etc. to a more finished shape.

[Will Boulware]

Very cool stuff! I'd love to see more pics when you get them cleaned up and sharpened.