Restoration of old farm tool

[TimeWaster]

I found a cool looking 19th century broadax. The problem is, it looks like someone last century used it as a splitting wedge and got in over their head. The butt side was beat until it cracked at the hole for the handle. This thing is really cool looking and I was wondering if it was feasible to get a blacksmith to heat it up and beat it back into shape, or would it be too brittle after a 100 years of rust?
Thanks!

 

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[pa plateau hiker]

If you're not going to use it to hew wood, I would leave it, as is. Clean it up and display with the crack. The crack tells a story since it probably would have made the broad ax useless and was discarded until you came along and found it after all those years.

 

[TimeWaster]

Good thought diggingintherain. I was thinking of displaying it with a handle, but fixing it would take away from its history. The handle hole is crushed from someone beating on it which, now that you mention it, gives it some style. Thanks!

 

[Frankn]

Some ideas of what you can do with that type of find. Frank

 

[WINTERBEAR]

Speaking as a amature blacksmith/bladesmith your axe could be forge welded and then re drifted to make it functional again. I am always on the fence about restorations I have a trade axe that came out of a dig on the lewis and clark trail and is of the style of the era I am loathe to reshape the edge where there is a chip/tear because of it's possible historical associations. I have many other tools recovered from old dumps and scrap piles that I have restored and use all the time.
so it is up to you nothing terribly unique about that style and if it was not found in a terribly historical setting I would probably fix it and use it, there is definately a different feel for me using old tools
Chris

 

[truckinbutch]

Speaking as a amature blacksmith/bladesmith your axe could be forge welded and then re drifted to make it functional again. I am always on the fence about restorations I have a trade axe that came out of a dig on the lewis and clark trail and is of the style of the era I am loathe to reshape the edge where there is a chip/tear because of it's possible historical associations. I have many other tools recovered from old dumps and scrap piles that I have restored and use all the time.
so it is up to you nothing terribly unique about that style and if it was not found in a terribly historical setting I would probably fix it and use it, there is definately a different feel for me using old tools
Chris

You must be a brother my Daddy failed to tell me about Got the same skills and feelings for old tools .
Cringed at the picture of how some idiot damaged such a fine tool . I've restored several similary damaged and love working with them .

 

[TimeWaster]

LOL, Good ideas guys! I like the pics Frankn posted, and I also like the idea of getting to use it every now and then! It isn't an important historical site. I am running it through my electrolysis machine right now and will post what it "really" looks like when it is done. Winterbear, restoring it is still in my thoughts. Truckinbutch, I have every tool my father didn't want anymore, and a lot of the grandfather's tools on both sides of the family. It's just cool stuff!