Question on axe and shovel

The wife surprised me and brought home a full size fiskars axe and shovel, and a mount to put them on the side of the rack. Is there anything special I should do to avoid rust? I am not above spraypainting them both matte black and then just touching them up as I use them. Any recommendations?

TSki

 

I can't speak to a pure off road but at work we paint the 80% behind the tip. Get yourself a bastard file from the hardware store and keep it good and sharp! Some people don't like a painted tool head as driving it through wood will marr and chip the paint quite quickly. I don't have any links but I'd venture to guess there are a lot of snapping leather axe head covers for your model. If they aren't too pricey I'd go this route, long life and personally I think looks great and will keep rust off. That's just for the axe though, for the shovel I think the best route is just paint to save from rust. Also a little known fact but in the fire service we also sharpen the edges of a shovel and it makes a fine scraping tool for light to medium thickness grass.

 

In the fire service we do not paint axe heads (at best you can paint the back half but leave the tips unpainted). When you drive it into something the paint will cause it to get stuck

 

Great advice. Thank you both.. I am not worried at all about marring paint, as I hope I don't ever have to use the thing. But better to have and not need than need and not have.

 

+5 points for that mindset.

But really you should look into an inexpensive leather or pseudo leather axe head cover....hhhhhng they look good. And practical. Just the best

 

Is leather going to get jacked up hanging off the side of the truck, exposed to weather?

 

Over time it will become more weathered sure but decent leather stands the test of time. if you took it out of your truck for day to day life during wetter stretches of winter (I have no idea where or how you live in Germany and I'm probably an ass for even assuming)it would easily withstand the elements of lights rains, beating summer sun and damp spring mornings. Especially if you're driving around and there is room for air to circulate around it. They make leather oil you can treat it with when it starts to crack, compounds that make it supple and stay feeling new. They also have beeswax treatments like a grease that makes it extremely hydrophobic. Will it survive 365 days a year strapped to the side of your truck? For a while. But 300 days a year depending on you winters you could have it for a decade if you take care of it.

Now I'm all jacked up on axe scabbards. I found one at a popular fire website. Keep in mind this is built for a firefighters belt so probably paying some extra for hardware.

https://fireinnovations.com/english/firefighter-tools/scabbards/leather-half-axe-scabbard.html

I've had versions of these on my truckers axe, personal hatchets, axes, and wood mauls. I've had some scabbards for 7 years now. if you treat it and clean it a few times a year it'll turn into to part of your truck tool family. You can have that shit engraved.

I'm sorry I made you read all this.

 

Alright you have me convinced.. I have nothing to lose by giving it a try!

 

I got to work today and asked a couple of my coworkers. One suggested if you don't like the look of paint you could put a rattle can clear coat on the axe behind the cutting edge. Keeps it looking natural and adds a layer of protection against rust.

 

Spray some Fluid Film or similar rust preventer on them.

 

Put the ax under or behind your seats or only take it when you will be offroad

 

Rust Oleum makes a clear coat specifically for protecting metal from rust. I used it on my calipers to keep them new looking.