I Thought It Was A Fad

When I learned to sharpen my first 'Reel Mower' I never thought I would actually need to remember how to do them. When I go to Sears they must have 50 mowers for sale and you really never see any 'Reel Mowers'. My mistake, Orlando is full of 'Reel Mowers' we see new ones and surprisingly many old ones. When I inquire as to where they got the old mowers, most people have picked them up at garage sales. The old 'reel mowers' are the best, totally adjustable and the reels are built like tanks the newer mowers are not always fully adjustable and their blades are not near as tough as the old mowers. It is great to see that Orlando has a large population of 'reel mowers'.

Reasons to own a 'Reel Mower'

1. Green- No Gas
2. Exercise
3. Fun to Operate

Buddy

Next Time Use an Axe

The conversation usually goes 'I need some knives sharpened'......hmmmmmm, ok easy enough.

Then I get this....... What in the world were they doing with this????? Sharpened?????

But alas.....

We Can't Always Have What We Want

This is one piece of an order I picked up the other day. As an outdoorsman when I see an axe or hatchet I kind of get excited. My personal preference is Granfors Bruks or Wetterlings Axe's/Hatchets, but there is something raw and testosterone driven when I am given an axe to sharpen or restore. I have been surprised by the number of axe's and machete's that we do service in the Orlando area. Our typical restoration of an axe takes about a week to complete so we usually don't see cheap axe's but more heirloom or professional pieces. Below are some photos of the beginning stages of an axe restoration. The axe is a relatively inexpensive Craftman's model.

The old handle has been removed
The new handle has been sanded down and prepped
The head has been sanded down and an initial bevel applied to the edge

From here we will sharpen the head and give a final polish before attaching to the handle. Once we attach the handle to the head we will start the curing process (takes 3-5 days to complete). Then clean and polish the head and handle and she will be ready to go.

I will add more photos when the axe is complete.