I melt beeswax with mineral oil enough to form a somewhat firm paste when cool. For the sake of appeal and perhaps antimicrobial properties, I also mix in a bit of lemongrass and cedar essential oils. Either way, it works very well for wood, leather, cloth, and metal. I highly recommend it. Cheers.

Started reading the book and very impressed, as an apprentice engineer many years ago you learned the advantages of keeping your tools clean and looking after them.👍👍

I use raw linseed oil; read somewhere that it penetrates deeper into the wood, but as you said it takes a while to dry. I do it once a year and let the axe dry on a sheet of aluminum foil and then wipe it several times. I can't switch to boiled linseed oil at this point as I bought a rather large can of raw linseed oil...my kids are gonna inherit it :) Thanks for making these videos.

Great video paul !!!!👍

Always a pleasure to hear you Paul! Thanks for sharing! :)

Excellent video as always!

Hi Paul, im Esaú from Brazil, doing some bushcraft here and really glad youre back! I always learn a lot from your videos!

Thanks so much for this Paul, so much great information.

Great video paul, look after your tools and they look after you. Also you're spoiling us with so many videos! Much appreciated!

Great video as always Paul.

Thanks for an excellent video Paul! Very informative!! Keep em coming ~All the best, Amante

Thank you so much Paul for this video I learned a lot.

Great video Paul.

Always great information; you remind my good practices, and give me some new ones. Thanks so much.

Fine video Paul. Your instruction on how to refinish handle, and how to take care of the axe are also great. Personally, if I won't be using certain axe during the winter, I often put a film of machine grease on the head, for better preservation over those months. I rarely use my axe for food preparation, so even if some residue is left after wiping it in the spring, no harm can be done. I aim to buy your book soon. Postage price is a bit of a thing (almost as a book itself 😀) but most probably well worth it. Glad you started to post videos after a long(er) pause. Cheers!

Another great video!

Hi Paul. I live in a corrosive environment, and based on my experience, lanolin-based corrosion inhibitors are dramatically more effective at preventing corrosion than regular oils. I recommend the brand Fluid Film because it is cheap. Fluid Film is lanolin in a petroleum base. I purchased a gallon of it for around $30, and that amount will last me several lifetimes. I've been wanting to test the effectiveness of anhydrous 100% lanolin since it is food safe, but I haven't gotten around to it.

Clear and concise as always. Thanks for sharing. 👍

Thanks, Paul!

Sad to hear that Gransfors were nasty to you and that your friend left the axe outsiee. But great video, thanks. Cheers!

Great information as always, thanks Paul

Thanks Paul good to see another kit care video. Cheers!

Thank you very much. You are a great teacher. Simple and detailed. I much appreciate how you were detailed on the materials to use. Most say clean and oil the head but I never could figure out specifics. You listed the oil types I could use and showed steel wool or paper towel/rag. These seem minor details, but not to someone who has no problem using the tool but zero knowledge in these methods to maintain it.

Thanks

Good video, and thanks for all the knowledge and the wisdom that you share with the world and especially with the Bushcraft community!

Can't believe someone could leave an axe in such a state. Will certainly look to do a refinish to my handle. Keep up the you tube mate I've missed your episodes. 👍

Thnx for sharing the info. Hopefully your book will be in Dutch bookstore anytime this year. If not I'll order an English one anyway.

I liked equally the grey axe in the thumbnail, I am sure the performance of both axes is similar, though an untreated axe is easier to grip than an oiled axe handle. I have axes that are certainly 70 years old or more, they are not treated and work very well. All these ideas about maintaining your axe are more or less cosmetic. Having said all this, pampered tools look very nice, and that is for many the most important thing. Caring about your tools is important. Most important of all for their longevity is however, how you use them and store them. A bit of red or orange paint can help prevent mislaying your axe when the light starts to fail and you have overdone it and are exhausted, I would recommend a bit of cadmium orange in that cooked linseed oil to make a nice bright paint. I am not a keyboard warrior, I have youtube films and use an axe at work quite a lot. Since engagement is good for your stats I hope you can live with my somewhat contrary comment, all the best Lucas.

For some years now I have made walking sticks etc and have found a mix of 2 parts Linseed oil and 1 part walnut oil (from food shops) gives a slightly more resilient finish.

Can’t believe Gransfors was rude to you! Esp cause you seem like a very chill guy. I’m gonna go for a Council Tools axe now

Love it Paul, Keep up the good work. Hey I'm asking for a friend.. when can we expect the next podcast episode ? Stay safe braw

The pdf Paul refers to was usable as a primer for 🪓 handling with my kids.

Hi Paul where would I get a middle size axe from a good one also I bought a copy of your book 2 or 3 weeks ago I find it excellent very worth while buying and lots of good and important information in it cheers ☺👍

Useful video thanks, Paul. AIUI the guys at the Bushcraft Store near Enfield don't stock Gransfors Bruks either because they found them difficult to deal with too.

I usually use a vegatible oil. Works a charm. Been thinking of using bees wax for the leather mask. Nice and Short video.🤟

Do the linseed oil come pre boiled? Or do you have to boil it?

What about ballistol on the leather mask?

Heard few times about gransfors bad attitude also the bushcraft store stopped trading with them for same reasons and went to wetterlings then they ceased trading not long after, I think the hultafors classic once tweaked is a very good axe

Paul AKA the Axe Man

Just bought the new book :-)

Really enjoying the new book, and these videos, thank you Paul. Shame about GB being rude, heard of this a couple of times and is a real shame, very disappointing.

Can you use the linseed oil on the head of the axe as a protectant also or does it not work well? By the way I’m happy your posting again you have great tips

Same 3 thing I do.... I actually found a spray on rust / oil products for the Axe heads.... Something industrial... Buy sure work great... And as an owner of several Hults and Wetterlings and I only have Gränsfors left in my collection.... They fit me and the outdoor life just a bit better than the other 2

8:38 - I hope you don't give that particular friend any more presents.

The gospel of the blade.

I discovered a refined boiled linseed oil for painting oil paints it works on the head and the handle and on your leather dries very quickly and waterproof check it out

Hi Paul, got your book sat on my coffee table, quite a fan of yours and I’m from the same part of the world originally as you. Very disappointed however to see that the book was printed in China!? What’s that all about?

Ouch I would cry if I find an axe like that uncared for.