Description
There’s something satisfying about bringing a good working axe up to the standard it always deserved.
This vintage Cyclone Splitting Axe arrived in remarkable condition. Purchased new in the early 1990s, the previous owner told me he’d only used it once before deciding it was simply too large for him. When I bought it, the original factory stickers were still attached to both the head and the handle—a rare indication of just how little work this axe had actually seen.
Weighing approximately 2.35kg and fitted with an extra-long handle, this is a serious splitting axe. The additional handle length provides excellent leverage, making it ideal for tackling larger rounds and firewood while remaining surprisingly well balanced in the swing.
Rather than completely changing its character, I set out to enhance what was already a great Australian working axe.
The head has been carefully refinished by hand back to clean, bare steel before being progressively sanded and sharpened to a keen working edge. The original handle has been custom stained to highlight the timber’s natural grain before being treated with Forgotten Steel Workshop Oil and finished with a protective coat of Forgotten Steel Workshop Wax.
To complete the restoration, the lower section of the handle has been refinished in a custom satin black, finished with a crisp white stripe that gives the axe a classic workshop look without taking away from its working heritage.
The result is an axe that’s just as comfortable splitting a winter’s firewood as it is hanging proudly in the workshop between jobs.
Every axe restored at Forgotten Steel is completed by hand in my workshop here in Australia.
Restore it. Use it. Pass it on.
Specifications
- Maker: Cyclone
- Origin: Australia
- Weight: Approximately 2.35kg
- Condition: Restored and ready for work
- Edge: Freshly sharpened to a keen working edge
- Handle: Original extra-long handle, custom stained, finished with Forgotten Steel Workshop Oil & Workshop Wax, featuring a custom satin black upper handle with white accent stripe.
Please study the photographs carefully as they form part of the item’s description. This is a genuine vintage working axe, so minor marks from decades of storage and honest handling remain. They are part of the axe’s story and character.
Workshop Note: If I were keeping one splitting axe for my own woodpile, this would be very difficult to part with
