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I scored an RAF Survival Hatchet on EBAY for US$55 (including shipping). Worried maybe I was forking out too much money. False alarm. It's worth at least what I paid. They don't build tools like this any more. It's a rock-solid, ass-kicking piece of work is what it is. It could split a log or break open an airplane hatch with equal ease. It's not balanced, but that clearly was not their concern when they built it.
It came encased in a thick layer of rubberized plastic.
Under the rubber was a layer of thick black grease.
I cleaned the head up with citrus e-greaser and look at it shine! It's as solid as the day it was built. I wonder how old it is? Easily 50 years or more. I'm going to buy another one and leave it sealed. One day, decades from now, my children or their children will open it up and use it because they need to.
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