Let's see your yard sale/flea market finds

[G-pig]

You can try clamping it. once its seasoned the curve takes a while to come out.

[trailmaker]

Thanks I'll give that a try. Would it help to soak it first?

[G-pig]

I would imagine so. Linseed oil would work. I know a few folks who bent their own broad axe handles and they did linseed and about a month in a clamp.

[M3mphis]

I've heard of guys steaming them prior to clamping. Maybe over a big pot of boiling water or something. Never tried it. Let us know if you have any luck straightening it out, I'm curious.

[bearhunter]

I've heard of guys steaming them prior to clamping. Maybe over a big pot of boiling water or something. Never tried it. Let us know if you have any luck straightening it out, I'm curious.

i'm no expert, but i was thinking about steaming myself. folks steam and clamp wood to make recurves. why wouldn't it also work for axe handles?

[sweet]

$3.00 swap meet find, Made in Czechoslovakia... wish I could get into my desktop so I could post up how it looked when I bought it...

[HandAxeProMan]

That is one wild looking machete, but I dig it!

Howard

[trailmaker]

Fresh from Oregon; Collins Legitimus cruiser, Firestone roofing hatchet, Frankenstein Pulaski, and a neat little hatchet with no legible markings.

[G-pig]

That cruiser is a looker The whole beat up with yellow paint thing does something for me...

[trailmaker]

It has definitely seen some use. I was thinking of sanding and linseeding the handle, and cleaning up the bits while leaving the yellow paint in the middle. It's hard to decide what to do with some of these old axes.

[HandAxeProMan]

I think the hatchet is probably an Estwing,

Howard

[bearhunter]

I think the hatchet is probably an Estwing,

Howard

thats what i was thinking. it'll clean up really nice. the sheath looks to be in really nice shape and should clean up also.
that crusier sure is a nice find as well. nice work...

[Pipeman]

Trailmaker, that Collins is a sweet axe, I'm loving double bits lately. The stamping on the sheath is killer, neat little hatchet.
congrats

Best regards

Robin

[M3mphis]

I also really like that Collins double! Nice grabs!

[trailmaker]

Thanks guys, the hatchet is for sure an Estwing. I found a picture of the same hatchet, leather stamping and all, with the estwing label. The cruiser and the Estwing were just laying in the garage of a 70 yr old family friend in Oregon. They belonged to her father who was a logger back in the day. I'll update with some pics when i get them cleaned up.

[HandAxeProMan]

Great finds. Can't wait to see the pics of them cleaned up. It takes a direct hit by a nuc to destroy an Estwing.

Howard

[garethjclayton]

My good friend found a few axes recently on Vancouver Island. He kindly said I could work on one and after a day soaking in vinegar and taking the rotted handle out this is what I have. The makers marks are clear and interesting.

I was trying to upload images but they didn't seem to want to work: The makers marks read as in the title:


Welland Vale
BC Govt
True Temper
Black Prince

I am also a visitor to Canada from the UK so the fact that it reads BC Govt will always remind me of my time on the island!
Its a small head, about 1 1/2 pounds. Bought a hickory handle from Capital Iron (great hardware shop in Victoria, check it out if you come here!).
The edge worked really nice on it so hopefully it should be a great camp/scout axe when the 14" handle is put on.

Anyone got any possible info on the head? Or any comments?

Thanks for looking!

GJC

PS: I'll try to sort out photos soon.

[trailmaker]

Great find. You might find some info here http://www.yesteryearstools.com/Yest...Hoe%20Co..html

I haven't read all of that info but towards the bottom of the page it says, "The Black Prince brand was made and marketed in Canada after the A.F. & H. Company acquired the Welland Vale Co." There's probably some more info to be gleaned from that link. It sounds like you got the perfect souvenir from Canada.

[Steve Tall]

More from Yesteryearstools, filed under Rixford Mfg. Co.:

"Welland Vale acquired the Rixford Mfg. Co., Ltd. and the Bedford Mfg. Co was acquired by the Canada Axe & Harvest Tool Mfg. Co., which itself was a subsidiary of the Welland Vale Mfg. Co. The Welland Vale Mfg. Co. experienced a similar fate themselves when in 1933 they too were acquired by a larger conglomerate, the American Fork & Hoe Company operating under the name True Temper (of Canada)."

http://www.yesteryearstools.com/Yest...fg.%20Co..html

[Operator1975]

Welland Vale was basically True Temper of Canada. They enabled the company (AFH) to penetrate into Canada, where not a lot of other american axes makers really could, besides Warren, and Mann to some degree.

The Black Prince - that is/was a line from Welland Vale. A somewhat common line for Canada, but not too often seen nowadays. (could be moreso in canada, I am not sure) I have been looking for one of those for some time now. Thats a nice axe day overall I would say.