A Possible Counterfeit Collins Legitimus Axe

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Grem89

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I picked this up from a local garage sale. I've scored some great tools from this guy including a rock hard Grove Toolworks Hatchet. I'm worried this legitimus may be a counterfeit. Looks similar to the one on this thread: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1167434-Questions-about-stampings-on-a-Collins-Legitimus . I'm also curious as to the age and why there is such a change in color along the cutting edge. A heat treatment possibly? I really appreciate any help and input you have! New to the forums.
-Geoff
 
It looks authentic to me. I've seen a few with those markings. It has been heavily cleaned probably with a vinegar soak. The two steels and/or tempered/untempered areas turn different colors with vinegar.
 
Thanks for your help! The only cleaning the axe head received was from a scotch bright pad and some oil. Any idea on the year this may be from?
 
Tom Lamond lists these Collins markings as counterfeit in his Collins Axe Co. book. He's a trustworthy source.
 
I think it's a counterfeit. No maker mis-stamps text over the top of his logo. Text is always to the side of the logo. Fake, IMO.
 
I had the pleasure of talking with Tom Lamond a few times at tool meets. He was very knowledgeable about axes and other edged tools. If he thought it fake, then I won't argue. My previous post was based on the overall look of the axe as well as the markings. Collins trademarked the Legitimus name since the Collins name was not an enforceable trademark. So the counterfeiter in this instance would be subject to a more severe penalty than just leaving it as Collins.

Begs the question, why heat treat a fake axe?
 
If it's a fake it certainly is an old one. Only thing I can conjure up in my mind is a small or obscure manufacturer 100 years ago that had to lo-ball the price of his products in order to sell them. Get creative with a stamping die and presto the heads all of a sudden are more desireable, command a higher price and sell faster. The blade temper line on this certainly doesn't suggest there was cheating going on with regard to physical manufacture. Keep digging around on this one; good fakes are likely more uncommon than the genuine article, and the story behind all this would certainly interest many of us.
 
old axes were very commonly counterfeited.

it was quite a problem during a certain era, cant remember off hand. some makers mentioned them in their ads.
 
halfaxe said:
Begs the question, why heat treat a fake axe?
Click to expand...

couple reasons.

one, generally a fake ax is only fake in the name department, its still a production ax of some other make.

another reason, counterfeiters(back then) were trying to make money. if they were to attempt to put out non-HT/tempered axes, they would very quickly be found out as frauds, and those particular axes would have been known fakes. if they put out a "respectable" tool with a more respectable name, they could produce and sell many more of them without being found out.


the counterfeit axes of today are not the same as counterfeit axes of yesteryear. the ebay axes are for big money collectors, whereas the old school axes were for tricking real axemen out of their money on a name brand tool.
 
Im not sold that it is fake. Could be, but I would need to get my hands on it for sure.

Collins had untold variations of the Legitimus mark. In my 1926 Anniversary of 100 years of Collins, the markings of Collins are vast due to the size of the company, and the pressure the company put on smaller companies to not infringe on their rights.

Were it has the name Legitimus looks off to me, but again would have to check it out in person to tell for sure. No one can tell via photographs.
 
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