America's Best?

[Irongun324]

Picked up a double bit today with America's Best stamped in one side. I'll get a pic up later, but it's in good shape if its a good axe. Anyone have info on this brand? I haven't made any connection yet.

 

[Irongun324]

Pics. It has a little diamond stamp on the underside right beside the eye also. And you can see where it looks like it was forged from halves on one end of the eye.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u165/irongun324/Axes/photo1.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u165/irongun324/Axes/photo3.jpg

I also picked up this little guy. It's pitted all to heck, but I didn't have one (however I probably shouldn't have gotten it). Anywho, any possible way to get information on looks alone? Is the blade supposed to have that curve to it (top down picture)?

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u165/irongun324/Axes/photo7.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u165/irongun324/Axes/photo4.jpg

 

[Steve Tall]

"America's Best" was the store brand for the Moore-Handley Hardware Company, in Birmingham Alabama. Probably made by one of the major axe makers at the time. Here's a page from their 1948 catalog (from a current auction listing), and an excerpt from "Southern Hardware" (1916) giving the company history.

from page below:

The curve on that single-bevel hatchet is not that unusual, judging from this vintage ad (from another current auction listing):

 

[Square_peg]

Love the Marshall-Wells ad.

 

[Irongun324]

Thanks for the information! Kinda neat that it's such an old company. Looks like the logo isn't any different from that posting, so who knows how old this thing is (or isn't...)

 

[Square_peg]

The curve on that single-bevel hatchet is not that unusual, judging from this vintage ad (from another current auction listing):

My modern Stubai broad hatchet has almost an identical profile to the Marshall-Wells #6 hatchet.