Axe info

Just saw the update on his facebook a week or so ago. I'll be using leftover christmas money on one for sure. I really hope they get the dies to forge maine pattern's in the future.
 
Quality Bulgarian Bearded axes.

"CA Sickle and Hammer".
One of the oldest and largest manufacturer of hot forged parts in Bulgaria, founded in 1900.
The company manufactures a wide range of weight from 0.300 kg to 25 kg which are widely used in various fields such as energy, engineering, transport, agriculture, hydraulics, mining and manufacture of material handling and construction equipment.
In 1900, registered private company "M.D.Karadzhov and Co.", Machine factory and Foundry in 1931 and forward.
It was transformed into "Valkar partnership".

The main activity of the company includes the production of numerous forged products, mainly agricultural and other tools.
At that time the equipment of "SD Valkar" includes forging press "Omayko", German production and vapor-hammer "Massey" 350 kg.
The factory produces a wide range of agricultural implements: axes, shovels, hoes, adzes and others. "SD Valkar" was nationalized in 1947.

During 1950. - 1952. It has built a new production building and installed new production equipment. The area of production premises increased to 5854 square meters The enterprise was renamed "CA Sickle and Hammer".
The main reconstruction and renovation of the company took place in the early 70s. A new production site in the industrial zone of Stara Zagora are built large forging and pressing shop and a modern administrative building, as well as additional equipment and infrastructure.
On the old site has built a specialized tool shop for the production of forging dies and other tooling.
By installing the new machines, production capacity of the company exceeds 20,000 tons forgings annually.
In 80 years the annual production volume exceeds 25,000 tons.
Approximately half of the production is supplied to "Balkancar", the largest manufacturer of fork lift trucks.
In the early 90s factory "Sickle and hammer" was privatised and now is "Preskov LTD".
The new company doesn't produce axes and tools...

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3_3_SIGNED_BEARDED_AXE_%20HEAD_VIKING_STYLE_1.JPG


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Pictures are some of bearded axes from my collection. I have more than 200 pcs.
And it is getting more and more difficult to find good specimen from this period.

The axe head have conic shaped eye.
The top of the handle also have conic shape.
The connection between eye and handle is designed to be tightened by holding the axe head down and hit the top of the handle on a solid surface so they can be tightened as needed.
After that - the unnesesary part from the top of the handle should be cutted apr. half inch on top of the axe head.
It is a normal so cold "slip fit" connection between axe eye and handle.
Most of you know it as a "tomahawk type fit"... It is no need to be wedged at all!

I tough that this info might be interesting for some of you...
I can provide more info and A LOT of pictures.
:)
 
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Hi, this is my first post here so this is new for me. I was looking at some vintage German axes on the net and I was wondering if someone here knew about these axes, maybe who is or was the maker and also what type (or pattern) of axe this is?
The only thing stamped on the head is the ''BF'' between two X's and the number 60... I've seen different sizes of these axes going up to 3 1/2 pounds.
Thank you!
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/q8kAAOSwk1JWb955/$_57.JPG
 
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Cambertree said:
Snedden's Fencing Products: Hand forged working axes, specifically designed for Australian hardwoods.
http://www.ruralfencing.com/index.p...category_id=5&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=54
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the Snedden axes aren't fully forged - I'm willing to bet they're custom-logo'd Keech cast axes. That's why they've the got the sand marks around the poll, and the rails around the eye are a Keech signature. Keech'd also be the last mass-production-ish axe maker left in Australia.

It's telling that they use "Top quality alloys similar to those used in earth moving equipment". Earthmoving equipment wear parts is Keech's bread-and-butter. It's not actually a bad thing; Keech are the only makers on the planet who've perfect the cast axe and brought it to the same level of quality as a forged axe. Got us through the war, it did! Keech is really one of the unsung heroes of the rather niche axe world - their cast heads are as good as those forged by Hytest and Kelly.

Compare them to a Keech Timberman, and you'll see the similarities - raised logo, sand marks, rails.

I'd reckon they went to Keech, got a mould made up for the axe blank, and then their blacksmith hand-forgeds and heat treats the edge. Not a bad idea, actually - you don't have to tool up for a fully-forged head, yet it's still forged where it counts.
 
tandanus said:
I'm pretty sure the Snedden axes aren't fully forged - I'm willing to bet they're custom-logo'd Keech cast axes. That's why they've the got the sand marks around the poll, and the rails around the eye are a Keech signature. Keech'd also be the last mass-production-ish axe maker left in Australia.

It's telling that they use "Top quality alloys similar to those used in earth moving equipment". Earthmoving equipment wear parts is Keech's bread-and-butter. It's not actually a bad thing; Keech are the only makers on the planet who've perfect the cast axe and brought it to the same level of quality as a forged axe. Got us through the war, it did! Keech is really one of the unsung heroes of the rather niche axe world - their cast heads are as good as those forged by Hytest and Kelly.

Compare them to a Keech Timberman, and you'll see the similarities - raised logo, sand marks, rails.

I'd reckon they went to Keech, got a mould made up for the axe blank, and then their blacksmith hand-forgeds and heat treats the edge. Not a bad idea, actually - you don't have to tool up for a fully-forged head, yet it's still forged where it counts.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that makes sense. I had a look at the Keech Timberman and I reckon you've hit the nail on the head.

I wasn't actually aware that Keech still made their cast axes. Any idea what spec that steel would be?

Thanks for that info 👍, here's a link with more on Keech for anyone who's interested.

http://www.nswaxemen.asn.au/Articles/Idealaxe.html
 
Don't know. But if it's cast stuff, it's probably a vastly different alloy to the forging steels. Rather than getting the strength from forging, you'd get it from the chemical make-up. Some of the ag wear parts are really high in nickel and chrome (not high enough to be stainless, but really high).

Pretty much the Mountain Ash Chop at the Sydney Royal Easter Show is the acid test for axes (every other country in the world uses softwoods...)

You can still order racing axes from Martin O'Toole, who get them done through Keech. In fact, Snedden's axe-making process probably isn't too different from what goes into making a racing axe: you buy a blank from a manufacturer, and then grind and finish it yourself.

Keech can still make axes because, welp, being a cast foundry (with their own pattern-making facilities), you just punch the pattern into some sand, grab a dipper of steel from the furnace, pour, cool, and finish. Making one axe would only be marginally more expensive, per unit, than making a hundred. When you're done, sweep up the sand, put the pattern back in the warehouse, and go on to casting backhoe bucket teeth and scarifier points. Foundries like this live by doing weird once-off stuff, like, say, a very specific bracket for mounting a very specific turbine in a very specific way.

Compare to drop-forging, where you've got to spend thousands on custom-made dies, and hundreds of thousands on the hammers as well as the power to run 'em.
 
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Thanks for that, really interesting info on casting. Gonna have to look out for an old Keesteel head, I reckon.
 
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