Axe Shopping. Too Many? Lots 'o pics

Camperspecial

Camperspecial

Joined
Jul 10, 2017
Messages
32
First Post.

I am Primarily a carpenter and use a lot of hand tools.
I enjoy making the handles for my hammers, chisels, carving and hewing hatchets and such.

With all of the nice green wood coming down around the city I thought I'd pick up a couple of proper axes and try my hand at some long handles.

Tons of Norway Maple and elm. Also quite a bit of black locust and walnut.

I landed on this site and am getting some good info on the making of axe handles.
I'd be interested in knowing what PNW'ers are using for axe handles since this isn't a big hickory State.

But this post is about buying axes.

I decided to search for a couple of axes to fit some handles to.

Opened the craigslist App and two days and $150 later I had "accidentally" bought a load of axes.
Seriously, I wanted a couple but it's hard for me to turn my back on vintage tools. It's a sickness that has no cure as many of you know.

Here Goes....with the stamps I can read below each.

49O4vvH.jpg


TrueTemper


DYIkdis.jpg


Sager


Hbv64iR.jpg


TrueTemper Flint Edge Kelly


OE7QtH9.jpg


Norlund


PltSpfk.jpg


Master Mechanic


3VgQ23b.jpg


Plumb 4


UngOsYg.jpg


Sager Chemical 1922


fQTNGcv.jpg


Collins


RUiLjN2.jpg


Has an "M" and possibly a light 3 1/2 stamped on it.


darEWGu.jpg


Wards Master Quality


3OCbhYE.jpg


Plumb


The rest have no marks that have revealed themselves so far.
I like the first one a lot and the rest will eventually be good carving tools for the shop.

YDO8uAC.jpg


9j7h83H.jpg


VHVDzMO.jpg



My favorites shaped of the bunch are the first Sager and with TrueTempers. I also like the Master Mechanic quite a bit. I actually like them all quite a bit.

Any thoughts on the Sager Chemical? I don't like the grind on one side. It seems to be "bottom heavy". Could/should this be reprofiled?

So. Whatdaya think?
Too much?
 
I really like the looks of that last plumb half hatchet, it should be a great tool. the sager chemical axes are very highly revered and should be excellent steel.

Now did you soak those heads in vinegar or did they come that way ?
Also do you have a wire wheel or wire cup brush for an angle grinder ? If you do it's definitely the way to go for removing the rust from the heads, underneath the rust will be a nice patina that is best left in tact which vinegar doesn't do.

It was a common practice for one bit of a double bit axe to be kept much thicker for things that could damage or prematurely dull their good sharp bit, so it may not be too far off from where it needs to be.

BTW the one with the M is probably not going to be the greatest and is likely a very late production Mann edge made for some hardware store...ect or there's a chance it could also be made in Mexico.
There's not exactly any real set in stone definitive evidence that the no name M axes are made by Mann edge, but conversations with someone who worked there revealed that they used an M like this and still used it at a point when they were secretly outsourcing some tools to Mexico.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Now did you soak those heads in vinegar or did they come that way ?
Also do you have a wire wheel or wire cup brush for an angle grinder ? If you do it's definitely the way to go for removing the rust from the heads, underneath the rust will be a nice patina that is best left in tact which vinegar doesn't do.
Click to expand...

They are all as I found them.
I would never soak a tool in vinegar.
 
I think the Sager Chemical could be reprofiled. It is worn on one side. I like the Collins Western and that Plumb 4 lb. reversible. They are both really nice finds.
 
Never too many!

You asked about handle wood- if you mean raw wood then the only two I've used here locally is maple and some sort of cherry. My father is pretty sure there is Ash (of some sort) on a friend of his' property.

If you are in Oregon I can tell you where your best bets are for purchasing them - still hit or miss if course.

Washington info would have to come from another member.

Now that you've started, you should keep track of how many swamping patterns you come across. :)
 
Black locust is fairly common in the NW. It's considered invasive and can be found in medium sized groves. It's the next best thing to hickory that you'll find around here. Elm is common too, especially in eastern WA.
 
Camperspecial said:
With all of the nice green wood coming down around the city I thought I'd pick up a couple of proper axes and try my hand at some long handles.

Tons of Norway Maple and elm. Also quite a bit of black locust and walnut.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the input especially about the handle wood.
I threw that in there to kind of find out if anyone uses Norway Maple and Black Locust for handles.
Plentiful here (NW Oregon) and can be cut into staves easily when green and tools well when dry.
Makes great tool handles just wasn't so sure about long axe handles.
Looks like I'm good to go.
 
Camperspecial said:
First Post.
But this post is about buying axes.
I decided to search for a couple of axes to fit some handles to.
Opened the craigslist App and two days and $150 later I had "accidentally" bought a load of axes.

YDO8uAC.jpg


So. Whatdaya think?
Too much?
Click to expand...

You don't get much for $150 these days except for a bad headache following 'a night on the town'. The 'no name' you show looks to me to be a classic Plumb "National". I always thought this pattern was proprietary (and therefore Plumb stamped) but then again perhaps not all of them were. In any case Nationals were introduced after the war (in about 1947) and were probably discontinued when Ames Industries took over the Plumb name and facilities in 1971.
 
the Wards Master Quality was possibly made by Collins. has rounded poll. good tools
 
I like that first no name design also.
Glad to hear the possible history 300six.

Any history on the Collins?
I found 1 just like it and I like the design.
Reminds me of a bowtie!
 
Gator39 said:
I like that first no name design also.
Glad to hear the possible history 300six.

Any history on the Collins?
I found 1 just like it and I like the design.
Reminds me of a bowtie!
Click to expand...
I thought that was a common name for that pattern. Might be a regional thing in the PNW.
 
The Collins under the Sager is what I think of a swamping pattern looking like. A friend of mine calls them a peeling pattern.

They balance well, cut well, but don't have a following like other patterns. I've learned to like them.
 
Nice pickups here. The Sagers are nice, the chemical 1922 is definitely a collectible. Collins double bit does have a nice pattern. I love Norlund's too, thats a good looking one.
You may already know, but thought I would mention - when you make your hafts (handles) make sure you have your grain running parallel with the cutting direction, perpendicular will make the grain layers stack when hit and lead to a handle lasting much shorter than if done in the proper way. Think of a paperback book being hit along its binding edge vs smacking the cover down and all the pages flapping back into each other. Black Locust and walnut are both good for wood, they are both tough woods which mainly what you need. If you make your wedges out a different wood form the haft you can get a nice dual-tone look going on top of the eye, especially if you rub some BLO on it after.
I'd bet you that 1st unmarked axe was soaked by someone in vinegar, the heat treated portion of the bit will darken like that when soaked in vinegar. I haven't soaked in vinegar in years, but not as bad as people make it out to be, just dump some baking soda and scrub it in afterwards, then rinse and wipe dry and they'll be fine.
Have fun with these, this is a nice haul.
 
Agent_H said:
The Collins under the Sager is what I think of a swamping pattern looking like. A friend of mine calls them a peeling pattern.

They balance well, cut well, but don't have a following like other patterns. I've learned to like them.
Click to expand...
I am with you on the swamping pattern. I think the 4lb Plumb is a peeling pattern.
Those big swiping patterns where really popular out here. Like you said they are really a nice pattern.
 
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