Baker Axe - Any Info?

U

utah_fish

Joined
Oct 21, 2011
Messages
877
Axe lovers -

Here are some pics of my Baker Axe that I bought last year and put a new handle on. This is a boys size axe that measures 26" after I cut the handle down a little. The head reads BAKER Hand Made. Great balance and a joy to use.

Can't find much info on the company or when the head might have been made. Any input?





 
Nope.
But it has USA-unique phantom bevels on it and looks to have been well cared for. And you did a real nice job of re-hafting it. Baker Brothers up this way (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) were a commercial profit-driven scrap metal dealer that lured away Walters Axe 'main man' (by virtue of having intentionally 'fire sale bought' the entire Hull PQ axe business) in order to get him (Ed Hamell, tool and die maker extraordinaire) to figure out how to hydraulically compress dead cars into a shoebox size. Ed succeeded at this and consequently Walters Axe Co. was quietly (and quickly) folded up in around 1973.
 
300Six said:
Nope.
But it has USA-unique phantom bevels on it and looks to have been well cared for. And you did a real nice job of re-hafting it. Baker Brothers up this way (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) were a commercial profit-driven scrap metal dealer that lured away Walters Axe 'main man' (by virtue of having intentionally 'fire sale bought' the entire Hull PQ axe business) in order to get him (Ed Hamell, tool and die maker extraordinaire) to figure out how to hydraulically compress dead cars into a shoebox size. Ed succeeded at this and consequently Walters Axe Co. was quietly (and quickly) folded up in around 1973.
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Interesting bit of Canadian History there 300. Thanks. I have seen quite a few other BAKER axes / hatchets and some appear to be pretty primitive.
 
That axe head looks to be a dead ringer for a Collins Legitimus boys axe I have.
No proof, but its not something you see everyday.
 
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Now that I see them on the same page I don't think they are the same.
 
utah_fish said:
Nice one Garry. What's the stamp say?
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It says "Collins & Co Hartford
Made in United States Of America
Warranted"

The head shape is very close to yours. The difference I see are in the phantom bevels. I would still not rule out Collins as the producer of that extremely fine Baker. Hard to find them any nicer than that. I bet no body gets near it that might stick the toe in the dirt splitting wood for the camp fire. Its amazing really that it has survived this long in such great shape. It don't look a day over 5.
 
garry3 said:
It says "Collins & Co Hartford
Made in United States Of America
Warranted"

The head shape is very close to yours. The difference I see are in the phantom bevels. I would still not rule out Collins as the producer of that extremely fine Baker. Hard to find them any nicer than that. I bet no body gets near it that might stick the toe in the dirt splitting wood for the camp fire. Its amazing really that it has survived this long in such great shape. It don't look a day over 5.
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Yes, I totally agree with you in that it could be Collins. And yes, this is one fine axe. You pick it up and you just want to go chop or split something. Got it off the Bay in 2013 for around $9 less shipping (head only.) Can't believe it was that cheap.
 
Some just seem to fall through the cracks. Its crazy what some will bring and others get no bids. Deals still to be had on that sight. I might of got one just yesterday. Most apparently thought it was not a good deal, though. So maybe I don't know a good axe when I see one.
 
garry3 said:
Some just seem to fall through the cracks. Its crazy what some will bring and others get no bids. Deals still to be had on that sight. I might of got one just yesterday. Most apparently thought it was not a good deal, though. So maybe I don't know a good axe when I see one.
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Can you share some details? Like you I've got some really killer deals and overpaid for a few. Here's an example of a good one:
Old vintage Marbles Ideal (1921). Spacers added after purchase. $40
 
Last time I visited my hometown (coastal Oregon) I was looking through the antique places. Came across a Baker double bit - if I remember right there was mention of "California" and "Hardware" (or something along those lines with "Co.") on it. Didn't pick it up as I was distracted by an old Norlund Logsplitter. No pictures and I could be wrong as well.

Lots of old logging gear to be had on the coast.
 
Agent_H said:
Last time I visited my hometown (coastal Oregon) I was looking through the antique places. Came across a Baker double bit - if I remember right there was mention of "California" and "Hardware" (or something along those lines with "Co.") on it. Didn't pick it up as I was distracted by an old Norlund Logsplitter. No pictures and I could be wrong as well.

Lots of old logging gear to be had on the coast.
Click to expand...

I was there a month or so ago, I didn't do great but I did pick up a few when I had some time to look around. Did OK with some other tools also.
 
utah_fish said:
Can you share some details? Like you I've got some really killer deals and overpaid for a few. Here's an example of a good one:
Old vintage Marbles Ideal (1921). Spacers added after purchase. $40
Click to expand...

Pretty nice. Great job on the spacers. I need to learn how to do some of that knife work. I have a few blades that are just begging for handles.

I will post some pictures of the axe on the "it followed me home" thread when I get it.

The worst experience I had was watching what I believe was a vintage Emerson & Stevens racing axe go by because I didn't have enough funds at the time to buy the whole junky lot for that one axe. Another will come up patience and persistence usually pays off.
 
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