Big head, little head.

i can tell you my surplus flint edge hatchet is very nice steel. i think they might be a tad harder because they dont have to stand up to the abuse a big head would

 

Hatchets in those brands are very hard to find. I'd buy one if I saw one at a good price. A Black Raven hatchet would be great to own. I have a Collins Legitimus which appears to be the same steel and hardness.

 

X

 

There wouldn't have been all that many consistent quality steel mills that axe makers could economically source from. Manufacturers usually locate their businesses in proximity to their source of materials. Buying higher grades than your competitors would substantially impact the bottom line. Very specific metallurgy is involved in high stress situations (think firearm barrels, high tensile nuts, bolts and machine parts) but axes are low tech and how the metal is heat treated and tempered after forging has much more effect on the durability and working properties than the quality of the steel. The Walters Axe motto of 'not too soft and free from flaws' sort of sums this up. Presumably producing and finishing a high end axe head vs a budget brand is more a function of increased care and attention rather than upping the quality of the steel. Others can chime in here because this is an opinion and not my area of expertise.

 

From what I have seen I believe they are. I don't have all the brands listed. I have premium hatchet's in, Flint Edge, Vulcan and True American.
A better question might be the difference between the premium lines with some manufacturers.

 

X

 

I am pretty much on board with this. I don't think any one used anything to fancy because of the cost of heat treating would also add to the manufacturing costs over and above the cost of steel.
While we can see a difference between say the later Flint Edges and the foil labeled Woodslashers in both finish quality and steel things get murkier with the older heads. I have a couple older two piece Woodslashers that I am having trouble finding fault with. Maybe they were cheaper because they were still two piece? I don't really know. I see some side by side chopping in the near future to try and sort it out. Its not like most of us are swinging axes day in and day out so its harder to tell the more subtle differences.

 

FWIW, in the 1954 True Temper Hammers and Hatchets catalog, the "Dynamic" half hatchet description says "blade is thin", with no mention of the steel. On the same page, the "Kelly Perfect" half hatchet description says "Extra thin blade forged from finest hatchet steel."

No other hatchet description in this catalog, besides the Kelly Perfect, mentions the steel used.


https://archive.org/stream/TrueTemperHammersAndHatchets1954/True Temper Hammers and Hatchets 1954#page/n8/mode/1up

 

I can attest to the quality of the TT Kelly Perfect half hatchets. I have my uncle's old Perfect hatchet that was used to bark staves, and sharpen umpteen thousands of tobacco sticks throughout the 70's and 80's. I bought this like new one a few years ago because of the known quality. A hundred dollar bill won't buy it.

 

With the clear unpainted finish on that Perfect hatchet it might be a vanadium steel head. Adds a little rust resistance but it isn't necessarily better steel than the Dynamic in terms of edge holding or toughness.

 

Looks like maybe nickel plated?

 

I bet vanadium.

 

The 1954 catalog specifies "full polished mirror smooth" for the Kelly Perfect half hatchet.

 

Kelly/ True Temper have used Vanadium steel in some hatchets:
1930 reference to "drop forged chrome vanadium steel":




Half hatchet stamped (not embossed) "TRUE TEMPER VANADIUM":

 

The head still has lacquer, or some finish on it that is only worn off around the bit. That's why it's rusty in spots. It isn't stamped vanadium anywhere.