Black Raven Jersey pattern barn find.

[300man1]

Found a True Temper Kelly Works Black Raven Today in a barn. I didn't know it was a black raven because of all the dirt on it until I paid for it and got it to my truck. Surprise!!

It is a big Jersey pattern...it has two pins through the head pinning it to the original handle.

I can only find pictures of 2 other Black Raven Jersey pattern True Temper Kelly Works axes doing a googgle search. One was just the head and one was rehung and both have holes in the same exact place mine is drilled and pinned.

Could this be done at the factory on the bigger 4 + pound Black Raven Jerseys?

 

[KentuckyBlackBird]

Found a True Temper Kelly Works Black Raven Today in a barn. I didn't know it was a black raven because of all the dirt on it until I paid for it and got it to my truck. Surprise!!

It is a big Jersey pattern...it has two pins through the head pinning it to the original handle.

I can only find pictures of 2 other Black Raven Jersey pattern True Temper Kelly Works axes doing a googgle search. One was just the head and one was rehung and both have holes in the same exact place mine is drilled and pinned.

Could this be done at the factory on the bigger 4 + pound Black Raven Jerseys?

Do you have pics?

 

[300man1]

Did some more looking around on the web for info on large (4 pounds +) Jersey pattern True Temper Kelly Works (Post 1930s American Fork and Hoe) Black Raven Axes and...nothing.

Used every source I could find and nothing other then verification that they were listed for sale in the 1938 True Temper catalog and were available for sale in 2 1/2 to 5 pound sizes, with or without handles in a black finish.

Learned that like the one I recently found last Friday in a barn in upstate NY. That ALL non double bit True Temper Black Raven full size axe heads were marked with the two lines: TRUE TEMPER and KELLY WORKS on the front above the Black Raven Etching.

Also that of the 4 Jersey pattern BR axes that sold on the big auction sight since Jan. 2022 the supposed " true Temper " era axe was a counterfeit...The other 3 were Pre 1930 Kelly Axe Company West Virginia axes.

From what info I have found they were available for sale from sometime after the Kelly Axe Co. purchase by American Fork and Hoe Post 1930 until about 1940 when production stopped...

So in conclusion so far no photo of a real TT Jersey pattern BR anywhere on the internet that I could find.

No record of one sold on the big auction site in 3 1/2 years.

I will be attempting to host some photos somewhere in order to post photos here...but my skills in that area are zero.

I am listening if anyone has anything concrete or factual to add...