Photos Collins and Co Legitimus?

M

mokhalid

Joined
Apr 26, 2025
Messages
2
Hello,
I have recently become fascinated with axe, I have got a few vintage swedish axe on my watch list to buy, the wife few weeks back said that I bought an axe couple of years back and it's somewhere in the shed, managed to find it today and got some rust off to see the makers name,
To be honest I am new to this and tried to Google some information on the axe,
if you can kindly help,
How do I date the year and is it authentic
Thank you

https://imgur.com/a/j66oVdI
 
That is a early Collins & Co Axe most likely pre 1900. The Legitemus logo with arm and crown was created to make real Collins axes look different from the counterfeits that were being produced in the 1880s. The legitemus logo years later became a way for collins to mark there best quality axes.
 
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That diagonal U.S.A in the left corner seems odd to me, I haven't looked much into the legitimus axes because they command too much for me to pursue but that just seems wrong to me.
 
mokhalid said:
Hello,
I have recently become fascinated with axe, I have got a few vintage swedish axe on my watch list to buy, the wife few weeks back said that I bought an axe couple of years back and it's somewhere in the shed, managed to find it today and got some rust off to see the makers name,
To be honest I am new to this and tried to Google some information on the axe,
if you can kindly help,
How do I date the year and is it authentic
Thank you

https://imgur.com/a/j66oVdI
Click to expand...
You can stop looking at Swedish axes, chances are you already own much better quality tool than current imports
 

Hickory n steel Hickory n steel​

That diagonal U.S.A in the left corner seems odd to me, I haven't looked much into the legitimus axes because they command too much for me to pursue but that just seems wrong to me.



Not sure what is odd about USA in the corner. Even some older R. Kings Cast Steel had same USA maker's mark placement
 
Hickory n steel said:
That diagonal U.S.A in the left corner seems odd to me, I haven't looked much into the legitimus axes because they command too much for me to pursue but that just seems wrong to me.
Click to expand...
I agree. Was done after factory stamping
Might be something to do with import/export/trade tariffs.
 
crbnSteeladdict said:

Hickory n steel Hickory n steel​

That diagonal U.S.A in the left corner seems odd to me, I haven't looked much into the legitimus axes because they command too much for me to pursue but that just seems wrong to me.



Not sure what is odd about USA in the corner. Even some older R. Kings Cast Steel had same USA maker's mark placement
Click to expand...
It just looked like it was added over the Collins marking, and the font is different.
 
kvaughn said:
I agree. Was done after factory stamping
Might be something to do with import/export/trade tariffs.
Click to expand...
that may very well be true.
There's gotta be a reason it was added , likely to a lot of axes, and by somebody outside the Collins factory because I don't think they'd have placed it there.
 
There are so many of "Cast Steel" Legitimuses with USA stamp in the corner. All my old ones (all came from lower 48) have that same maker's mark so what are the odds they were stamped after they left factory.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-king-cast-steel-usa-1-lb-4677964260

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-king-cast-steel-usa-single-3902038665

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-collins-axe-co-king-cast-3937437909

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-collins-co-hartford-legitimus-3939813069

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-collins-legitimus-axe-4639796271

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-axe-head-collins-co-cast-4615463498

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-axe-head-legitimis-s-cast-4681511547

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/collins-co-hartford-cast-steel-axe-2109415612
 
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You might be right, but it just looks odd and doesn't flow with the rest of the stamp on top of partially being stamped over it.
 
There were a lot of makers producing counterfeit Legitimus axes back then. It was a major problem for Collin’s.

There’s used to be a website that showed some of the fakes.
 
This old thread is relevant to this discussion...

L

Thread 'Questions about stampings on a Collins Legitimus'

First I apologize and axe in enroute and I am not able to take new photos. I have never seen a Legitimus so marked and would really appreciate any info I can get. I looked up history of Abercrombies and it seems to have started in 1892 and Fitch's name started joining in 1904- possibly dating this axe.

This is a boys axe and appears to be in very good condition from pics.




Thanks in advance,
Bill
  • Like
 
I just got started on the same axe but mine the script is very small, and it has a JPh hardware logo on the flip side both near the top of the poll. The head is in good shape overall, the metal around the eye is thin but not cracked, and it has a very fine crack on the edge at 90 degrees to the edge about 1/8" long. I'm going to haft it with white oak that I staved and worked down from my Grandson's yard. I'm going to give this old axe limited and carefull use. It's just too cool not to use. Any thoughts on its age. Dog
 
The Old Dog said:
I just got started on the same axe but mine the script is very small, and it has a JPh hardware logo on the flip side both near the top of the poll. The head is in good shape overall, the metal around the eye is thin but not cracked, and it has a very fine crack on the edge at 90 degrees to the edge about 1/8" long. I'm going to haft it with white oak that I staved and worked down from my Grandson's yard. I'm going to give this old axe limited and carefull use. It's just too cool not to use. Any thoughts on its age. Dog
Click to expand...
There's a number 15 stamped on he JP side and also Everkeen that's partially legable. I think it' a 1915 model. Dog
 
The Old Dog said:
There's a number 15 stamped on he JP side and also Everkeen that's partially legable. I think it' a 1915 model. Dog
Click to expand...
I got it put together, honed it up and tried it. I thinned it down behind the edge to get it to bite better, but I have to take off a bit more. My dailey user Supersteel will out cut it but I will get it there. The white oak haft seems fine although stiffer than I anticipated. Dog
 
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