Collins Hatchet find

V

VolundoftheForge

Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
1,491
Hey guys, found this little hatchet in my grandparent's shed. They couldn't remember where or how they got it, and I have no clue how old it is. There's no stamping on the head, so it's probably not too old, but it also says it was made in the U.S. so I don't think it's a newer model. Here are some pics:



Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks. :)
 
Is that an ACE price tag? I can't tell how complete it is from the photo, but even if the price part is missing it may contain enough info to tell you what the wholesale cost was. ACE used a code of VICKSBURGH where V =1, I =2, C=3 and so on. Might be a small clue as to age.
 
That is from the 80s I would guess. But with the tag that looks like that and no UPC I would guess the 80s, but hard to say.
 
The price stamp is actually pretty much all there, so if there is some coding I can figure out what it means possibly. It says the original price, and I'm not so much concerned with value, I just was curious if it'd be a good hatchet or if it was past the time when Collins was really a go-to brand.
 
Well it is for sure post 1966 - when Mann Edge bought out Collins and then made "The Collins Axe" as one of their main line of axes.

You can see on yours the forge marks on the poll - that means it was a very crude manufacturing process for axes and hatchets at this time - in the 1980s. There just wasn't a demand anymore for axes as chainsaws had fully taken over the marketplace by this time. With that, quality control was low as it could be because these manufacturers had to keep costs low to hit margin while trying to stay in business with their product lines which were under heavy attack from imports.

I have the same hatchet with the Collins paper labels and such. You can tell it is your basic hatchet, nothing wrong with it. If you keep it and don't touch it, it will be worth something for sure 20 years down the line, especially seeing it has the paper labels. Good find! Merry Christmas!
 
While the quality might not match the good old days, those black Collins axes were their "Pro" line at the time. The kind you would find in a logging supply shop here. The blue Homesteads were the common hardware store versions. I would call that hatchet a good find.
 
I have a similiar Collins that (I think) I got in the early 90s. I liked mine enough to make a leather sheath for it ---- It stays in my truck. A campmate used it quite a bit on our last Elk hunt and seemed to like it fine. It sharpens up nicely.
 
My only "black" Collins is a standard 28-inch Boy's axe. By the time I realized these were the best grade, they were gone and the Mexican Collins axes had replaced them.
 
VolundoftheForge said:
Thanks for the help guys. Good thing you caught me, I was going to make this a camp beater. :D
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When they're perfectly intact and unused like that I personally think it's better that the tool is hung on the wall or sold to a collector rather than use it and have it quickly turn into just another $10 beater you can similarly find at at a garage sale or flea market.
 
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