Collins Legitimus 3 1/2 lb Tomahawk

[trapperdave51]

I picked up a Collins 3 1/2 lb tomahawk axe head today.Its marked Collins Co. Legitimus 3 1/2 .It is a tomahawk style head with a round back.Never seen this before.Any input?Thanks Dave

 

[Steve Tall]

If it's 3-1/2 pounds, it could be a Michigan pattern (instead of the smaller Hudson Bay pattern), similar to the one shown in this thread:

photo from LawnFlamingo

I found this while cleaning out an old shed. What was left of the handle was so rotten it just fell out and disintegrated.
I soaked it in vinegar for a few days and hit it with a wire wheel real quick.

I was planing on hanging it and using it. Should I do anything else to it? Sand it? Paint it? Or just sharpen it put some oil on it.

This is the first "vintage" axe I've come accross, so I'm trying to get a crash course in them.

If any one can tell me about it, that would be great as well.
From the bit of looking I've done, it appears to be a Michigan style, likely made pre WW II?

Thanks for any info.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[crbnSteeladdict]

I picked up a Collins 3 1/2 lb tomahawk axe head today.Its marked Collins Co. Legitimus 3 1/2 .It is a tomahawk style head with a round back.Never seen this before.Any input?Thanks Dave

picture please

 

[trapperdave51]

How do i add pics?

 

[crbnSteeladdict]

1. Go here > http://postimages.org
2. Click "choose images" and click your images
3. Once it's done loading click the image, then right click it and either "Copy URL" or "Open in new tab" and then copy the text in the address bar
4. Paste onto here, and put the [ IMG] [ / IMG ] tags around it (remove the spaces between the letters).

 

[300Six]

Many of us on here (me for sure) have a hard time trying to imagine a 3 1/2 lb 'tomahawk' of vintage USA manufacture. Pictures are definitely going to help. Double bits may be fearsome-looking but they did have a real purpose.

 

[DarthTaco123]

Could be a 3 1/2 lb trade axe meant for the South American market?

 

[trapperdave51]

I have pics of it on axe collectors face book group.

 

[trapperdave51]

I think it is a trade axe for the South American market.Biscayne pattern?

 

[Steve Tall]

When a round back was mentioned, I though of the rounded poll of a Michigan pattern, but the export axes make more sense.

A couple different types, from a post by Operator1975:

 

[Hickory n steel]

When a round back was mentioned, I though of the rounded poll of a Michigan pattern, but the export axes make more sense.

A couple different types, from a post by Operator1975:

The one on the bottom is exactly what I was picturing, and I do believe they did do these in the legitimus line.

 

[300Six]

When a round back was mentioned, I thought of the rounded poll of a Michigan pattern, but the export axes make more sense.

This particular Legitimus is stamped 4 1/2 lb. That'd be quite the brute for a 5-foot-nothing South American native to be swinging around.

 

[Square_peg]

Some of those guys are fireplugs.

 

[Square_peg]

Burgess Tools Limited marketed a similar axe.

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/canadian-made-trade-axe.1148472/

300Six kindly gave that axe to me for which I an extremely grateful.

 

[300Six]

Some of those guys are fireplugs.

40 years ago I watched two 'fireplugs' sawing boards from huge rainforest logs via a two man saw. One lad was underneath in the pit and the other was standing on top of the log. This was beside the Amazon River in Leticia, Amazonas (southern tip of Colombia). They maintained a steady up and down rhythm and produced planks all day long. There wasn't an ounce of fat on either of those two natives. I took lots of pictures but a brazen burglar made off with the camera (and everything else in the guest house) about a week later.
Still, I'm thinking a 5 foot 120 lb man swinging a 4 1/2 pounder would be like a Pacific NW faller 100 years ago wielding a 6-7 lb double bit.

 

[phantomknives]

I'm thinking a 5 foot 120 lb man swinging a 4 1/2 pounder would be like a Pacific NW faller 100 years ago wielding a 6-7 lb double bit.

that's paul bunyan's shorter than we thought

 

[jake pogg]

That's a cool story,300Six,thank you.
I've that very article as pictured above,the 4 1/2 lbs job,sitting in front of me right now,and this thing Is quite obscenely large...
There are other instances where the tools grew to be almost unnaturally large-them Brit felling 7,and even 8-pounders,16 and even 20 lbs straight and cross-peins for peining wagon-tires,and some such.Possibly,it's a matter of practice,of developing the right muscles,and overall "knack".

But i've the answer for this puzzle,gents,it's all actually quite simple-coca leaves,of course!

 

[Steve Tall]

Here are some axes stamped with the Crown/Fist/Hammer logo, as well as
COLLINS & CO.
LEGITIMUS - 3.5 [or 3.0, or 4.0 pounds]

They look like recent production (still being sold), with a "Hachas Nicholson Collins" label complete with barcode and a Samuel Collins signature.

One of the companies lists the country (of origin, presumably) as Mexico.
http://gimbelmexicana.com/tienda/catalogos/art/6432

Perhaps those are discontinued labels from Truper, with the new labels looking like this:

 

[Hickory n steel]

Where are your pictures, not everyone uses Facebook, and if you're going to ask us here you need to show the pictures here to us directly.