Could this be true?

[PhilipWimberly]

A "friend of a friend" (starting badly) just sent me an email with a bad/useless picture of 8 very rusted double bits. He said there are no markings on any of them (maybe rust isn't as bad as the terrible picture indicates, but I don't see how anyone could be sure there are none given the corrosion).
He said they all came from 2 logging camps in western Canada that operated in the late 18's/early 19's. There is a story about how he came upon this cache where he says he was the original "finder".
For all the odd things I've typed so far, here is what I'm wondering about: He says that logging camps often hired blacksmiths to make the axes used instead of buying from axe makers. Among other benefits, this allowed them to hire folks who did not own an axe, replace broken tools immediately, etc.
If this story is true, I'm willing to pay what he's asking...but I doubt it.
Does anyone know anything about this or have ideas about how I can fact check? I'll surely ask for more and better pictures...maybe ask the names of the camps and research them? Any hints on identifying hand forged tools under rust in a picture?

 

[Hickory n steel]

The first thing would be to post the picture here.
even the crappy picture might be enough to say whether or not they look right for the supposed period.

Personally I don't see why they wouldn't want to buy commercially made axes at that time, but the logging camps would definitely have good reason to have blacksmiths around and there's no reason why they couldn't make axes if they wanted to.

 

[PhilipWimberly]

The first thing would be to post the picture here.
even the crappy picture might be enough to say whether or not they look right for the supposed period.

Personally I don't see why they wouldn't want to buy commercially made axes at that time, but the logging camps would definitely have good reason to have blacksmiths around and there's no reason why they couldn't make axes if they wanted to.

If that was a practice, it just feels like most of us would have found/seen/owned some of them before this thread. It's not that it is crazy that it could have happened, but I've never read anything about a practice like this before.

 

[Hickory n steel]

If that was a practice, it just feels like most of us would have found/seen/owned some of them before this thread. It's not that it is crazy that it could have happened, but I've never read anything about a practice like this before.

I personally think they'd just have bought commercially made axes from Sutlers who might travel to logging camps to sell supplies, I'm just saying it's not impossible for an axe to be forged by a logging camp.

 

[PhilipWimberly]

I think I just got my answer. He sent me a picture of 2 additional single bits -- an Old Faithful and a Homestead. Neither were made before the 60's were they?

 

[Hickory n steel]

I think I just got my answer. He sent me a picture of 2 additional single bits -- an Old Faithful and a Homestead. Neither were made before the 60's were they?

I believe the old faithful axes were, and there might have been some earlier Homestead axes but most of the Homestead axes you see will be post '66.

 

[rjdankert]

Old Faithful and a Homestead. Neither were made before the 60's were they?

Both are brands listed in Hardware Age 1940:

https://books.google.com/books?id=UI4TAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA676&lpg=PA676&dq=collins+homestead+axe&source=bl&ots=FED_anaOMz&sig=ACfU3U3onj8-KzPlsyQ-4VUP8aaCc9a7zw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwik2r6H8pmDAxX6lmoFHQKaBP84KBDoAXoECAUQAw#v=onepage&q=collins%20homestead%20axe&f=false

Bob

 

[tommytman]

I doubt they had axe forging at camp. Look up how they made axes in 1900 and what type of gear they used in order to make any real quantity. Sounds fishy to me. If they are a bunch or rusted heads they are not worth a whole lot

 

[catspa]

Bernie would know.

Parker

 

[Old Axeman]

I am not buying this story. A blacksmith in the logging camp could happen, but not to forge axes, just to do repair work to the logging equipment.

 

[I'mSoSharp]

Super unlikely, it'd be easier to bring plenty of axes & hafts nevermind the cost of a Blacksmith, forge, anvil.......etc,etc

Story doesn't cut it..... ...

 

[catspa]

I can see the value in replacing broken axes, but not in reforging them. I don’t think axes break in ways that encourage repair. What would he do, forge weld a broken eye? Nobody would ever trust that axe again, it’d always be weak.

Handles now, different story. I’ve read accounts where they had some stove-up old timer making handles around the camp, which didn’t require much infrastructure. I think they broke hafts much more often than heads.

As for hiring a faller who didn’t have his own axe (or three), no way. That dude is kitchen help.

Parker

 

[Square_peg]

I am not buying this story. A blacksmith in the logging camp could happen, but not to forge axes, just to do repair work to the logging equipment.

Right. The camp smith would mostly do repair work. By 1850 almost all camps would have been supplied commercially. A smith might have still occasionally re-steel a favored axe.