Council , Vaughan current USA hatchet manufactures

L

LG&M

Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Messages
3,775
I am having trouble finding vintage hatchets locally, I will keep looking, it's fun. I was wandering who still makes a good USA hatchet?
I know council.
http://counciltool.com/shop/assorted-small-axes/2-hatchet-14-curved-hickory-handle/

Vaughan.
http://www.vaughanmfg.com/shopping/Products/Supersteel-Camp-Axe__SC1-1-fslsh-4.aspx

Any others?
I see Vaughan has a "Supersteel" and standard in some of their tool. What's the difference?
I know Vaughan makes the Craftsman hatchet.

What would you use?
Thanks.
 
Barco Industries of Pennsylvania owns the Kelly name and claims to make most of it's products in USA. Lots of different axes and hatchets on their website catalogue.
 
You might look into Snow & Neally. I would be careful to get one forged in Smyrna. I suspect there might be some NOS made in China still out there.

Bob
 
I don't think S&N makes a true hatchet. At least not that I have found.
Thanks for the Barco tip.
Yes I saw that only a few of the Vaughan tool were still made here.
Estwing, is still USA I think.
 
LG&M said:
I don't think S&N makes a true hatchet. At least not that I have found.
Thanks for the Barco tip.
Yes I saw that only a few of the Vaughan tool were still made here.
Estwing, is still USA I think.
Click to expand...

Snow & Nealley have what they call an outdoorsman's belt axe. 15" handle and a 1 1/4 lb head.
 
As far as Vaughan's axes goes ( not talking about the tradesmans axes, like riggers axes.. ect )
Only the camp hatchet and the excellent little sub zero hatchet are us made.
As far as barco industries goes, I've heard som reports of horribly soft steel ( just something to think about, as I have no personal experience with them other than an old 4lb sledgefrom 1994 that I believe may have been made by them )
Keep in mind Both companies use a very thick epoxy paint that's hard to remove.
 
So looks like we have three choices.
council tool #2 hatchet
Vaughan super steel camp axe
S&N camper belt axe.
Kind of sad.
 
Dunno. I have a Barco-made Pulaski that hasn't given me any problems over the past 15 years. Nothing wrong with the steel on that one and it's busted through a lot of rocks and roots.
 
300Six said:
Dunno. I have a Barco-made Pulaski that hasn't given me any problems over the past 15 years. Nothing wrong with the steel on that one and it's busted through a lot of rocks and roots.
Click to expand...

Well the steel problems I've heard of were on very recently produced axes ( they may have really dropped the ball in the QC department in the past few years )
 
LG&M said:
What about the True Temper True American hatchet?
Anyone try one?
Click to expand...

Northern Tool sells a a camp axe which is US made. Possibly a rebranded True Temper True American. I can't comment on the quality but from what I've read they seem to require a good amount of work but are decent for $15.
 
Lonewolf01 said:
Northern Tool sells a a camp axe which is US made. Possibly a rebranded True Temper True American. I can't comment on the quality but from what I've read they seem to require a good amount of work but are decent for $15.
Click to expand...

Hatchets (and axes) made at Ames/TrueTemper's facility in Falls City, Nebraska are typically stamped with "US" and a number (the last two digits of the year of manufacture). I've got a Woodings-Verona US95 axe (made at that facility before Ames bought it). Early last year I recall seeing "True American" axes and hatchets, stamped US14, at a hardware store. The finish was rough, and the bits looked really thick with a steep bevel ground at the very tip. If somebody from this forum has bought one recently and fixed it up, I haven't seen any posts about it. I think we're wondering about the heat treatment on those axes, but nobody has reported back about them (AFAIK).

If Northern Tool is selling a Made in USA hatchet, then my first guess would be from Ames/TrueTemper.
 
Steve Tall said:
Hatchets (and axes) made at Ames/TrueTemper's facility in Falls City, Nebraska are typically stamped with "US" and a number (the last two digits of the year of manufacture). I've got a Woodings-Verona US95 axe (made at that facility before Ames bought it). Early last year I recall seeing "True American" axes and hatchets, stamped US14, at a hardware store. The finish was rough, and the bits looked really thick with a steep bevel ground at the very tip. If somebody from this forum has bought one recently and fixed it up, I haven't seen any posts about it. I think we're wondering about the heat treatment on those axes, but nobody has reported back about them (AFAIK).

If Northern Tool is selling a Made in USA hatchet, then my first guess would be from Ames/TrueTemper.
Click to expand...

Here is the thread that I saw on BushcraftUSA talking about them: http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showt...e-Elbow-Grease-The-quot-Old-Hick-quot-of-Axes

They are stamped in the same exact way with the US and year so I would say you're right about them being made by TrueTemper.

I may pick one up just to see how they are. At $15 It's (almost) hard to go wrong as long as the heat treat is decent. I don't have nearly the amount of experience as most of the posters on here but if I can get my hands on a decent one I'll give my novice opinion on it.
 
Since I am in Nebraska it would be cool to have a hatchet made here.
Wander if they give factory tours?
 
Last edited:
I had no clue that true temper still had American made products, I figured Ames did because I recently saw a commercial for American made razorback shovels.
Now that I think about it it was woidings verona that made my grandpa's sledge.
 
True temper and Kelly lines belong to Barco. The ones I've seen in stores make the Mexican, Indian and Chinese axes on the rack with them look artisanal :). That was, however, a few years ago, and I will give them another look. I've been mostly impressed with the Council tool axes I've come across lately. They are usable tools out of the box, except maybe some work on the edge.
 
Steve Tall said:
As I recall, Ames bought "True Temper", and Barco bought "Kelly".
Click to expand...

I may be wrong, but Barco sells both Kelly Perfect and Woodslaher, which is a True Temper line. Ames bought True Temper in 1982 or so, but it seems Barco is using their brands?
 
BG_Farmer said:
I may be wrong, but Barco sells both Kelly Perfect and Woodslaher, which is a True Temper line. Ames bought True Temper in 1982 or so, but it seems Barco is using their brands?
Click to expand...

It looks like Ames bought True Temper in 1999, some years after the Kelly brand of axes was sold by True Temper (Ludlum) to Barco in 1987 (according to YesteryearsTools). So, Ames never had the right to make Kelly brand axes, and while Barco could make Kelly axes, it never had the right to make True Temper axes.

Barco's "Kelly" axes do not have the True Temper Brand, and Ames' "True Temper" axes do not have the Kelly brand.

A current production "Made in USA" True Temper axe shown at Ames-TrueTemper dot com:
ImageResize.ashx
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top