Council , Vaughan current USA hatchet manufactures

[David Martin]

Yes, Estwing is made in U.S.A.. They are well made and offers good quality. DM

 

[300Six]

The former glorious enterprise of USA axe making has become a veritable 'dog's breakfast' with regard to use of traditional brands and trade names, I see.

 

[300Six]

It looks like Ames bought True Temper (which included Kelly), then later sold the Kelly brand of axes to Barco, while keeping the True Temper brand for the range of Ames' products (including 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 True Temper axe shown at Ames-TrueTemper dot com:

According to YesteryearsTools:
"...Ludlum Corp. had purchased True Temper, along with the axe making division, and all the assets in 1960. They continued to manufacture some of the products associated with True Temper, including some axes, but the details are sketchy. Sometime after that AMES purchased the True Temper from Ludlum Corp. and in 1983 divested themselves of the axe making division. It was at that time that Barco Industries, Inc. acquired the rights to manufacture certain Kelly axes."

Holy Moly! Earlier this month we learned that Ames bought out Plumb in 1971. If on top of that Ames owned True Temper which had already bought out Kelly then Ames could have marketed all manner of Frankenstein brands.

 

[Steve Tall]

It looks like Ames bought True Temper (which included Kelly), then later sold the Kelly brand of axes to Barco, while keeping the True Temper brand for the range of Ames' products (including axes).

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

According to YesteryearsTools:
"...Ludlum Corp. had purchased True Temper, along with the axe making division, and all the assets in 1960. They continued to manufacture some of the products associated with True Temper, including some axes, but the details are sketchy. Sometime after that AMES purchased the True Temper from Ludlum Corp. and in 1983 divested themselves of the axe making division. It was at that time that Barco Industries, Inc. acquired the rights to manufacture certain Kelly axes."

Holy Moly! Earlier this month we learned that Ames bought out Plumb in 1971. If on top of that Ames owned True Temper which had already bought out Kelly then Ames could have marketed all manner of Frankenstein brands.

What I stated above needs to be corrected. The YesteryearsTools quote is evidently wrong, because Ames didn't merge with True Temper until 1999, according to the Ames True Temper history site. (YesteryearsTools gets it right at this page, saying the merger occurred in the late 1990s.)

Ames owned Plumb from 1971-1981, according to YYT. The Kelly Axe brand was evidently sold to Barco in 1987 by True Temper before Ames merged with TT in 1999. So, it looks like there was no simultaneous ownership of Plumb and Kelly (or Plumb and True Temper).

 

[gohammergo]

I like the Estwings, have several of them. Have a new S&N too, but the one I have is the Hudson Bay pattern and is more like a boys axe on a shorter handle. I believe Craftsman shows a USA made hatchet, probably by Vaughn. There is also the Hardcore Hatchet, which is US made. Not sure of their offerings though, but I know they make a riggers hatchet.

My son bought a True American splitting maul, and the quality of it is very good. Nice smooth steel, good handle. Well worth the price. Picked it up at a Shopko of all places?? The one in our town has the True American line of tools every spring. You can get a nice USA made digging shovel for somewhere in the area a 8-10 bucks.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I like the Estwings, have several of them. Have a new S&N too, but the one I have is the Hudson Bay pattern and is more like a boys axe on a shorter handle. I believe Craftsman shows a USA made hatchet, probably by Vaughn. There is also the Hardcore Hatchet, which is US made. Not sure of their offerings though, but I know they make a riggers hatchet.

My son bought a True American splitting maul, and the quality of it is very good. Nice smooth steel, good handle. Well worth the price. Picked it up at a Shopko of all places?? The one in our town has the True American line of tools every spring. You can get a nice USA made digging shovel for somewhere in the area a 8-10 bucks.

Yes The craftsman hatchet is made by Vaughan, and after looking at the hardcore hammer options I'm pretty sure they just take Vaughan riggers axes and hacked them up (completely ruining them if you ask me ).
A riggers axe on a 22" curved handle would be a good option though.
You could just buy one from Vaughan yourself for less and ruin it yourself if you want.

 

[LG&M]

I did not know about the Hardcore Hatchet thanks.
Their site says the" survival" hatchet is 4140 steel. Would that be Vaughan?
I have a Shopko close might have to check it out.
I see Vaughan hammers all over the place, wander why I never see their hatchets?

 

[Hickory n steel]

I did not know about the Hardcore Hatchet thanks.
Their site says the" survival" hatchet is 4140 steel. Would that be Vaughan?
I have a Shopko close might have to check it out.
I see Vaughan hammers all over the place, wander why I never see their hatchets?

That sounds like hammer steel, so I'm still assuming they're hacked up Vaughan's .

 

[garry3]

I did not know about the Hardcore Hatchet thanks.
Their site says the" survival" hatchet is 4140 steel. Would that be Vaughan?
I have a Shopko close might have to check it out.
I see Vaughan hammers all over the place, wander why I never see their hatchets?

I do not think Vaughan makes Hardcore.


BTW, Ten years ago or so rough neck axes where just axe shaped objects. I have not seen the latest and I thought that brand was made in China.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I do not think Vaughan makes Hardcore.


BTW, Ten years ago or so rough neck axes where just axe shaped objects. I have not seen the latest and I thought that brand was made in China.

Then who do you think does ? Because I know for a fact that hardcore hammers contracts their stuff.

 

[garry3]

Then who do you think does ? Because I know for a fact that hardcore hammers contracts their stuff.

I do not know. But I have not heard Vaughan and 4140 mentioned together before.

They would also be competing against there own brands Vaughan and Dalluge, which I guess is possible.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I do not know. But I have not heard Vaughan and 4140 mentioned together before.

They would also be competing against there own brands Vaughan and Dalluge, which I guess is possible.

They have been producing hammers and hatchets for craftsman since at least the 50's ( I can see the Vaughan blue paint that is still on their pictured riggers axes ) and have no worries about losing trusted customers to non Vaughan designs. while Vaughan uses 10## for sub zero/camp hatchets, 4140 ( I think it's what Vaughan uses ) is a hammer steel and I don't think that 10## series steel is used for hammers. I know that their hammers are differently heat treated and are drop forged, so it would stand to reason that they would likely use a hammer steel in a riggers axe because it can be differently tempered as the axe bit or hammer poll while 10## likely cannot.
If this isn't the case, there's always the chance that Vaughan uses a special steel just for them.( they are using a special die to df the heads )

Plus their one of the only American companies that still make them ( with hickory handles )
The only other companies I came up with was a company called grayvik, which as it turns out are also vaughans ( if the tool comes out a little sloppy, they slap a grayvik logo on them and sell them dirt cheap ) and Barcow industries , but they look too sloppy to be hardcores and there's no need to go through 2 manufacturers.

 

[garry3]

They have been producing hammers and hatchets for craftsman since at least the 50's ( I can see the Vaughan blue paint that is still on their pictured riggers axes ) and have no worries about losing trusted customers to non Vaughan designs. while Vaughan uses 10## for sub zero/camp hatchets, 4140 ( I think it's what Vaughan uses ) is a hammer steel and I don't think that 10## series steel is used for hammers. I know that their hammers are differently heat treated and are drop forged, so it would stand to reason that they would likely use a hammer steel in a riggers axe because it can be differently tempered as the axe bit or hammer poll while 10## likely cannot.
If this isn't the case, there's always the chance that Vaughan uses a special steel just for them.( they are using a special die to df the heads )

Plus their one of the only American companies that still make them ( with hickory handles )
The only other companies I came up with was a company called grayvik, which as it turns out are also vaughans ( if the tool comes out a little sloppy, they slap a grayvik logo on them and sell them dirt cheap ) and Barcow industries , but they look too sloppy to be hardcores and there's no need to go through 2 manufacturers.

I could be wrong about Vaughan manufacturing them hammers and axes. But I am still not sold on it.

This might help you on the steel.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1092598-Whats-the-deal-with-Vaughn-tools/page2

 

[Hickory n steel]

I could be wrong about Vaughan manufacturing them hammers and axes. But I am still not sold on it.

This might help you on the steel.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1092598-Whats-the-deal-with-Vaughn-tools/page2

Then it's likely that Vaughan uses 4140 per customers ( hardcore hammers ) specifications on their survival hatchet.

Go to the hardcore hammers Website and look up their riggers axe, you'll see a picture of one that still has the contours painted Vaughan blue ( nobody else uses this color )
If that isn't proof enough I don't know what is.

I am 100% positive that the hardcore hammers are produced by Vaughan & Bushnell.👌