- Joined
- Jul 20, 1999
- Messages
- 683
Hello all, what a great time of year for an axe enthusiast! The leaves are turning, the much needed fall rains are here, and a big fire out in the shop stove sure feels good these past evenings. An added bounus is that fire wood needs splitting providing an excuse to swing an axe. I suppose if I had a woodburner in the house that I would have a fancy hydraulic splitter. But as it is, I enjoy splitting "rounds" by hand as much as for therapy as for the needed fuel for the shop stove.
And then it is hunting season. Bow season first, my first love, and then rifle season soon to follow, my less patient son's prefered method of deer hunting. And hunting season also provides an excuse to carry an axe to the field, as various branches need trimming to provide silent access to the deer stands, and shooting lanes that have grown over the year need to be cleared.
Now to the point, as the above was nothing but a rainy day ramble! I have inherited a small axe from one of my Grandfathers, and am looking to see what anyone can tell me about it.
I would class it as a "boys axe," or maybe a "limbing axe," as it measures about twenty seven and one half inches from the top of the head to the bottom of the handle. The cutting edge measures almost four inches, and it is about six and one half inches from the cutting edge to the back of the poll. On side of the head you can read the trade mark stamp that says "Dunlap." Although the handle may not be original, I think it may be. It has a sticker still on it, although it is partly unreadable. It does say "BEARCAT" in large letters that would imply a brand or manufacture, which if that is the case why the stamp of "Dunlap" on the head? In smaller letters you can read 2? inch single bit Boy's axe. (that is what makes me think the handle could be original.) The 2? could be 23, 25, or maybe 28 inch, but I can't tell.
Then follows B8-2?. Again, it could be B8-23, B8-25, or B8-28.
That is all I can tell you. If anyone can tell me anything at all about it I would sure appreciate it.
And as a side note, my other Grandfather also left me an axe of almost exact proportions and it is of "True Temper" manufacture. As a boy having the good fortune of growning up next door to my Grandma and Grandpa, I do remember him trimming branches with it from time to time when a growing branch would short out an electric fence, but what I remember most about it is that he used it in the winter to chop drinking holes in the ice of frozen stock tanks. Sorry, another rainy day ramble!
And then it is hunting season. Bow season first, my first love, and then rifle season soon to follow, my less patient son's prefered method of deer hunting. And hunting season also provides an excuse to carry an axe to the field, as various branches need trimming to provide silent access to the deer stands, and shooting lanes that have grown over the year need to be cleared.
Now to the point, as the above was nothing but a rainy day ramble! I have inherited a small axe from one of my Grandfathers, and am looking to see what anyone can tell me about it.
I would class it as a "boys axe," or maybe a "limbing axe," as it measures about twenty seven and one half inches from the top of the head to the bottom of the handle. The cutting edge measures almost four inches, and it is about six and one half inches from the cutting edge to the back of the poll. On side of the head you can read the trade mark stamp that says "Dunlap." Although the handle may not be original, I think it may be. It has a sticker still on it, although it is partly unreadable. It does say "BEARCAT" in large letters that would imply a brand or manufacture, which if that is the case why the stamp of "Dunlap" on the head? In smaller letters you can read 2? inch single bit Boy's axe. (that is what makes me think the handle could be original.) The 2? could be 23, 25, or maybe 28 inch, but I can't tell.
Then follows B8-2?. Again, it could be B8-23, B8-25, or B8-28.
That is all I can tell you. If anyone can tell me anything at all about it I would sure appreciate it.
And as a side note, my other Grandfather also left me an axe of almost exact proportions and it is of "True Temper" manufacture. As a boy having the good fortune of growning up next door to my Grandma and Grandpa, I do remember him trimming branches with it from time to time when a growing branch would short out an electric fence, but what I remember most about it is that he used it in the winter to chop drinking holes in the ice of frozen stock tanks. Sorry, another rainy day ramble!