Fire axe head ID

rjdankert said:
"DIAMOND EDGE. Trademark Information
Val-Test Distributors, Inc.

[ AUGERS, AUGER-BITS, REAMERS, GIMLETS, BORING-COUNTERSINKS, CUTTING-PLIERS, CUTTING-PINCERS, AXES, HATCHETS, FILES, BUSH-HOOKS, ] CORN-KNIVES, [ CANE-KNIVES, ]BEET-TOPPING KNIVES, [ BROOM-CORN KNIVES, ] SKINNING-KNIVES, [ CHISELS, ] DRAWING-KNIVES, [ COLD CHISELS, ] KNIFE-EDGE CAN OPENERS, MEAT-CUTTERS, FOOD-CHOPPERS, [ SCYTHES, CLEAVERS, MINCING-KNIVES, BELT PUNCHES, TICKET-PUNCHES, GRASS-SHEARS, SHEEP-SHEARS, TINNERS' SNIPS, TOILET CLIPPERS..."
http://www.trademarkia.com/diamond-edge-71014612.html


From the Archives of
The Winchester * Keen Kutter* Diamond Edge Chronicles
Volume 1, Number 3 & 4, March 1997
The Official Publication of The Hardware Companies Kollectors Klub
www.thckk.org:

"Shapleigh celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 1943. In 1955, the directors
sold the company to Curtis Mfg. Co. He continued to operate the business
under the Shapleigh Hardware name until closing in the early 1960's. ValTest
owns the rights to the Keen Kutter and Diamond Edge logos today."
http://www.thckk.org/history/shapleigh-history.pdf

FWIW It seems possible that the axe could have been distributed by Val-Test post Shapleigh?


Bob
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From above: "ValTest owns the rights to the Keen Kutter and Diamond Edge"

"The Keen Kutter name and trademark were then purchased in 1962 by Val-Test Distributors, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois. Val-Test was not a manufacturer. It was formed originally in the 1950s to help liquidate the existing stock of Keen Kutter inventory held by over 50 manufacturers who supplied Shapleigh. Once existing stocks were sold, no more goods could be made without trademark ownership. Val-Test stepped in and purchased the trademark which it continues to license out to various manufacturers. Some of the current licensees are Frost Cutlery, Crosly Group(major appliances) and Vaughn & Bushnell (hand tools)."
https://www.realorrepro.com/article/Keen-Kutter-fakes-and-reproductions


Bob
 
jblyttle said:
No idea. Assuming that it is Shapleigh it has been around for a little while I guess.
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The "crucible steel" stamp might mean that it was made before 1930-ish:

Crucible Cast Steel: 1750 - 1930
Crucible cast steel is made from broken up pieced of blister steel bar stock, which is inserted into clay crucibles along with small quantities of carboniferous materials (e.g. charcoal powder). After melting at high temperatures, crucible cast steel was produced in 5 to 25 kg. batches and was considered the best steel available for edge tool, knife, razor, and watch spring production. Due to lack of heat resistant clay crucibles, extensive production of high quality crucible cast steel didn’t begin in the United States until after the Civil War.
from Davistown Museum book quoted here:
http://billhooks.co.uk/edge-tool-making-and-makers/edge-tool-making-3-materials/

"Throughout the 19th century and into the 1920s a large amount of crucible steel was directed into the production of cutting tools..."
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucible_steel
 
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Steve Tall said:
The "crucible steel" stamp might mean that it was made before 1930-ish:

Crucible Cast Steel: 1750 - 1930
Crucible cast steel is made from broken up pieced of blister steel bar stock, which is inserted into clay crucibles along with small quantities of carboniferous materials (e.g. charcoal powder). After melting at high temperatures, crucible cast steel was produced in 5 to 25 kg. batches and was considered the best steel available for edge tool, knife, razor, and watch spring production. Due to lack of heat resistant clay crucibles, extensive production of high quality crucible cast steel didn’t begin in the United States until after the Civil War.
from Davistown Museum book quoted here:
http://billhooks.co.uk/edge-tool-making-and-makers/edge-tool-making-3-materials/
. . .
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I believe that article describes a steelmaking method used through 1930. So apparently that method was being used at least until 1930. When and if that method stopped after that I don't know.
33388174946_c84f4e0515_b.jpg

http://www.davistownmuseum.org/PDFs/Vol10_Appendix_A Guide to the Metallurgy of Edge Tools.pdf


Bob
 
Some more clues:

"After 1930, the one piece cast steel edge tools produced by Collins and other companies were not made from crucible cast steel, but from steel produced in the electric arc furnace."
(page 39)

"By 1940, the disappearance of both the puddled iron process and the crucible steel process seems to coincide with the diminishing quality of edge tools."
(page 62)

"For edge tool production, the electric arc furnace supplanted, and then replaced, crucible cast steel in the early decades of the 20th century."
(p. 172)


from Volume 11: Handbook for Ironmongers: A Glossary of Ferrous Metallurgy Terms:
A Voyage through the Labyrinth of Steel- and Toolmaking Strategies and
Techniques 2000 BC to 1950
Davistown Museum
http://www.davistownmuseum.org/publications/volume11.html
 
Steve Tall said:
"After 1930, the one piece cast steel edge tools produced by Collins and other companies were not made from crucible cast steel, but from steel produced in the electric arc furnace."
(page 39)

"By 1940, the disappearance of both the puddled iron process and the crucible steel process seems to coincide with the diminishing quality of edge tools."
(page 62)
Click to expand...

But we can't conclude that one lead to the other. Cast steels were capable of matching crucible steels provided the right alloys were chosen.
 
Steve Tall said:
YesteryearsTools also states that Welland Vale marketed a Diamond Edge brand.
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I keep coming back to this. If this axe was a Shapleigh Hardware axe, their in house brand I would think it would have Shapleigh Hardware stamped on it some place. Not just Diamond Edge. It's just not adding up to a Shapleigh axe. Brand recognition was very important.
 
garry3 said:
I keep coming back to this. If this axe was a Shapleigh Hardware axe, their in house brand I would think it would have Shapleigh Hardware stamped on it some place. Not just Diamond Edge. It's just not adding up to a Shapleigh axe. Brand recognition was very important.
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I dunno what it is about axes...
Brand recognition is still very important !
 
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Anyway.... beauty of fire axes is the majority have been wall hangers throughout their lives. What bugs me is professional decorators that paint over the original decals. BCFerries had Walters versions on all of their boats (complete with perfect factory decals) until ship refits of the 1990s. Summer-hired kids with scrapers and overzealous contract painters 'gussied up' these implements and now they have so many coats of enamel red paint they've become a fire hazard on their own.
Beauty axe jb. I think it's safe to presume that this was made before 1930 and that everything manufacture about it is top drawer. However short of polling it (trimming off the horn) what do you do with something like this? And who out there forks over serious money to collect these?
 
300Six said:
However short of polling it (trimming off the horn) what do you do with something like this? And who out there forks over serious money to collect these?
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I recently sold two vintage fire axe heads that were not as nice as this on the auction site, both went for between $50-60. So they are not super premium, but people do like them. I would never deface one by taking the pick off personally. Also, for whoever asked, it looks very much like an overcoat bit to me.
 
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300Six said:
Anyway.... beauty of fire axes is the majority have been wall hangers throughout their lives. What bugs me is professional decorators that paint over the original decals. BCFerries had Walters versions on all of their boats (complete with perfect factory decals) until ship refits of the 1990s. Summer-hired kids with scrapers and overzealous contract painters 'gussied up' these implements and now they have so many coats of enamel red paint they've become a fire hazard on their own.
Beauty axe jb. I think it's safe to presume that this was made before 1930 and that everything manufacture about it is top drawer. However short of polling it (trimming off the horn) what do you do with something like this? And who out there forks over serious money to collect these?
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I have the little Warren fire axe that was marketed "for trucks and buses" hanging on the kitchen wall. In case of fire. ;)
 
garry3 said:
I have the little Warren fire axe that was marketed "for trucks and buses" hanging on the kitchen wall. In case of fire. ;)
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I can appreciate that. Current 'for trucks and buses' versions are hecho en Mexico hatchets for which I have no reverence except for smacking inside dual wheel rear tires to see if they still hold air.
I don't have any experience with (nor have ever seen) any "cruiser"-sized fire axes but I would be happy to hang one in my truck next to the fire extinguisher and first aid kit.
 
You never know when you have to bust through a door...! ;)

(Jblyttle, do you sell exclusively over Ebay, or is there an alternate way for folks over here to get ahold of you? I tried to post on your profile but I never heard back. Would be good to know, if something you have catches my attention in future! Thanks.)
 
Moonw said:
You never know when you have to bust through a door...! ;)

(Jblyttle, do you sell exclusively over Ebay, or is there an alternate way for folks over here to get ahold of you? I tried to post on your profile but I never heard back. Would be good to know, if something you have catches my attention in future! Thanks.)
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Yeah, it might be just me but that message notification usually does not catch my eye. Send me another message and I'll give you my email address.
 
Moonw said:
. . . I tried to post on your profile but I never heard back. Would be good to know, if something you have catches my attention in future! Thanks.)
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If you are talking about "Visitor Messages", I don't know how to delete them. The oldest one in my list is dated 06-10-2011.


Bob
 
300Six said:
I don't have any experience with (nor have ever seen) any "cruiser"-sized fire axes but I would be happy to hang one in my truck next to the fire extinguisher and first aid kit.
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Warren made some boys axe sized fire axes. Their model name was 'Celebrated'.

B.jpg
 
300Six said:
However short of polling it (trimming off the horn) what do you do with something like this? And who out there forks over serious money to collect these?
Click to expand...

Haven't tried it but at 6 or 7 pounds I expect these would make a helluva fine wood splitter.
 
jblyttle said:
Yeah, it might be just me but that message notification usually does not catch my eye. Send me another message and I'll give you my email address.
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Like Bob said below, it was a visitor message. (I don't think you can delete them indeed.)

It would be nice to have your email address, to see what you have in stock when I visit US.
 
Just sent you a friend request, so that I can email you through the forum afterwards. Thanks :).
 
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