First Boy Scout axe?

Thomas Linton

Thomas Linton

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Jun 16, 2003
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Holbrook's book, Official Scout Blades, shows a Plumb as the first official Boy Scouts of America axe.

The model he shows for 1911--1929 has the nail-pulling notch and the BSA symbol opposite that notch on the cheek of the blade.

However, the 1911 Boy Scouts Handbook shows a quite different axe. No nail notch and the top and bottom of the head much more parallel - somewhat Marble's No. 9 in shape - with more curve to the handle. No BSA symbol on the head - only the handle - and the Plumb Anchor mark.

Add to that, Holbrook's book has some errors and omits some axes.

So here is the 1911 illustration.



On the other paw, BSA is somewhat known for inaccurarte illustrations of their knives.

Comments? Insights?
 
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maybe first BSA axe, i dont even know if the british even had axes but yeah, looks like it's the first axe from the BSA
 
The January, 1915 Boys' Life has a small Plumb ad - no picture of the axe itself but the Plumb Anchor mark prominent.

A couple of months later, an illustration of a Plumb Official BSA axe appears in an ad for Winonah Shoe Polish - sell enough and get the axe as a prize. The axe is the same as in 1911 except for a nail-puller notch.

Ditto for selling "novelties" in August edition.

(Interesting ad for knife with "CAR-VAN Steel" in July Boys' Life)
 
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For comparison, from the 1913/1914 First Edition of the Handbook for Scout Masters (Boy Scouts of America):

content
 
And Steve, that is the illustration that appears in Plumb's ad in Boy's Life for September, 1915 at p. 389.

So did it ever lack the nail-puller and, if it did at first, when was the change made?
 
Part of the ad is "Highest grade Hickory handles, with special Forest finish, which blends with the color of the forest."
 
Great! That explains why I have had a hard time finding the version pictured in the 1911 Handbook. Not so many Boy Scouts during such a brief period of time.

That "blend in" is pretty odd.

Sorta' like all the black and cammo knives. :D
 
Any learning about when the mark "Tested Plumb Hickory" was used on hand axe handles?

Got one of the second type - Anchor with nail puller - and trying to decide if handle is original.

The original 1911? That would be nice to have, like the "TOMASCOUT" (that shows up once a decade or so).
 
Fellow Axe Junkie and friend of mine sent me some pictures of a hatchet he just finished up. The head was a $5 flea market find BSA hatchet made by Plumb with their Anchor Brand stamp. The handle was a 14" Plumb replacement handle with a partial sticker and red finish. This is it all cleaned up.

Plumb Anchor Brand BSA Hatchet by MJGEGB, on Flickr

Plumb Anchor Brand BSA Hatchet by MJGEGB, on Flickr

Plumb Anchor Brand BSA Hatchet by MJGEGB, on Flickr

I thought of this thread right away. The lack of a nail pull is interesting.
 
Hacked said:
...

Plumb Anchor Brand BSA Hatchet by MJGEGB, on Flickr

Plumb Anchor Brand BSA Hatchet by MJGEGB, on Flickr

I thought of this thread right away. The lack of a nail pull is interesting.
Click to expand...

Perhaps that's an early version of Plumb's "Voyageur" scouting axes. Said to be "new" in this 1935 advertisement, and they didn't have a nail slot.

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth313002/m1/30/zoom/?resolution=1&lat=3557.5&lon=333a

Plumb's Anchor Brand was possibly used until the 1930s, according to
http://trowelcollector.blogspot.com/2014/12/history-of-fayette-r-plumb-inc.html
 
Great looking little hatchet!
Hacked said:
The handle was a 14" Plumb replacement handle with a partial sticker and red finish. This is it all cleaned up.

Click to expand...

Burning the vintage handle wouldn't have been my choice but it ain't my hatchet and it is fetching in a way.
 
Thomas Linton said:
The Voyager is marked Plumb, not "Anchor."
Click to expand...

That's why I speculated that it might be an earlier version (earlier than the Voyageurs marked "Plumb" in the 1935 ad I linked), considering that the Anchor brand was possibly still being used in the 1930s, according to the source I linked.

Steve Tall said:
Perhaps that's an early version of Plumb's "Voyageur" scouting axes. Said to be "new" in this 1935 advertisement, and they didn't have a nail slot.

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth313002/m1/30/zoom/?resolution=1&lat=3557.5&lon=333a

Plumb's Anchor Brand was possibly used until the 1930s, according to
http://trowelcollector.blogspot.com/2014/12/history-of-fayette-r-plumb-inc.html
Click to expand...

In the meantime, Landodnal put a lot of research into the Plumb Scout Axes, with lots of information in a document he created and shared:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/plumb-scout-axe-timeline-paper.1530085/
 
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Hacked said:
Fellow Axe Junkie and friend of mine sent me some pictures of a hatchet he just finished up. The head was a $5 flea market find BSA hatchet made by Plumb with their Anchor Brand stamp. The handle was a 14" Plumb replacement handle with a partial sticker and red finish. This is it all cleaned up.

Plumb Anchor Brand BSA Hatchet by MJGEGB, on Flickr

Plumb Anchor Brand BSA Hatchet by MJGEGB, on Flickr

Plumb Anchor Brand BSA Hatchet by MJGEGB, on Flickr

I thought of this thread right away. The lack of a nail pull is interesting.
Click to expand...

This axe found it's way into the secondary market, and I bought it. :)
 
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