Forged Craftsman?

[Freedom Pullo]

I picked up a 3 1/2 lb Craftsman last week that I think dates to the 1950’s. After a little love from a brass cup brush and some vinegar I found an unusual pattern about 1/2” from the edge of the bit.


Is this mark a forged weld between two different pieces of steel?

 

[Miller '72]

I believe what you found there from the soak is the temper line.
If so, there is a long life still ahead for that fella.

 

[A17]

That's a unsteady hand holding it to a grinder mark.

 

[Miller '72]

Oh...Or that

 

[Hickory n steel]

I picked up a 3 1/2 lb Craftsman last week that I think dates to the 1950’s. After a little love from a brass cup brush and some vinegar I found an unusual pattern about 1/2” from the edge of the bit.


Is this mark a forged weld between two different pieces of steel?

View attachment 923433 View attachment 923434 View attachment 923436 View attachment 923437

That's from someone sharpening it on a bench grinder, and this axe would've been drop forged from one single piece of steel.
I think you're right about this axe being from the 50's, especially with the evidence of a metallic mint green paint.

 

[Square_peg]

Those old convex-cheeked Craftsmans are great axes.

 

[eveled]

What about the straight line above his thumb? Is it on both sides? I like that Craftsman logo.

 

[Hickory n steel]

What about the straight line above his thumb? Is it on both sides? I like that Craftsman logo.

Just a temper line, a forge welded bit usually won't be a straight line .

 

[eveled]

I knew it wasn't a weld line. It's a very pronounced and precise temper line. Pretty neat, nice to know that you aren't going to run out of hard edge.

Nice axe, it needs a nice hickory handle and some swinging.

 

[survivor45]

Here is a good shot of a forge weld.
Double bit Warren.
how do i print screen

 

[Freedom Pullo]

I forgot to watch this thread, thank you all for the info and I am looking forward to putting this head on a 36” handle and using it to thin out a stand of scraggly pines out back.

 

[Freedom Pullo]

That's from someone sharpening it on a bench grinder, and this axe would've been drop forged from one single piece of steel.
I think you're right about this axe being from the 50's, especially with the evidence of a metallic mint green paint.

No green paint, I found a similar Craftsman logo on a grinder from the 50’s and more info In a thread here.

I did just pick up a later flat cheeked mystery “M” axe with a 3 1/2 lb head that looks like a cedar pattern that did have green paint that covered the head and extended halfway down the handle.

It also had a red “safety goggle” sticker on its handle, any idea when manufacturers started recommending eye protection?

 

[Hickory n steel]

No green paint, I found a similar Craftsman logo on a grinder from the 50’s and more info In a thread here.

I did just pick up a later flat cheeked mystery “M” axe with a 3 1/2 lb head that looks like a cedar pattern that did have green paint that covered the head and extended halfway down the handle.

It also had a red “safety goggle” sticker on its handle, any idea when manufacturers started recommending eye protection?

Are those not all pictures of your axe ?
Because I can see the paint in the pictures of the stamp.

For that M axe, this M is widely believed to indicate Mann but was also in use at a time when they were secretly having some heads forged in Mexico.
This axe is probably from the 80's and a can almost guarantee it's supposed to be a Michigan pattern.
Your CRAFTSMAN is what a Michigan used to look like.

 

[Steve Tall]

...any idea when manufacturers started recommending eye protection?

Late 1970s, it seems.


Some background:

The earliest references I found were some newspaper articles from the late 1970s, like this article from 1977 that said:

"Each hammer meeting the ANSI safety standard is required to carry a warning statement alerting the user to the danger of eye injury and urging the use of safety goggles."

Another reference identifies the ANSI standard for "Heavy Striking Tools -- Safety Requirements" as ANSI/HTI B 173.3

This history of ANSI gives a possible origin for these warning statements on tools:
"In 1976, ANSI and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration established a joint coordinating committee for private-public sector voluntary standards activities that affect safety and health in the workplace."

My conclusion is that a "Wear Safety Goggles" stamp or label means that the tool was not made before the late 1970s.

from
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/wear-safety-goggles-stamps-and-labels.1277000/

 

[Square_peg]

^^^
That's sound about right by my recollection.

 

[junkenstien]

Could it be made by Vaughan ,didn't they have an electric weld of some kind?

 

[Hickory n steel]

Could it be made by Vaughan ,didn't they have an electric weld of some kind?

If this Craftsman axe was made by Vaughan & Bushnell it would have an M at the end of the second line of text in the stamp. ( It's just for the M placed here and only designates Vaughn on Sears / Craftsman tools )

This has an FF stamp on it anyways and I have no clue who this would designate.
The only FF stamp on record is a recent one found on wrenches...ect designating Danahar.