Found a hewing axe today at an antique shop - ID help

Patrickcrowleyjr · Feb 10, 2017

Hi Guys,

New to the forum and axes and axe collecting in general. I purchased a Niagara Carborundum hand crank grinding wheel, and a small hewing axe. I can not find any information on the axe. It only has one visible stamp marked as a logo - a horizontal diamond with "1818" in the middle.

I will upload some pictures as well

Any information is appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Patrickcrowleyjr · Feb 11, 2017

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phantomknives · Feb 11, 2017

i dont know about any other brands but staney used diamond marking like that, maybe not in that configuration, but i'd say stanley is a maybe. then again i am the same guy that walked past $15 dollar keen kutters and plumbs on original handles so i might not be the best guy to answer

Patrickcrowleyjr · Feb 11, 2017

phantomknives said:
i dont know about any other brands but staney used diamond marking like that, maybe not in that configuration, but i'd say stanley is a maybe. then again i am the same guy that walked past $15 dollar keen kutters and plumbs on original handles so i might not be the best guy to answer

Lol thank you for your help. I had a similar thought when I first saw it... it's a logo I feel like I had seen before but I can't pinpoint where.

My grandpa had all kinds of old hand tools that I had no interest in when they were up for grabs.. kicking myself now. All about timing I guess.

Really appreciate your time looking into it, thanks bud!

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Patrickcrowleyjr · Feb 12, 2017

Bump

Here is the grinding wheel I acquired as well.

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Moonw · Feb 13, 2017

Wish I'd get my hands on one of these. Found one, but accepting a non-standard wheel width, that no one makes anymore today. Another one...with the tool "rest" thingy missing. I guess they were less popular in Europe than in US.

Square_peg · Feb 13, 2017

Called a 'railroad' grinder. I've got a couple. The bigger the gear the better. A 10" is nice.

Steve Tall · Feb 13, 2017

Patrickcrowleyjr said:

I'm not convinced that it's 1818 (looks more like 88 to me). Didn't find anything that matches, in any case.

Patrickcrowleyjr · Feb 13, 2017

Steve Tall said:
I'm not convinced that it's 1818 (looks more like 88 to me). Didn't find anything that matches, in any case.

It's definitely 1818 in the diamond, a little easier to see in hand

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Patrickcrowleyjr · Feb 13, 2017

Square_peg said:
Called a 'railroad' grinder. I've got a couple. The bigger the gear the better. A 10" is nice.

This one has an 8" wheel, definitely a two man job, there's no freewheel in this puppy. When you stop... it does. Really cool piece of history, not so rare but just has that heavy, no nonsense, American ingenuity feel to it all around and that's awesome in its own right.

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Patrickcrowleyjr · Feb 13, 2017

Moonw said:
Wish I'd get my hands on one of these. Found one, but accepting a non-standard wheel width, that no one makes anymore today. Another one...with the tool "rest" thingy missing. I guess they were less popular in Europe than in US.

As far as mine, it has a newer 8" wheel with washers and seems to have a little room in wheel width, really cool piece made in Niagara Falls western New York. If you're looking for stuff this way, maybe I can help you out...

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Square_peg · Feb 13, 2017

Patrickcrowleyjr said:
This one has an 8" wheel, definitely a two man job, there's no freewheel in this puppy. When you stop... it does. Really cool piece of history, not so rare but just has that heavy, no nonsense, American ingenuity feel to it all around and that's awesome in its own right.

It should freewheel well. Open it up and clean and grease it.

Patrickcrowleyjr · Feb 13, 2017

Square_peg said:
It should freewheel well. Open it up and clean and grease it.

No I mean it spins smoothly, but it's a fixed gear.

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Square_peg · Feb 14, 2017

OK. Yeah, you need to keep turning them but they'll turn several revolutions after you stop cranking, even many revolutions if not under a load. The heavier wheels will go a little longer after you let go. Some men became skilled at holding the tool with one hand while cranking with the other. (Did I just say that?)
I do well enough to sharpen a chisel.

Moonw · Feb 14, 2017

Patrickcrowleyjr said:
As far as mine, it has a newer 8" wheel with washers and seems to have a little room in wheel width, really cool piece made in Niagara Falls western New York. If you're looking for stuff this way, maybe I can help you out...

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Thanks! I appreciate it. Maybe next time I'm visiting US.