Photos Found the motherload in my Grandfather's buildings.

Agent_H said:
When you have a chance, a shot of that big Plumb Jersey you are soaking would be neat.



Your Grandfather didn't collect junk, that is for sure!
Click to expand...

I'll get one for you tomorrow. The picture really doesn't show just how huge it is. I'd say its 5 pounds or so. I have pretty big hands and almost couldn't carry it after I found it.

I honestly don't think he knew just what he had sitting around. Gonna go tell him everything I've learned about them so far tomorrow.

Square_peg said:
The number on the machete is 1945 - WWII.
Click to expand...

I was hoping someone would say that. ;) I thought it may be but couldn't tell if it was a 1 or just a nick in the steel.


So before I go tell Granddad what y'all have told me so far, I have a few more questions. Can anyone give me time frames on some of these? The two forest service cruisers are what I'm mainly interested in putting a time frame on, but I'd like to know about the Kelly's and the Council Tools 3 1/2 as well.

Is the Jersey with eye ridges for sure a Kelly Woodslasher, or at least sure enough to call it that? If so, what about it's age?

I would assume the 1946 on the Chemical Axe is the year of manufacture, but what is the history of it? I can't find much about them with my quick Google searches. Why is it called a chemical axe?

Thanks again for all the help and help to come everyone.
 
Agent_H said:
When you have a chance, a shot of that big Plumb Jersey you are soaking would be neat.



Your Grandfather didn't collect junk, that is for sure!
Click to expand...

No kidding! I bet he had a black Raven and a plumb cedar somewhere in there, too :).

I REALLY like the sager jersey with straight handle, too bad it's broken. Probably got used the most!
 
Noswad0208 said:
So before I go tell Granddad what y'all have told me so far, I have a few more questions. Can anyone give me time frames on some of these? The two forest service cruisers are what I'm mainly interested in putting a time frame on, but I'd like to know about the Kelly's and the Council Tools 3 1/2 as well.

Is the Jersey with eye ridges for sure a Kelly Woodslasher, or at least sure enough to call it that? If so, what about it's age?

I would assume the 1946 on the Chemical Axe is the year of manufacture, but what is the history of it? I can't find much about them with my quick Google searches. Why is it called a chemical axe?

Thanks again for all the help and help to come everyone.
Click to expand...

The Plumb cruiser looks like a typical pre-Permabond factory hang. I'd estimate its age as between 1946 (end of 'Victory' stamps) and 1956 (beginning of Permabond). What does the Collins stamp look like? It might be form the same era.

The Woodslasher would be form the 60's 70's or early 80's.

Google 'Sager chemical process axe' . The whole story is out there.

http://www.yesteryearstools.com/Yesteryears Tools/Sager and Chemical Axes.html

Sager%20warranty.jpg
 
BG_Farmer said:
No kidding! I bet he had a black Raven and a plumb cedar somewhere in there, too :).

I REALLY like the sager jersey with straight handle, too bad it's broken. Probably got used the most!
Click to expand...

It's pretty nice now that I'm getting the rust off. I'm keeping the handles and marking them to remember which heads they went with so I can get similar ones and keep them as close to original as possible. Sadly I think that one was used as a splitting wedge a few times because the poll is beat to a pulp. It's so mushroomed that the "SAGER" part of the stamp is long gone, and the rest was soon to follow I'd say. Might be a good thing the handle did break or the head would have been even worse.

Square_peg said:
The Plumb cruiser looks like a typical pre-Permabond factory hang. I'd estimate its age as between 1946 (end of 'Victory' stamps) and 1956 (beginning of Permabond). What does the Collins stamp look like? It might be form the same era.

The Woodslasher would be form the 60's 70's or early 80's.

Google 'Sager chemical process axe' . The whole story is out there.

http://www.yesteryearstools.com/Yesteryears Tools/Sager and Chemical Axes.html

Sager%20warranty.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. The Chemical Axe story is really interesting.

Here's a pic of the Collins stamp. It has "FS" stamped right below it as well, I assume for Forest Service.
TXG7NYC.jpg

I'm thinking now that what I thought was a "J" on the opposite side of the Plumb stamp was just a weakly stamped "FS"

The Chemical Axe is cleaning up nicely, but Sager is all but gone from the stamp. Just a couple little marks from it are left.
RzsU7Pb.jpg


It has a good deep temper line too.
vUKC1kw.jpg


Sadly I think the Council Tools 3 1/2 is at the end of it's useful life, it's temper line is almost gone and it has an ugly looking crack near the front of the eye of the right cheek. What do y'all think? Wall hanger or rehang and use?
GOhR0DM.jpg

zZnfj6x.jpg


And here is the massive Plumb Jersey. It's cleaning up nice too. It has a similar but smaller rounded edge Plumb stamp, same era as the Forest Service cruiser? It's 8.25 inches from toe to poll and 5.25 inches from toe to heel.
o08DMbN.jpg

6fEsyhk.jpg



I'mSoSharp said:
The three lines being the British war department "broad arrow" stamp.
Click to expand...

That's so cool! I was wondering what that was, thanks!

Let me know if y'all need/want any more pics and of what and I'll get em.
 
The crack in the Council could be welded and it would be just fine but it's really not worth it for that axe.
 
Square_peg said:
The crack in the Council could be welded and it would be just fine but it's really not worth it for that axe.
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking. I may become a welder after I'm out of school, so I'll just shine it up and keep it on a shelf as decoration and potentially fix it in the future if I do decide to take that career path...

Any ideas on the ages of the Collins Forest Service axe and/or the Plumb Jersey?

And if anyone knows, were/are forest service axes made for them from the factory and stamped as such, or would the forest service have added the stamp later when they bought them?
 
If it doesn't say Collinsville then I assume it's after 1966 when Mann Edge Tool bought out Collins and started making them in Lewistown PA. It could be earlier but there's no way to know.
 
Square_peg said:
If it doesn't say Collinsville then I assume it's after 1966 when Mann Edge Tool bought out Collins and started making them in Lewistown PA. It could be earlier but there's no way to know.
Click to expand...

Alright, thanks. I'm hoping another mark or two will show up when it's been fully cleaned.
 
Thanks. I'm pretty proud of it.

And thanks again for all the information so far, I told granddad everything I learned about them so far today and he was pretty tickled over them.:)
 
My experience with sager(chemical axe) is they seem to be harder than most, and hard on a file. That Sager Jersey has plenty of temper left and I bet will make a nice user. They do not seem easy to come by. I look forward to seeing picks of that one in action! Very nice finds.
 
Woodcraft said:
My experience with sager(chemical axe) is they seem to be harder than most, and hard on a file. That Sager Jersey has plenty of temper left and I bet will make a nice user. They do not seem easy to come by. I look forward to seeing picks of that one in action! Very nice finds.
Click to expand...

I just hope I can get a new handle hanged (hung?) right. It's been pounded on so much the eye is just a tad out of shape, but I think I'll find something that'll work. Thanks.
 
Sanded the nicks out of the Plumb Cruiser's handle put two coats of linseed oil on it, gonna oil it two more times then sharpen and use.
 
The Plumb FS Cruiser just about ready. Letting the fifth coat of BLO sit overnight then I'll sharpen it tomorrow or Friday.

7kg96EP.jpg
 
i feel so sorry for you using a drill with a wire brush, if you have an angle grinder, i suggest you invest in a wire brush, it jerks around much less, if my memory serves right
 
phantomknives said:
i feel so sorry for you using a drill with a wire brush, if you have an angle grinder, i suggest you invest in a wire brush, it jerks around much less, if my memory serves right
Click to expand...

There may be one lying around somewhere, I'll have to look tomorrow. I've got pretty limited equipment so I'm doing most everything with sandpaper, oil, that drill, and a really small vice in a really awkward area.
 
i have the same stuff, i feel ya, except i got a post vice a few months ago, it is SO much better than an unmounted 3 1/2 vice. i used to have a wire brush but i lost it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top