Garage find

[Pokerchip]

Me and my dad were going through some stuff in the garage and came across this. He says it was my great grandfather's. I don't have a lot of knowledge on old tools. Thought you guys could shed some light on it for me. How old could it be? What was it specifically designed for? If it has been discussed a bunch already you can just link me to it please. Thanks.

 

[russianpolander]

Sears Craftsman Companion , they first came out 1933. Not sure who made them for Sears.

 

[Guitarist7.62]

Sears Craftsman Companion , they first came out 1933. Not sure who made them for Sears.

I thought for a while craftsman made tools for Sears sometime in the 1960s. Either way a good hatchet in good condition. Looks like a carpenters hatchet. Just google carpenters hatchet and you will get a lot of info.

 

[Steve Tall]

"Companion was an early brand name (from 1933 or thereabouts) for Sears Roebuck tools. Companion tools were less expensive than the contemporaneous Craftsman tools. It was replaced by the Dunlap name in 1941. Interestingly, in 1998 Sears applied for a trademark on the Companion name, for use in on a vast list of products."
quoted from http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=222

A common name for that type of hatchet is a "half hatchet".

 

[300Six]

I thought for a while Craftsman made tools for Sears sometime in the 1960s. Either way a good hatchet in good condition. Looks like a carpenters hatchet. Just google carpenters hatchet and you will get a lot of info.

Think it through before you post! "Craftsman" is merely the 100-year-long Sears brand name for tools that they market. Whoever is/was/has been contracted to make them are independent manufacturers. Sears craftily patronized various domestic makers over the years (eager and/or lowest bidders?) but their recent stuff no longer says "made in USA" on it.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I thought for a while craftsman made tools for Sears sometime in the 1960s. Either way a good hatchet in good condition. Looks like a carpenters hatchet. Just google carpenters hatchet and you will get a lot of info.

You do know that craftsman doesn't make tools right ? They're just a name created by Sears and the tools are contracted to various companies.

To pokerchip : this is what's called a half hatchet which is basically just a general use tool and is most commonly used by carpenters.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Think it through before you post! "Craftsman" is merely the 100-year-long Sears brand name for tools that they market. Whoever is/was/has been contracted to make them are independent manufacturers. Sears craftily patronized various domestic makers over the years (eager and/or lowest bidders?) but their recent stuff no longer says "made in USA" on it.

Some of the stuff still does, they're hammers and other tools such as this half hatchet are still made by Vaughan.

 

[Pokerchip]

Thanks for the information everyone. After knowing what I had, I searched around and found a place about an hour away that makes hickory handles. Website says they make one for it. I think that's what I'm going to do.

 

[Square_peg]

You do know that craftsman doesn't make tools right ? They're just a name created by Sears and the tools are contracted to various companies.

Sears purchased the Craftsman name in 1927. I don't know who owned the name and produced the tools prior to that.

 

[Steve Tall]

Sears purchased the Craftsman name in 1927. I don't know who owned the name and produced the tools prior to that.

From the Sears archives:

"Origin of the Craftsman name -- In 1927, Sears hired Arthur Barrows to head the company’s hardware department. Barrows knew hardware and wanted to create a brand name for Sears that distinguished it from other manufacturers. Barrows liked the name Craftsman used by the Marion-Craftsman Tool Company and reportedly offered Marion-Craftsman $500 for the rights to use the Craftsman name on Sears products."
http://www.searsarchives.com/brands/craftsman.htm

 

[Square_peg]

Thanks, Steve!

https://books.google.com/books?id=u...6AEIHjAA#v=onepage&q=Marion-Craftsman&f=false