Help with US Forest Service axe identification?

L

Landodnal

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Feb 28, 2013
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I saw this at an antique store. It had US FS stamped on the haft and US stamped on the head. The head also said Made in Sweden. It must have been some sort of boys axe or pack axe. I don't know the exact dimensions, but I'm guessing the handle was around 24/26 inches. The head probably weighed 2-2.5 lbs. It was only $9, but I held off due to having way to many projects to finish. Good idea or bad idea? Anyone know anything about this axe? Maker? Boys axe or not? I tried to do some research online but came up empty handed. Thanks in advance for any help.

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Ok. 3 for 3. If I can make it back to the shop before someone else snags it, I'll pick it up. But I'm still curious if anyone knows what Swedish company manufactured axes for the USFS? Are these common? Thanks again everyone.
 
the US FS is only on the haft right? no correlation can be made between an ax and its haft. there is no telling where the haft came from, its almost certainly not original as its been pinned.

that said, i doubt any of the forest services in the US sourced tools from overseas, no matter how high quality they were.
 
Sometimes the forest service would buy locally and stamp it at the tool cache. Especially if there were big fires going on and tool supplies stretched thin.
 
Both the haft and the head are stamped. If you look at the pictures, you can see a US stamp just to the right of the pin and US FS on the handle.

halfaxe- That makes sense.

If a pin is present through the head, does that 100% mean the head was added to the haft later? Or did some manufacturers do this in the initial production?
 
Landodnal said:
...If a pin is present through the head, does that 100% mean the head was added to the haft later? Or did some manufacturers do this in the initial production?
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I'm guessing it was done to an existing axe (not at the factory), using a drill press and with a peened nail as the pin. The haft could be original or replaced before pinning.
 
For $9 it certainly is a conversation piece that dispels the rigid notion that USFS only bought 'their own spec' implements. And/or perhaps that over-the-counter Swedish steel is superb enough not to require USFS specs. I wonder if the pin is insurance against the then-novel epoxy-head-setting habit of the Swedes.
 
300Six- Thank you for your thoughts. You bring up interesting points, notably what you said about the pin, key word being "insurance." If I'm the government and I'm gonna have an employee using an axe on a regular basis, I think I would make sure they take as many safety precautions as possible, regardless of how common or silly looking a pin through the head may be. This is especially true when a dislodged free flying axe head to the face in the middle of National Forest wilderness makes for complicated access to medical attention. Any thoughts on what Swedish company was the manufacturer?
 
from my understanding, most employees of the FS had quite a bit of "leeway" when it comes to what tools they use. along with that, nearly all FS spec axes and pulaskies i have seen were NOT pinned, and did not have an unused hole where one would be. so i wouldnt speculate too much on the pin stuff.

another point to mention is that not all tools stamped US FS were owned or used by any of the US forest services. this one looks like it probably was though, possibly one that an employee brought in and stamped.
 
Twoinch- Good point regarding pins. I am curious, do/did any axe manufacturers use pins straight out of the factory?

And since we're speculating, this axe has green paint around the shoulder and neck. Are we to assume the owner of the axe hand painted this him/herself? Or did someone working for the USFS sit around and paint/stamp all new shipments of axes before going into the field? I'm leaning toward a custom paint job by the owner, seeing as I cannot find a similarly painted USFS tagged axe anywhere on the web.
 
Its an interesting specimen, that is for sure.

Custom paint seems plausible. What would forest service green paint look like from that time, I wonder?
 
Landodnal said:
And since we're speculating, this axe has green paint around the shoulder and neck. Are we to assume the owner of the axe hand painted this him/herself? Or did someone working for the USFS sit around and paint/stamp all new shipments of axes before going into the field? I'm leaning toward a custom paint job by the owner, seeing as I cannot find a similarly painted USFS tagged axe anywhere on the web.
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It was quite exciting when "Dayglo" paint came into existence in the late 50s/early 60s. Fluorescent colour orange was immediately incorporated/adopted into various useful things that might otherwise get lost in the bush. Land Survey stakes included. For many years before that people and organizations applied red or orange (and even yellow) paint on outdoor tools so they wouldn't get lost.
Dull green does not strike me as a useful colour except among the 'fashion-current camo' crowd that buy camo vehicles, tires, guns, underwear and even toilet paper. But that zealot-bunch are not concerned about constantly losing things in the grass or bush, and merely use it as an excuse to buy into new and improved versions that are even more difficult to find.
 
My guess it that the axe is a Gransfors. The exported a ton of axes to the US back in the day. Many came with applied paper labels. As was discussed in an earlier thread these import GB's were typically less expensive than top shelf US made axes.


Sometimes when multiple crews work together they color code the handles of their tools so they can be sorted out at the end. I'd bet that the US and USFS stamps were applied after purchase.
 
Landodnal said:
Twoinch- Good point regarding pins. I am curious, do/did any axe manufacturers use pins straight out of the factory?

And since we're speculating, this axe has green paint around the shoulder and neck. Are we to assume the owner of the axe hand painted this him/herself? Or did someone working for the USFS sit around and paint/stamp all new shipments of axes before going into the field? I'm leaning toward a custom paint job by the owner, seeing as I cannot find a similarly painted USFS tagged axe anywhere on the web.
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other than tuahtahi racing axes now, i know of no company that sent axes out with heads pinned or with a hole for a pin. luckily for the pinner type, the body of most axes were fairly soft, easy work for a decent HSS drill.

as for the paint, the only ax i have seen with similar color on the handle was an old 70s era craftsman i found. like mentioned already, painted handles(and heads) were almost always done in bright colors, orange, yellow, and red being most popular it seems. obviously to minimize the tool loss out in the forest. green, especially a darker hunter or forest green would be the least desirable color for a tool used in the forests. that said, i doubt its a factory paint job, especially considering the paint is in the US FS stamp, which was very likely done post-purchase by the user.

are you going to clean the head up a bit? a faint logo or stamp may appear.
 
Thanks for the responses guys.

Square_peg- "... import GB's were typically less expensive than top shelf US made axes." Did this have any reflection on quality? Were the more expensive American axes "better" than the GB's, or just more expensive due to competition in the states?

Twoinch- Unfortunately, as you can see in the original post, I don't have this axe in hand. It's sitting in an antique store in Columbus Ohio waiting for someone to pick it up for $9. I was in a hurry, have too many projects already going on at home, and I didn't know much about the axe. Wishing I would have picked it up now, but if someone gets there before I get back, looks like they'll have an interesting piece to work with.
 
Landodnal said:
Twoinch- Unfortunately, as you can see in the original post, I don't have this axe in hand. It's sitting in an antique store in Columbus Ohio waiting for someone to pick it up for $9. I was in a hurry, have too many projects already going on at home, and I didn't know much about the axe. Wishing I would have picked it up now, but if someone gets there before I get back, looks like they'll have an interesting piece to work with.
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i forgot about that. i was waiting for updated pictures... but i do now remember it was still in the store.

i wouldnt fret letting it lay honestly. there is a good chance i may have let it lay also. cant say for sure though, never know what will happen in the heat of the moment! i do know that i dont get wound up nearly as much with import axes as i do with good ol' american heads, even the top quality imports.

there will be others.
 
Landodnal said:
Square_peg- "... import GB's were typically less expensive than top shelf US made axes." Did this have any reflection on quality? Were the more expensive American axes "better" than the GB's, or just more expensive due to competition in the states?
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I've only had a couple of these in my possession to put the file to. The shape of the their old axes is like American made axes - convex cheeks, well-formed eyes and substantial polls. The one's I've filed were hardened similar to a vintage True Temper or Collins axe but not so hard as a Flint Edge or Legitimus (top shelf) axe. I would rate them as very good.

I've had good luck reselling them. They fetch a price above what their value as a user is to me. Some owners of new GB axes like to attach mythical properties to them. These mythical properties extend to their old axes as well. Fine by me! $$$$$$$
 
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