I said I was done with axes but I guess I lied...

[1215]

For $1 each at a yard sale how could you not... Collins Legitimus and Plumb Victory. Also bought a 14 (maybe 15) drawer craftsman tool cart with tools. Guy owned a landscaping business and a couple of the bottom drawers looks like he kept the heads of every hammer, axe, sledge and hatchet he ever broke. Haven't even gone there yet. Even bigger score than the axes and axe heads might be the massive pile of Nicholson files (new & used).

Axes with hafts look to be nothing special and will be great for daily use. Curious if anyone can ID the white lettering on the Victory... Red paint is me. There seems to be the remnance of a

Ideas on the lettering? shoulder of the haft is bad so unless it's something very desirable I'll be turning this haft into 2-3 mini-hatchet hafts shortly.

Looks like that is whats left of a diamond shaped sticker.

Looks like the letters below victory say COPE or OOPE or something like that. Many of the axes look like this one where there is a notch worn into the bottom as if they were hanging on a hook and riding around on the back of a landscaping trailer for 30 years.

The Legitimus:

That's a metal kerf wedge contraption. Was that from the factory or possibly a gimmick people who didn't take care of their axes used to use to cheat and keep wood inside the eye? Stamped USA on one side and has the newer collins legitimus rectangle logo on the other side.

Do they both look to be legit or not fake?

thanks.

 

[1215]

Same size difference between the victory and regular 3# Plumb. Photo below is a 5# legitimus with the legitimus I just picked up in the middle and a 3# Plumb on top.

Is it a safe bet to assume these are 4# axes? Hafts will be off soon so I'll weigh them but wondering if someone can confirm with photos.

Thx.

 

[grafton]

Keep that metal wedge. I find those quite often on Maine and Canadian axes. I actually prefer them in some ways over a traditional wooden wedge. If your axe gets loose in the woods you can simply pry up the wedge with a screw driver or something, place a slim sliver of a wedge in the gap and pound the metal cap wedge back on and keep on going. Some manufacturers like Peavey and others used those metal cap wedges and they were available as replacements too.

 

[Steve Tall]

...Curious if anyone can ID the white lettering on the Victory...

Ideas on the lettering?...

I think that's a replacement handle that says something like:

HICKORY 30"(or some other length) S.B. AXE
(mfg model number)
FOR 3-4(or some other weight) LB AXE

 

[1215]

Keep that metal wedge. I find those quite often on Maine and Canadian axes. I actually prefer them in some ways over a traditional wooden wedge. If your axe gets loose in the woods you can simply pry up the wedge with a screw driver or something, place a slim sliver of a wedge in the gap and pound the metal cap wedge back on and keep on going. Some manufacturers like Peavey and others used those metal cap wedges and they were available as replacements too.

heh... cool... There is a pile of them in one of the toolboxes I bought. Some new/unused and some in varying degrees of used.

I think that's a replacement handle that says something like:

HICKORY 30"(or some other length) S.B. AXE
(mfg model number)
FOR 3-4(or some other weight) LB AXE

Thanks for the reply. Makes me feel better tearing it out knowing it was probably a generic replacement handle.