Inherited Masting Axe

C

CedarEater

Joined
Aug 31, 2012
Messages
390
I inherited my Great Grandfather's masting/shipwright's axe from my aunt and uncle's basement not too long ago. How long had it been hanging on the wall down there? I have no idea. It was in good shape so it didn't take much to clean up with a brass wire wheel. I noticed "CAM****LSXXX" stamped off center across the side of the pole and upon further inspection an "S" and maybe a "T" stamped under that. There is also a star or clover stamped in the middle of the axe. I did some digging around the internets and found that the stamp should read "CAMPBELL'S XXX" and maybe "TOOLS" next to the 3 X's if it were not stamped so far off center that the 3rd X is on the edge of the pole. "ST. JOHN N.B." would be stamped on the second line if it were not for the rust that has ruined most of the stamp. Anyway, Campbell Bros. liquidated in 1926. My Great Grandfather immigrated to the USA from the west coast of Finland in 1906. I have to assume he picked this axe up sometime between 1906 and 1926. From what I understand the XXX tools were Campbell Bros. highest quality line of tools. It makes me happy to know that he valued quality tools. I wanted to breath new life into this axe so I filed the back flat to start. I then had to file the beveled edge a fare amount to get ride of one deep wide groove in the steel after which I put a clean edge on with my sharpening stones. Very nice steel to work I must say. I cleaned some paint spatter off the offset haft. The haft is in great shape and the head is still hung solid. It's now ready to do some hewing. It feels good to get his old axe back in useable shape.

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The overall dimensions are 6 1/4" bit, 10" from pole to bit on a 28" offset haft.
 
Thanks for the info Square_peg. I have seen it referred to as a shipwrights axe too. I thought shipwrights and masting axes are the same thing? I will start calling it a side axe.
I do have a 3lb 1oz double bevel Kent pattern that I will be working on soon. I did some file work on that one a few years ago but I think I want to thin the edge out a bit more for carving. It is much smaller than my Great Grandpa's Campbell's side axe and has an eye that is slightly smaller than the boys axe handle that I have. Anyway, that one will be coming soonish.
 
CE does the AV carved in the handle correspond to any of these known facts you've shared?
Square_peg said:
Cool axe!

It's actually a hewing or side axe not a masting axe. Masting axes are double beveled. But it surely has the classic Kent pattern shape of a masting axe.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure a so called, masting axe is defined exclusively by the geometry of its cutting edge. Probably more by what it was used for than its form. After all the carpenter's hewing axe comes in double and single bevel versions and a multitude of other configurations.

The one on this page , labeled, mast maker's, https://cooperstoolmuseum.com/shipwrights-tools/ appears to be single beveled. In either case shipwrights seems to be synomomous, further distinctions depending on how the axe was employed rather than physical attributes. I could be wrong and SP maybe has some other reason for this restrictive labeling.

Colleges of mine working on the restoration of the trusses of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris are restricted to using double-beveled hewing axes for squaring timbers but they are still hewing axes, doloire, along side the single bevelds.
 
Square_peg said:
Cool axe!

It's actually a hewing or side axe not a masting axe. Masting axes are double beveled. But it surely has the classic Kent pattern shape of a masting axe.
Click to expand...
I haven;t stumbled yet on double bevel Campbell Bros Ship Axe
It looks like we got tricked by abundance of US made double bevel Masting Axes. Maybe this pattern should be called American Masting Axe pattern vs Op's Canadian Masting Axe pattern?
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https://thevalleywoodworker.blogspot.com/2018/12/campbell-bros-axes.html
 
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