It followed me home (Part 2)

Picked this up this morning. The guy I got it from had boxes of Military bayonets, shovels, and axes. He said it was part of his lifelong collection that he needed to thin out as he was retiring. The only marking that shows through the paint is "forged steel" It is 24" from the top of the head to the bottom of the handle. The cutting edge measures 3 3/4" and from the tip to edge is 9 1/8"
Anyone have any ideas on the manufacturer?

 
Picked up a few odds and ends today SB PLUMB, Stanley hammer with a Craftsman replacement handle, no name hatchet with eye ridges and a PLUMB Ceder pattern hatchet with a Boy Scout replacement handle.

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RICKOFF said:
Picked up a few odds and ends today SB PLUMB, Stanley hammer with a Craftsman replacement handle, no name hatchet with eye ridges and a PLUMB Ceder pattern hatchet with a Boy Scout replacement handle.

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Nice finds!
The Plumb actually looks to be a National pattern. Cedar pattern does not have a tall poll nor bevelled corners. Nationals are exclusive to Plumb and were introduced in around 1948, and as Scout hatchets, and were probably discontinued in the early 1970s after Ames bought out the Plumb operations. As you say it is unlikely the handle is original or it would have been wine-coloured and the head would have been set in Permabond were it manufactured after 1955.
Seems to me True Temper (which includes the Kelly name) had exclusive domain over ridged eye axe products commencing in the early 1960s.
 
A couple photos found online, which illustrate some differences between Plumb's Cedar Axe and Plumb's National Pattern:

National Pattern:
28e0e6f9a27e6f52137e47bb211aeb29.jpg



Cedar Axe:
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The Cedar Axe has a curve between the eye and the heel (similar to a Rockaway pattern), and a noticeably flared toe (not a straight line across the top of the head between poll and toe). The National pattern has fairly straight lines at these places.
 
Thank you Steve. The few Cedars I have looked at online seem to have Spanish text on them, can't read what it says on your picture. I guess they were regional or very localized items in softwood country.
 
$48.00 for all of it. Top-Bottom:

Snow and Nealley 3.5 LB DB
Plumb 3.5 SB
Unmarked SB, has a forge welded bit
Unmarked True Temper boys axe (has eye ridges)
A Homestead axe that I'd sold a few months back, wound up in the antique mall again for less than I sold it for so I'm touching it up and re-hanging it.

The axe Heads (L-R):
S&N 3.25 lb SB, marked JDR JR on the opposite face of the axe fron the S&N stamp, thought it was cool.
Old unmarked Wedge pttn SB, has an odd shaped eye so it may be late 1800s?

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Thanks 300 for the additional information, as I'm just getting started and SoCal isn't very old or cold, a desert. Seems to me the only thing I pass up are worn out riggers/framers hatchets, every thing else is fair game.
 
fishiker said:
Picked this up this morning. The guy I got it from had boxes of Military bayonets, shovels, and axes. He said it was part of his lifelong collection that he needed to thin out as he was retiring. The only marking that shows through the paint is "forged steel" It is 24" from the top of the head to the bottom of the handle. The cutting edge measures 3 3/4" and from the tip to edge is 9 1/8"
Anyone have any ideas on the manufacturer?

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I like those small fire axes. Very cool! :cool:
 
jblyttle said:
Square_Peg don't look! :D I actually forgot to post a 255lb Thomas Hill anvil I picked up last weekend for $320. Here it is.



And this stuff today for $300 total! The anvil is a yet to be unidentified 165lb English anvil. Aside from the chip it is good and the price made it OK. The forge is hand crafted but well done and a good size.



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that's a nice big forge! I've been trying to luck into one.
 
Felling axe I found all by its lonesome in a barrel at an antique store.

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The handle is pretty weathered so I cut off the bit and it's currently soaking in vinegar.

Edit: here is the bit after 24 hours in vinegar. It cleaned up well with only a little pitting. No makers mark that I can see.

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Someone put a strip of metal down the side to fix damage maybe

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Here is the underside with a eye ridge.

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its been welded and ground flush. looks like they got good penetration

Yar said:
Felling axe I found all by its lonesome in a barrel at an antique store.

1230fd194e1c8eb55b746793c61094b1.jpg


389b00b0a369c728ace09cda4b9fc3db.jpg


The handle is pretty weathered so I cut off the bit and it's currently soaking in vinegar.

Edit: here is the bit after 24 hours in vinegar. It cleaned up well with only a little pitting. No makers mark that I can see.

5acb7eb1214fcc94a96119aadedc9ae7.jpg


Someone put a strip of metal down the side to fix damage maybe

0ba1f02d924bc5d740dfcd91dfdf2da1.jpg


Here is the underside with a eye ridge.

60ad44704a894083b31c08dbdc0075da.jpg
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Yar said:
Felling axe I found all by its lonesome in a barrel at an antique store.


Someone put a strip of metal down the side to fix damage maybe

0ba1f02d924bc5d740dfcd91dfdf2da1.jpg
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I don't know what's going on here but it looks very much as if someone tried to disguise a lethal crack with automotive epoxy (Jiffy Weld?). Were this a proper MIG or stick weld you'd see evidence of grinding in order to smooth out the weld and I don't see any sign of that.
Run a file over the joint to see how soft it is compared to the surrounding metal.
You may have learned a $7 lesson!
 
I second the notion of its been glued.
Unless it were stainless welded, coming out of vinegar would not left it that color.
Also see the rusty condition, its still visible.

Hope you have fun with it.
 
Shame it had to be welded or glued, looks like a nice design. Let us know if it is a weld or not cuz it might be worth reusing the steel as something else if it does turn out to be a bust.
 
Samon said:
Shame it had to be welded or glued, looks like a nice design. Let us know if it is a weld or not cuz it might be worth reusing the steel as something else if it does turn out to be a bust.
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Michigan patterns are very common even with regard to current Mexican, Indian and Chinese manufacture. Now that he's got a cleaned up conversation piece, paperweight and doorstop it's time to scout for an undamaged head and preferably one with a stamp so that there can be some idea of 'who' made it and maybe even 'when' and 'where'.
 
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