It followed me home (Part 2)

FLINT77 said:
Just wanted to share my latest acquisition and to give a shout out to @jblittle. I clicked buy it now Friday night and received it today already!!!
I really like the shape of the head. Not sure what pattern you would call it. The poll isn't quite tall enough for a connecticut, not quite a dayton or michigan either. Maybe a yankee pattern? Measures 5" across the edge, bit to poll is 6 3/4", poll is 3" and weighs 3.25 lbs. I spent quite a while sharpening it and got it very sharp and the bit is quite hard also. had just a little mushrooming of the poll which I decided to file down.
Trying to decide what kind of handle to put it on. Thinking about a 28" straight handle, to make it a good chainsaw companion.
Thanks JBLittle!

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I just stumbled on Canadian Jointer's and Framing axes ... maybe it will shed some light on their axe patterns and use philosophy. What caught my attention is how heavy they are.
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A17 said:
I decided to clean up the head I posted a page or two back due to some vinegar spilling on it and as I was cleaning it I saw a weird scratch. I started wire wheeling the area when more scratches showed up. As it turned out, it was the lightest stamping I've ever seen on an axe. The no-name head turned into a post-1970 Plumb paper label? head with a bar code or something beneath the stamping. I think the "bar code" says 11-516-PM3(5)
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In that last picture does it say :

wear safety
goggles
USA

I think I see that.
 
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garry3 said:
First I have seen a Puget sound toppers axe on that cover. Talk about a dangerous job.
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Here is another one from the book:
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Puget Sound patterns, cruisers, swampers, sniping axe, saws, all manner of saw filer tools, lunch boxes, boots, rafting hardware, oil bottles, spring boards and their hardware, old school crosscut/drag/early power saws, filing rooms, local personal collections from around the PNW, historic photos, etc.

It’s really an impressive book full of the things we find, use, speculate on, and discuss here. I got the paperback but think it’s worth getting the hardback. :thumbsup:
 




Found this little guy a couple weeks ago along with some old wrenches. Just now getting around to really looking at it. Made in W. Germany 2 1/4 boys axe. If the handle wasn’t so dry rotted I would try to straighten it. But it will go in the ever growing template pile. In its day you can really tell it was a quality tool. Considering the finishes on the head I wonder if the heads were imported and then the handles were American made and assembled here. I’m sure there is a thread somewhere in here that can tell me.
 
Brian Rust said:




Found this little guy a couple weeks ago along with some old wrenches. Just now getting around to really looking at it. Made in W. Germany 2 1/4 boys axe. If the handle wasn’t so dry rotted I would try to straighten it. But it will go in the ever growing template pile. In its day you can really tell it was a quality tool. Considering the finishes on the head I wonder if the heads were imported and then the handles were American made and assembled here. I’m sure there is a thread somewhere in here that can tell me.
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That's not bent! It's for chopping around corners! Haha. I wonder how many years it takes leaning against a wall to accomplish that? 30?
I have as yet to come across any swedish and only one small W German axe. I guess here in Maine there were so many local axe makers there wasn't the need for anyone to have to buy one from abroad.
 
I often find the Made in W Germany axes and Swedish stuff a bit less but probably more than some.

My gut feeling is that loggers probably used American made axes for commercial harvest but those were maybe imported to provide a bit lower cost alternative for general use.

The ones I find often have remnants of blue paint and usually look like someone didn’t baby them when they used them. Many times they weigh in a bit over the stamped weights. I’d be curious how much your 2 1/4 weighs after you pull the handle.

I’ve also found some were a bit softer than American or Swedish axes but in general they make good tools. They don’t have convex cheeks per say but they have those distinctive reductions in material at the top and bottom of the body of the blades that create a difference in thickness to give the semblance of being “thicker” or having higher center lines.

Example:
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Their finish can be a little rough but I like them (more so when they have intact toes and heels but goes for all of them).

All in all, those unpretentious choppers are worth picking up :thumbsup:
 
I picked up a Kelly coal miner's track axe off the bay I'm eager to show you guys. Had to find it in a True Temper catalog to figure out what it is! It's like a very large riggers hatchet with a really long poll. I'm going to put it on a 19 inch handle just like the one shown in the true temper catalog (1938). I'll snap some pics of it when I get home.
 
I'm very pleased to have found an old "our best" Snow & Neally pick pole head. It's obviously handmade with the beautiful twist at the end of the pick. Man am I happy with this. Paid $35 for it.
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I love the simple elegance of a simple tool made with pride. Things like this feel like the highlight of my collection. That smith didn't have to put that twist in the end! But I'm so glad he did... Thanks for looking guys.
 
Yankee Josh said:
I'm very pleased to have found an old "our best" Snow & Neally pick pole head. It's obviously handmade with the beautiful twist at the end of the pick. Man am I happy with this. Paid $35 for it.
KBtYlhT.jpg
eZ1f3Sc.jpg
HJxCDYB.jpg
jV5L1CG.jpg

I love the simple elegance of a simple tool made with pride. Things like this feel like the highlight of my collection. That smith didn't have to put that twist in the end! But I'm so glad he did... Thanks for looking guys.
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That's a great score Yankee Josh Yankee Josh
I agree, I do love and have great pride in my axes and other tools, but those few odd or one of a kind pieces really feed the fire to keep looking for more odd and one of a kind pieces.
Kudos on grabbing that beauty
 
Yankee Josh said:
I'm very pleased to have found an old "our best" Snow & Neally pick pole head. It's obviously handmade with the beautiful twist at the end of the pick. Man am I happy with this. Paid $35 for it.
KBtYlhT.jpg
eZ1f3Sc.jpg
HJxCDYB.jpg
jV5L1CG.jpg

I love the simple elegance of a simple tool made with pride. Things like this feel like the highlight of my collection. That smith didn't have to put that twist in the end! But I'm so glad he did... Thanks for looking guys.
Click to expand...

That's great. Love the little twist at the tip. Even if you don't plan on driving logs down a river you can still find use for this tool. I have one of far lesser pedigree which I have mounted on a long semi-straight sapling. I sometimes let a buddy use it as a pusher when I'm felling a tree (always make sure your buddy is out of the kickback zone).

And aside from that it's just cool to have.
 
Thank you all. I really couldn't be happier with it! When holding this old tool you can just feel that whoever made it really cared about their work. They spent time making it just so and I really appreciate the craftsmanship. I think around here we all do... I have a Gifford pick pole as well and I think I'll rehang and use that one. This one i think I'm going to find a really pretty piece of curly something or rather and just keep it as a show piece. Probably a shorter handle maybe 18". I have a wood lathe but it's not set up yet so I'll just carve a nice haft for it. I'll probably find some birds eye maple for it.
Oh yeah and I'm always driving logs downriver. You mean you guys don't? Hahaha.
 
Y. J.-- In that pattern the tool you have is a Pike Pole (still being made) It was used, usually with a long ash handle, for raising timber frame and pole frame buildings (houses, barns, out buildings, etc.); it was also used as a push pole when felling pecker pole stands of timber (pulp wood, fence posts); and until the use of heavy equipment, for setting and plumbing utility poles. The twist is actually a screw point to give it purchase on whatever you are pushing. Your pattern would not be used much on river drives because of the screw point. The last thing you want is a grabby point when you are balancing on a log and trying to push or pull floating logs. I used to compete in log burling contests and it is tough enough just to stay on the log.
 
CE620F34-E7BB-428D-9CE5-F7950C4FAE33.jpeg 0A21A286-BA31-43F6-B9A3-90FFDD8FECE1.jpeg A1650255-D4B7-4DE4-9A22-D2F65C74A4F4.jpeg 33EB5C3F-84F7-4D1A-AC74-CC263F23CC14.jpeg Got this DB in a package deal. It was so rusted I was going to throw it out. But after 2 long vinegar baths, I took it out and cleaned it up. Once all the corrosion was off, it didn’t look too bad at all, and the edge was still sharp enough to cut me. No markings except for the “3 1/4” shown. Now I just need to locate a suitable haft.
 
Curt Hal said:
View attachment 1088338 View attachment 1088339 View attachment 1088340 View attachment 1088341 Got this DB in a package deal. It was so rusted I was going to throw it out. But after 2 long vinegar baths, I took it out and cleaned it up. Once all the corrosion was off, it didn’t look too bad at all, and the edge was still sharp enough to cut me. No markings except for the “3 1/4” shown. Now I just need to locate a suitable haft.
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The weight stamp is in such a place, not to many other makers must have stamped like that.
I wonder / hope that could lead to some information.
 
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