It followed me home (Part 2)

quinton · Jul 11, 2015

Square_peg said:
Good gawd, JB. You just keep finding the big scores. I gotta hand it to you.

You've got a couple of curious adzes there. The straight adze looks like some sort of mortising adze. The curved adze with the heavy weighted poll is a new one to me. What's the bit look like? I'm trying to figure out what that thing is for. Awesome pair of hedge trimmers. I love those handles.

And a wet grinder to boot..........you did WELL!

That curved adze looks like a Duck-Billed Bead Breaking Wedge.

Square_peg · Jul 11, 2015

garry3 said:
A brush hook with the FRP anchor stamp in a medium.

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Wow! I don't think I've ever seen Plumb brush axe. The medium weight is definitely 'the one', at least for the conditions I find here in the NW.

Square_peg · Jul 11, 2015

quinton said:
That curved adze looks like a Duck-Billed Bead Breaking Wedge.

You guys got it. Thanks for the lesson.

rockman0 · Jul 11, 2015

jblyttle said:
I would have gone just for the grinder. Ohhhh yeahhhhh.....

I paid $200 for everything including a vise not pictured.

JB makes hauls frequently that just amaze me! Volume that he drags in just isn't in my area. But I love seeing the loads he brings home!

garry3 · Jul 12, 2015

Square_peg said:
Wow! I don't think I've ever seen Plumb brush axe. The medium weight is definitely 'the one', at least for the conditions I find here in the NW.

I have a Yerkes and Plumb in a light and now a FRP in a medium, the heavy is waiting for me some place. They both have what I believe are original octagon handles, the YP handle was white at one time. So it would not surprise me to see an old Plumb axe with an original white haft.

Square_peg · Jul 12, 2015

I've swung a few 'heavies' and didn't like them. Hard to get them up to speed and at slower speeds they hook instead of cutting. I knew one fellow that did well with a heavy but he was built like an offensive lineman. And I still out worked him with a machete.

Old Axeman · Jul 12, 2015

The adze looking tools- I think you are right, the heavy is a tire bead breaker for large truck tires. The other straight bit one sure looks like a first generation forestry tree planting tool we used to call a hoedad. It would not work well to mortise wood.

aikonen · Jul 12, 2015

A friend gave this to me, but I have no idea what it is!

Square_peg · Jul 12, 2015

Clever design whatever it is. Might be home made. The bit has a hand hammered look to it. And the tang on the hoe also looks like it could be home made (by a skilled blacksmith). Such a tool would be useful for cutting and pulling up turf. I have no idea if that's what it's designer had in mind. If it has seen a lot of use then the toe of the bit might have been much longer at one time. The alignment of the wrap suggests that it had a open hang to begin with. That's what made me think of a turf axe.

The split protruding over the wrap is puzzling. I wonder if it was intentional.

aikonen · Jul 12, 2015

Square_peg said:
Clever design whatever it is. Might be home made. The bit has a hand hammered look to it. And the tang on the hoe also looks like it could be home made (by a skilled blacksmith). Such a tool would be useful for cutting and pulling up turf. I have no idea if that's what it's designer had in mind. If it has seen a lot of use then the toe of the bit might have been much longer at one time. The alignment of the wrap suggests that it had a open hang to begin with. That's what made me think of a turf axe.

The split protruding over the wrap is puzzling. I wonder if it was intentional.

Indeed it seems like a home made tool, and I'm guessing it was used as a turf axe of some sort, maybe cutting turf as you said. That makes the most sense to me. By the looks of it, the paint being removed towards the toe, it must have been used for that kind of work.
Thank you for the input Square!

jblyttle · Jul 12, 2015

Old Axeman said:
The adze looking tools- I think you are right, the heavy is a tire bead breaker for large truck tires. The other straight bit one sure looks like a first generation forestry tree planting tool we used to call a hoedad. It would not work well to mortise wood.

I have seen those, and they are if a similar design, but if you are talking about the long thin straight one, it is a wrecking/demolition adze. I haven't uncovered a name, but a common maker for these is Vulcan of Hingham MA.

Steve Tall · Jul 12, 2015

jblyttle said:
I have seen those, and they are if a similar design, but if you are talking about the long thin straight one, it is a wrecking/demolition adze. I haven't uncovered a name, but a common maker for these is Vulcan of Hingham MA.

I hadn't heard of a Building Wrecker's Adze, but sure enough, they are still being made:

http://www.vulcantools.com/building-wreckers-adze/

Square_peg · Jul 12, 2015

Building wreckers adze. OK. It does look like that.

Early hoedad isn't a bad guess either. I bet they made some like that. It would certainly work in that role. My hoedad looks like this.

aikonen · Jul 14, 2015

Payed $2 for this beautiful axe, it's barely used from the looks of it. I can tell by the stamp but I'm pretty sure it's a very old Agdor from Hults bruk. I really like the profile of the bit, I have never seen that kind of profile on a axe.

Square_peg · Jul 14, 2015

The profile looks very much like an American axe. Good for bucking & felling.

300Six · Jul 14, 2015

Square_peg said:
The profile looks very much like an American axe. Good for bucking & felling.

I'd say! Looks to be an export head that didn't make it across the pond. Is weight stamped on there in pounds by chance?

aikonen · Jul 15, 2015

300Six said:
I'd say! Looks to be an export head that didn't make it across the pond. Is weight stamped on there in pounds by chance?

I can't see any stamps about the weight, but I'll take a closer look this weekend. I believe it's a 2.6lbs head, it feels about the same as my other Hults Bruk 2.6's.

garry3 · Jul 17, 2015

I thought I would share some things I just got through cleaning up. Its not been a banner year out here at all. Just an axe here and there it seems.

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Them MWHC axes are just that hand made. They have very soft steel and the ones I usually find have damaged eyes, this is the best one I have found.
The Flint Edge is a cruiser.
The bottom axe is stamped Fred E Barnett Co, its a big boy at 4 1/2lbs, not an uncommon weight here in the north west. It very much looks like a Plumb. Not sure what you would call the pattern but an old axe collector I know calls them bow ties.

Some carpenter hatchets.

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Plumb Victory, Stiletto claw hatchet and a Philadelphia Tool Co that may be the same as Plumb, not sure.

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A couple of Legitimus brush axes in heavy and medium I believe. Its interesting that the bits are also forge welded on these and not just the eye.
Not sure if the little Zenith is a house axe or a boys axe, it was on a hatchet handle when found that for sure was not original.

Square_peg · Jul 18, 2015

garry3 said:
Some carpenter hatchets.

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Plumb Victory, Stiletto claw hatchet and a Philadelphia Tool Co that may be the same as Plumb, not sure.

My favorite shot of the group. The Plumb is of so minty fresh. I love Stiletto. Never heard of the Philly outfit before but it looks good.

aikonen · Jul 18, 2015

Garry, the 3rd double bit looks amazing, so does the hatchets! I love the American patterns, I'm getting tired of the Swedish styles, there is little to no diversity in the fleas and auctions here.