Jersey Axe ID....and lot of help

[Frank01]

Hi Guys,

Great to be in this forum, I will need a lot of help. I found this Jersey axe on a flea mkt here in Mexico. Handle was rotten by the head and in very bad shape but, I was able to read RAZORBACK in red. I am restoring it, and would like to know where it came from and who was the maker. Google a bunch of ways, trying to ID it with the logo on handle but, not success.
Also, due to the lack of supplies here, I need to order a new handle from the US so, all the 3.5lb heads have the same eye size? Where, which handle should I buy? Also, I picked up a Maul that is stamp 7 but the head weights 7.7lb with fiberglass handle that was all screw up as well and will need replace but, I will leave that for later.
Here couple pics on the actual step of restoring, I can send more later if needed.








Thanks a lot for your help

 

[bbforstr]

Decent looking axe. It looks like it's worth restoring. I can't help much with ID but it looks like it has ample temperd bit left. I like a straight octagon haft on these. Welcome to the forum. There is a lot of good info here.

 

[SC T100]

I think it might be one of the Union Tools conglomerate axes. I think Razorback is one of the lines they use. A hatchet was reviewed here:

http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2010/12/razor-back-camp-axe-review.html

And I think it could be one of those items, as the current Ames pattern looks very similar in side profile.

http://www.amestruetemper.com/produ...Id=2340&SubFamilyId=100&FamilyId=73&LineId=72

They don;t list them on their site, so maybe they don't brand the axes anymore. Who knows, but my guess is that it's a Union Tools axe head marketed under the Razor-Back name.

http://www.razor-back.com/#rakes

 

[cityofthesouth]

Interesting axe you've got there, certainly a different feel overall compared to something like the very common Kelly heads or Plumbs. Possibly a little material missing from the toe but I'd guess not much - looks like a good one to me. The eye actually looks a little odd in shape and size to me so I'd get some measurements before heading to the hardware store. As a general rule of thumb, if the head is 3lbs or more, you can pretty much bet it's meant for a regular full-size handle/eye. If you have access to House Handle (dot com), you have options; 30, 32 and 36 inch handles for full-size heads. Otherwise we are often stuck with 36" handles, which is fine, but various lengths work better for different users. HH makes wooden handles for just about anything that ever took a wooden handle, so they'll likely have what you need. Link still makes handles as well and there are a couple others - I ran across some Baker handles awhile back that were really well made, and sculpted better than anything HH or Link has on the shelf right now, but they only make (or made at that time) 28" Boys axe handles and 36" full-size. Boys Axes will have a smaller eye and likely the handle won't fit your axe.

If it turns out that the eye in yours is large for some reason, and some axes exported south of the boarder (I don't know about Mexico) had larger eyes, then I wouldn't bother trying to fit an off the shelf handle. You may have to make one because chances are, nothing is going to fit.

 

[Frank01]

Thanks a lot for your answers and help. Who knows how this axe arrive here, but was a cool find. Do you guys think would be something from the 70's or 80's before China got in?

Cityofthesouth, I wrote to HH an email, hope to find something. Also, I saw that the pickaroon head is wider so, it might be an option

If you have more comments or suggestions, please keep writing
Thanks again

 

[cityofthesouth]

Well with any luck you can just use a regular handle and it'll be an easy project. I order unfinished handles from HH and there is enough wood on them that they'll fit anything, but there is a lot of work to getting them done.

I can't even find an axe of any kind listed at Union Tools or Razorback, but even with the occasional picture of them on google, I don't see a Jersey. And, as ubiquitous as the Jersey was in America at one point, it seems most of the throw-away modern axes are Dayton or Michigan looking objects. However, their website does go on and on about being American made so maybe your axe is old enough that it is just a product they don't make anymore but still US made. Or maybe that was just a replacement handle. All speculation.

 

[SC T100]

I can't even find an axe of any kind listed at Union Tools or Razorback, but even with the occasional picture of them on google, I don't see a Jersey. All speculation.

Agreed...my guess was total speculation as well. I was simply tracing the Razor-Back hatchet to Union (which contains Ames according to the review), then checked Ames' website and their current Jersey shape looks very, very similar. Pure speculation on my part.

 

[cityofthesouth]

Agreed...my guess was total speculation as well. I was simply tracing the Razor-Back hatchet to Union (which contains Ames according to the review), then checked Ames' website and their current Jersey shape looks very, very similar. Pure speculation on my part.

Oh I missed the Ames part ... it's like a maze trying to connect all the dots with companies today. Though I just noticed their website says they are owned by the Griffon Corporation, for whatever that's worth. Another turn in the maze.


ETA:
From the Ames True Temper website; "These products are marketed under the True Temper, Jackson Professional Tools, UnionTools, and Garant brand names." Yeah, it's a maze.

 

[Steve Tall]

An archived copy of Union Tools website from 2006 (chosen at random) shows Razorback as one of their brands, and it shows a Jersey axe in their Razorback product listing:

3 1/2 lb. Jersey Single Bit Axe
For chopping and splitting wood
Drop-forged, tempered carbon steel head
36" lacquered Hickory handle for added strength
Item No: 30366

https://web.archive.org/web/20051216224407/http://www.uniontools.com/product.asp?Cid=9&Cat=37

 

[SC T100]

Oh I missed the Ames part ... it's like a maze trying to connect all the dots with companies today. Though I just noticed their website says they are owned by the Griffon Corporation, for whatever that's worth. Another turn in the maze.


ETA:
From the Ames True Temper website; "These products are marketed under the True Temper, Jackson Professional Tools, UnionTools, and Garant brand names." Yeah, it's a maze.

Yeah, a big time maze. Especially over the last 30 years or so, and likely even more so in the last decade with names being bought up.

An archived copy of Union Tools website from 2006 (chosen at random) shows Razorback as one of their brands, and it shows a Jersey axe in their Razorback product listing:

3 1/2 lb. Jersey Single Bit Axe
For chopping and splitting wood
Drop-forged, tempered carbon steel head
36" lacquered Hickory handle for added strength
Item No: 30366

https://web.archive.org/web/20051216224407/http://www.uniontools.com/product.asp?Cid=9&Cat=37

Dang Steve, your Google Fu is second to none...good idea to use the wayback machine. That jersey looks like a dead ringer for sure.

 

[Frank01]

Cityofthesouth, SC T100, Steve Tall....Thanks a lot for the ID help!!!!! In a day you guys did more than me on a week!!Very apreciate.