Kelly Columbian Axe! The pictures are finally in! Page 2

[Brian Rust]

Hello All,

My name is Brian and I have just joined this forum. I have collected axes for a while now and came across an older post that sparked my interest. I went to our family lake house about a year ago one summer weekend. There is an old junk store about two miles away from the lake house and I try to stop there every time I go. I went in that weekend and there were a bunch of tools. The owner had bought a storage unit for of tools she told me. She was selling each individual tool for $1! The first thing I picked up was the axe! It was full of rust with a straight handle that was very rough. But it was a dollar!! And I could still make out the bevels on the sides of the cheeks, so I got it. The rest of my time at the lake was spent cleaning the head up. I used only WD-40 and an SOS pad from the kitchen. That is still the only cleaning I have done to it (and put a decent edge on it). After cleaning it I saw that it had the “KELLY COLUMBIAN” marking on the head and something below that I could not make out. My first stop was yesteryear tools and I found that Kelly did use that brand name but it is not very discriptive. It is not a full size axe but it is not as small as a normal boys axe would be. I would dare to guess its right at 3lbs possibly +/- some. I have never found any other examples of this axe online. Other than yesteryear tools I have never found anything on them. Until I was randomly reading a post in this forum that was discussing Kelly axes and it had a copy of an old catolog that mentioned the axe. It show and someone stated it was the second most expensive axe that Kelly made at the time, below the “Kelly Registered” of course. If anyone has one of these axes or has even seen one before, or has any info at all about the axe please comment. Or if you have any questions about the axe please ask! I am going to try to post a picture of it but like I said I literally just joined the forum before I posted this so it may take me a little while. Thank you in advance to anyone that would like to comment!

 

[Hickory n steel]

https://postimages.org/
So easy to use and host photos without even having to sign up.
Sounds like you got a great deal on this axe btw.

 

[Brian Rust]

Hickory and Steel,
It is probably the best deal on an axe I have ever found. Next to the True Temper Flint Edge Cuiser my Grandfather have to me. My wife is going to send me some pictures of the axe when she gets back from dinner since I am out of town. So I can just click on that link and upload the picture from my phone and it will know to add it to this post? Or will it ask me where to post it? Sorry technology is not my strong suit. And thank you for the help!

 

[300Six]

A buck (or 'loonie' in Canada) for a 'crown-line' version of anything is a steal. Current Yuppie-made custom stuff won't hold a candle (quality-wise) to something like this. However: what you've got ain't new and is gonna need some (more likely lots of) work. This is the part that scares off most folks. $1 head, $10 handle, 100 hours of reading, $200 worth of tool gathering and then a lifetime's worth of dedicated scoping around in trying to get it altogether.
Two choices: clean it up and flog it for a profit fast as you can, and run away, or, lose your shirt and buy into resurrecting and enjoying 'old tools'. I said 'old tools' only because they're very much like beer: you'll never be satisfied once you've physically enjoyed the first one.

 

[Brian Rust]

Thank you 300six. I am passed the point of choices haha I am all in at this point, with “old tools” I mean. And I have already rehung the axe. Like I said in my first post it is an abnormal size (why, I have no idea), so I put it on a boys axe handle. I had two boys axe handles laying around that I bought because of how thin they were, but the more I look at it I think I need to rehaft it with a larger handle. If I could figure out how to upload a photo I could show it to everyone in all its glory but I haven’t yet.

 

[Miller '72]

A buck (or 'loonie' in Canada) for a 'crown-line' version of anything is a steal. Current Yuppie-made custom stuff won't hold a candle (quality-wise) to something like this. However: what you've got ain't new and is gonna need some (more likely lots of) work. This is the part that scares off most folks. $1 head, $10 handle, 100 hours of reading, $200 worth of tool gathering and then a lifetime's worth of dedicated scoping around in trying to get it altogether.
Two choices: clean it up and flog it for a profit fast as you can, and run away, or, lose your shirt and buy into resurrecting and enjoying 'old tools'. I said 'old tools' only because they're very much like beer: you'll never be satisfied once you've physically enjoyed the first one.

Now I am thirsty

Thank you 300six. I am passed the point of choices haha I am all in at this point, with “old tools” I mean. And I have already rehung the axe. Like I said in my first post it is an abnormal size (why, I have no idea), so I put it on a boys axe handle. I had two boys axe handles laying around that I bought because of how thin they were, but the more I look at it I think I need to rehaft it with a larger handle. If I could figure out how to upload a photo I could show it to everyone in all its glory but I haven’t yet.

Sounds like you have a great find and already a proper start and motivation to jump right in both feet to finding, resurrecting and using these great old tools. It's a passion, obsession if you talk to my wife, but these tools, axes, saws just are not produced today or if they are, the manufacturing and or materials used are greatly inferior to the vintage tools we hold dear.

Please ask your wife to post the pictures for you LOL!!

Happy hunting and happy resurrecting and welcome to the forum.

-Miller from CT

 

[Brian Rust]

Thanks Miller! I agree completely, and if you asked my wife she would also agree with the obsession comment LOL! But when she gets home I will give her my log in and see if she can upload it. I keep getting an error message when I try to upload a pic of my TT FE Cruiser. Idk why bug hopefully I can figure it out.

 

[Miller '72]

https://postimages.org/
So easy to use and host photos without even having to sign up.
Sounds like you got a great deal on this axe btw.

If you try this site that Hickory N' Steel recommended, you may find it one of the easier sites to manage and post from.
I am far from a tech guy, but even I figured it out over a period of a few days

 

[Hickory n steel]

Hickory and Steel,
It is probably the best deal on an axe I have ever found. Next to the True Temper Flint Edge Cuiser my Grandfather have to me. My wife is going to send me some pictures of the axe when she gets back from dinner since I am out of town. So I can just click on that link and upload the picture from my phone and it will know to add it to this post? Or will it ask me where to post it? Sorry technology is not my strong suit. And thank you for the help!

Click the link which will take you to the postimage.org home page, right in the center of the page you'll see
[ upload image ] click that then select your image to upload it .after it's uploaded click the little blue icon at the hotlink for forums which will copy it , then you just paste it here.

 

[Miller '72]

Click the link which will take you to the postimage.org home page, right in the center of the page you'll see
[ upload image ] click that then select your image to upload it .after it's uploaded click the little blue icon at the hotlink for forums which will copy it , then you just paste it here.

What he said

 

[Brian Rust]

I have done that and the lettering turns red and says an error with the server happened. It might be the internet connection with the hotel I’m in. But I turned off my WiFi and tried to use my phone internet and it did the same thing. Idk I will keep trying. Wish me luck!!

 

[Miller '72]

I have done that and the lettering turns red and says an error with the server happened. It might be the internet connection with the hotel I’m in. But I turned off my WiFi and tried to use my phone internet and it did the same thing. Idk I will keep trying. Wish me luck!!

Hi Brian.
Ya that very same error message started for me as soon as I posted to you how easy that site works. Doesn't that just figure!!
It must be the postimage website issue.

I had to use a less desirable image hosting site Imagur. It works well but I haven't figured how to resize the images I post so it can be slow to load here on the forum from Imagur.

Good luck and can't wait to see what you have collected

 

[Hickory n steel]

I have done that and the lettering turns red and says an error with the server happened. It might be the internet connection with the hotel I’m in. But I turned off my WiFi and tried to use my phone internet and it did the same thing. Idk I will keep trying. Wish me luck!!

That has happened to me a couple times before, I just wait a while and try again. It will work.

I just tried to upload a picture and I guess they're having a slight issue right now.

 

[Brian Rust]

Okay I have it figured out now. I am waiting on the pics of the columbian from my wife and they will be posted next!! Here is my cruiser and little tommy axe though lol

 

[Brian Rust]

I believe that cruiser has the original handle, what do y’all think? Possibly the tommy axe but I’m not sure.

 

[Brian Rust]

Here are the pics my wife sent me. This is the columbian. Of course she was in a hurry for work and said she could not see the stamp on it but I can promise u it is there. When she gets home I will have her look again.

 

[Brian Rust]

Like I said before all I have done to it was wd40 with sos pad and I hung it on a boys axe handle which fit the eye Farley well. I used a bigger wedge but it was tight at the bottom. The shoulder of the handle was almost nonexistent so I wrapped some leather around it because I didn’t like the look but that will be coming off soon and a new handle put on it.

Please if anyone has a columbian post some pics! I have never found a pic of another one.

 

[Steve Tall]

...Please if anyone has a columbian post some pics! I have never found a pic of another one.

Congrats on finding one, they seem quite rare. The only photos of one that were easily found are from an old auction listing:

This catalog page is supposedly from 1899, and shows the relatively high price for the Columbian (per dozen):
Kelly Columbian $12
Kelly Perfect $9
Kelly Standard $8

 

[Square_peg]

I believe that cruiser has the original handle, what do y’all think? Possibly the tommy axe but I’m not sure.

The Tommy Axe haft looks original. The cruiser haft might be as well. A view from the top would give us the most info. See if the top of the haft has grind marks that parallel the grind marks on the top of the axe head. If the marks are parallel and have paint over them then it's almost surely an original haft.

 

[Brian Rust]

Steve Tall, thank you so much for your posting I appreciate it!! I wish we had more info on these axes. From what I understand they had paper labels along with the “KELLY COLUMBIAN” stamp. The stamp on mine looks about like the picture you posted, which is why I’m sure my wife did not see it.

Square Peg, yes it does have black paint on the wedge and the grind marks are parallel with the grind marks on the top of the axe head. That is why I assume it is original. I will take a picture of it later since I have that axe with me (usually stays in my truck with me along with the tommy).