Montgomery Ward Ax

David Martin

David Martin

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Any of our experts know who made the ax heads for Montgomery Ward axes?
The company predates Sears by 27 years (1873). And Craftsman being stamped on later
Sears axes. I have one stamped Wards from 1980.? Seems to be decent. Thanks, DM
 
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I have two and if I were a betting man I'd say Kelly. Also if I recall correctly when speaking with one of their old forge workers Ward's was on of several companies they made axes for. One is a Powr-kraft boys axe with eye ridges and the same shape as a TrueTemper Woodslasher I have. The other is a Master Quality hatchet that is a dead ringer for a Kelly hatchet and several TrueTemper hatchets that I own.
 
Hacked said:
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I have two and if I were a betting man I'd say Kelly. Also if I recall correctly when speaking with one of their old forge workers Ward's was on of several companies they made axes for. One is a Powr-kraft boys axe with eye ridges and the same shape as a TrueTemper Woodslasher I have. The other is a Master Quality hatchet that is a dead ringer for a Kelly hatchet and several TrueTemper hatchets that I own.
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Ok thanks Hacked. You think they are Kelly and no one disagreed. So, I'll go with it. On mark's I really don't know how to take it as he said nothing.? DM
 
Power kraft I have is a dead ringer for a kelly perfect,like craftsman though could be several mnfg over the years
 
This Wards axe is stamped: Wards Master Quality. Single bit, it has a poll but not the thick sides around the eye. So, can be used for driving wooden stakes. It weighs 3.475 lbs.. It looks like it could be used for general felling and limb work. I don't have a photo carrier. DM
 
I've read that Montgomery Wards axes were good quality for their day. There are some really nice ones that members here have hung and used.
Hacked has a good photo of a hatchet compared to a True Temper I think.

I have only owned one - a swamping pattern that I never actually used. That one lives overseas now :)

COTS made a Wards Master Quality sing a new song:
http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/cots-project-thread.1233816/page-24


http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/iding-some-new-treasures.1340283/#post-15427598

http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/...-the-weekend-pic-heavy.1011207/#post-11514424

I've seen Wards Puget Sounds that looked pretty nice as well. David, if you can suffer hosting or emailing a photo, that would be worth looking at.

They had their name on a lot of tools.

35155850454_1547d15532_k.jpg
 
Once upon a time (before mine) there was a "Monkey Wards" - as my parents call it - in my town. I have had 3 different Master Quality versions and they are very good. Not sure who made them but I understand the Master Quality label dates pretty far back (pre 1950 I think) so presumably it was one of the big names in axe making of the time producing them.
 
So, is the axe shape and weight for limb work or felling? Thanks, DM
img
 
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Looks like a 3-1/2lb (unless I missed where you told us the weight - COTS not paying attention in class as usual) Michigan to me which was/is a common multi purpose pattern. Really any axe will work for limbing (aside from specific patterns), and the axe is a tree felling tool at that weight. I like lighter axes for brush clearing which often involves essentially "limbing" but there is no reason that one won't work. If you cut wood for burning, or you're clearing some trees out of an area - something like that where you have trees on the ground - a heavier axe might be good for large limbs. I'd say 3-1/2lbs is probably the most common axe weight and that's probably because of it's multi-function nature.

If my memory can be relied on at all, when I was reading about the Wards Master Quality brand, I read somewhere that they quit using that specific branding pre-1950.
 
Agent_H said:
"Big Mammer Jammer" )BMJ(

I can't place where I've heard that before but now I'm afraid that I'm going to be saying it lol.
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Apparently Stevie Wonder .... although when I put it in youtube Carl Carlton comes up most. And I know nothing about either of these guys' music beyond the most well known. I would assume that I got it from a movie somewhere. Half my vocabulary is movie quotes.
 
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