New pics New finds in old shed

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PCL

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I was rooting around in a shed my father and I had built about 30 yrs ago and found an old double bit axe head and a sledgehammer head along the walls. The sledgehammer is marked SW and 8 pounds made in Japan, the axe head has no makers mark and I am not sure of head style but it looks like the forester, it it 9 inches across and weighs 2 pounds. I put both in a vinegar bath overnight and besides removing rust the ends of the axe turned black while the main body did not, why?





 
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I'm guessing that this tells you (us) where tool-steel hardened parts are mated to iron or soft steel attachment points. All great axes are like this. Made by the 'J.A.PAN' company during the 1950s-60s meant they were sold cheap but in actual practice proved equally good as domestic. Recorded history is not restricted to the 'college educated' kids of today that know SFA about the willingness of ordinary tradespeople of all nations to work and impart their knowledge towards Capitalism.
Made in Japan! That these people made and marketed American-style axes is a new one on me.
 
300Six said:
Made in Japan! That these people made and marketed American-style axes is a new one on me.
Click to expand...

The sledge is stamped "Japan" but nothing in the post was said nor suggests that the double bit axe head was made in Japan. As stated in the post it's an unmarked axe head.
 
Only the hammer is marked, the axe has slight gouge marks on body but is otherwise unmarked. So now the question is are you saying the bits in the axe are forge welded into softer steel. Am I getting that correct? I only posted them beside each other for a size comparison.
 
May have found a mark, three semi circle marks, not use marks. I will post if I can get in right light.
 
So at two pounds is this a full size or cruiser weight? Any idea on age since it has the script name?
 
I can't tell you much more besides the toes are worn down on them fairly good, but not unusable.

I THINK these were from the 1907-1986 era.
 
The axe is a Belknap - most were made by Kelly/True Temper but they did use other makers, too.

The dark lines show the depth of the temper - how deep the heated bit was plunged into the quench. The bit steel may or may not be different than the eye steel. That axe is badly worn - there's barely any hardened steel left at the toes. It most likely started life as a full size axe not a cruiser. Eye size will tell you. Standard full size double bit axe eye is 3/4" x 3" or there abouts. Standard cruiser eye size is 2-1/4" x 5/8". Whichever size your eye is closer to is what it started life as.
 
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