New project Axe, any ID help?

[Caberguy]

I picked up this new project. It was only $10. I was kind of hoping that it was a Kelly Woodslasher, but it doesn't have ridges in the eye, or the common letter/number stamp (that I've been able to find yet, anyway). I've been able to find one marking on it, it seems to say "3 1/2" right below the dent in the poll (visible in the last pic). Any thoughts about provenance, or is it likely to just stay a mystery:

 

[Hickory n steel]

Well the cheeks look to have a bit of convex to them so there's a chance the steel is decent if I'm not wrong.
If I am wrong check the bottom of the head at the poll, it may end up saying china right there.

Unfortunately with no other markings there's not really going to be much way to identify who made it.

 

[crbnSteeladdict]

Some time ago I acquired an axe that had 2 layers of paint: gray and pink. I was sure the was no maker's mark on it. I just hated pink color. To my huge surprise after few hours in citristip the junker becomes Collins Legitimus

 

[Miller '72]

I recently found one similar and at first did not see ridges...until I started to work the head off the handle, to save and rehang, the ridges were most prominent at the entry into the eye.

I hope my limited knowledge and experience help a little

 

[Miller '72]

Sorry dbl posting

 

[garry3]

The eye size and shape looks right. It seems the Chinese ones usually have funny shaped eyes.
But the narrowing of the poll makes me think its not made in the USA. Maybe Mexico or South America.
I could very well be wrong but that's my best WAG.

 

[Caberguy]

Just pulled the handle... definitely no ridges:

But there is definitely a bevel to the cheeks, and from the first few passes with a file the steel seems decent:

 

[Miller '72]

Just pulled the handle... definitely no ridges:

But there is definitely a bevel to the cheeks, and from the first few passes with a file the steel seems decent:

May not be Woodslasher but it appears you have yourself a descent user.

Or you can always gift it to that neighbor who keeps borrowing and never returning your tools...sorry that might be my neighbor I am referring

 

[garry3]

May not be Woodslasher but it appears you have yourself a descent user.

Or you can always gift it to that neighbor who keeps borrowing and never returning your tools...sorry that might be my neighbor I am referring

Cheaper than a tool rental and I am sure they are sharper...

 

[Miller '72]

Some time ago I acquired an axe that had 2 layers of paint: gray and pink. I was sure the was no maker's mark on it. I just hated pink color. To my huge surprise after few hours in citristip the junker becomes Collins Legitimus

If that's not finding treasure I don't know what is

That's great! Painted pink...?

 

[crbnSteeladdict]

If that's not finding treasure I don't know what is

That's great! Painted pink...?

yep PINK hehe... it is Legitimus, but not sure about being the treasure... I suspect the owner wanted to keep original handle (damage from overstriking) so he replaced wood wedge with steel plate , drilled through cheek and the plate and finally inserted brass pin. I am not sure what to think, unless it is some kind of prototype from Collins Forge, that brass pin means drop in resale value.
I think, I need to start a new thread titled "The wierdo axes/door stops I managed to drag home"

 

[Miller '72]

yep PINK hehe... it is Legitimus, but not sure about being the treasure... I suspect the owner wanted to keep original handle (damage from overstriking) so he replaced wood wedge with steel plate , drilled through cheek and the plate and finally inserted brass pin. I am not sure what to think, unless it is some kind of prototype from Collins Forge, that brass pin means drop in resale value.
I think, I need to start a new thread titled "The wierdo axes/door stops I managed to drag home"

Ouch!
Pink to steel plates to drilled cheeks and brass pin.
I think your right, that no longer sounds like a treasure.
Any pictures?
He really wanted to keep his Collins though

That's a good idea for a thread
Now you have me thinking if I have noticed and passed on an axe or tool that looked morphed and customized, repaired or hacked...

 

[crbnSteeladdict]

Ouch!
Pink to steel plates to drilled cheeks and brass pin.
I think your right, that no longer sounds like a treasure.
Any pictures?
He really wanted to keep his Collins though

That's a good idea for a thread
Now you have me thinking if I have noticed and passed on an axe or tool that looked morphed and customized, repaired or hacked...

When I was buying that axe I knew about the brass pin. I bought it for 2 reasons: 1. Template for future handle. 2. Play around with idea of light boy's axe head on full size handle(overstrike damage is not bad;axe with smaller eye might work) .
The funny thing is the head wobbles, but the combination of steel plate and brass pin prevents the head from becoming airborne. So now I have 3rd choice; for 2 weeks soak the whole head in mineral oil so it maybe swells enough to fix the wobble movement.

 

[Caberguy]

I thought I ordered a 28" straight handle from House, but apparently ordered a 36". I'll use that on a later project. So I picked up a 36" Link handle from Ace. It was a bit like a baseball bat with not very good grain orientation. I spent way too much time today working on bring it down, and had a frustrating amount of grain tear-out... using a spoke shave instead of a rasp and Morkniv might have helped, I guess I'll have to pick one of those up if I'm going to keep doing this. It still pretty darn thick.

I hit the head with a wire cup brush. I was going to take the paint off with citrisolv, but I decided to stay with the patina (partly because that's the cheaper option).

I still need to do some sharpening.

 

[Caberguy]

Well, it was fairly sharp to begin with, but it took a really nice edge. I took it out to the block and did a bit of splitting with it, drove it in hard across the grain on some hardwood. It held its edge well with no rolling. And then, cutting down some split wood to kindling, I slightly over-struck on one swing, and I took pretty big nick out of the toe... grrrr (it's pretty cold out, but I only had the axe out there for about 20-30 minutes; the smaller nick was already there):