Older, heavier Kelly Axe

G

gben

Joined
Nov 26, 2014
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501
On a scale this axe head weighs over 4.5 pounds. It came from a feisty old geezer's yard sale which he was having before he moves to Tennessee.

It says Kelly Axe Mfg. Co., Charlestown WV USA as best as I think I read it. Of course the only really pitted part of it is where the name is, as usual it seems.....

I am not an expert on Kelly axes, but I thought it might be from before they were bought out by American Fork and Hoe?

You can see a change in the steel at the bits, it reminds me of an old Chemical Axe I have here, the bits were either of a different metal forged onto a body, or they were treated so that they did not age the same way as the body did, they seem more resistant to corrosion than the middle part of the head.



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Yes, that's an older one. The Charleston plant remained in operation for many years after they were bought out by True Temper but they put a True Temper Kelly Works stamp on those. Kelly Charleston is a good axe.
 
It would not surprise me if the stamping on axe heads did not change immediately after American Fork and Hoe took over Kelly, but there is the possibility that this head was made between 1904 when Kelly moved to Charleston, and 1930 when American Fork & Hoe bought them out. Agree?
 
I think the 1904-1930 stamps were Kelly Axe & Tool Co. (from what I remember when I picked up mine). My guess is like stated above, that it's after 1930, but probably not by much.
 
SC T100 said:
I think the 1904-1930 stamps were Kelly Axe & Tool Co. (from what I remember when I picked up mine). My guess is like stated above, that it's after 1930, but probably not by much.
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Kelly Axe and tool Company, and Kelly Mfg. Company were both marks used from 1904 to 1930. After 1930 it was changed to Kelly Axe and Tool Works.

In 1949 they added the True Temper name. So 1930 to 1948 axes might just say Kelly Axe and Tool Works, and 1949 and later axes are the ones that will have "True Temper" on them along with "Kelly axe and tool works" or just "Kelly Works". As the 1967 True Temper catalog shows, some later True Temper axes just had labels and were not stamped.

In summary, a stamp with "Co." or "Company" in the name is probably going to be from before American Axe and Hoe bought Kelly out in 1930.
 
gben said:
...In 1949 they added the True Temper name. So 1930 to 1948 axes might just say Kelly Axe and Tool Works, and 1949 and later axes are the ones that will have "True Temper" on them...
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True Temper axes were already being marketed by Kelly in 1938 (and maybe even earlier). American Fork & Hoe was using the True Temper brand long before they acquired Kelly Axe in 1930, and they applied the True Temper brand to some of the Kelly axes for a decade or more before they changed the company name to True Temper in 1949.

I've posted about this before, with links to the advertisements from the 1930s for True Temper Kelly Perfect axes, and earlier advertisements for True Temper pitchforks, hoes, etc.


http://books.google.com/books?id=JQNEAAAAIAAJ&q=true+temper+kelly+axe&dq=true+temper+kelly+axe&source=bl&ots=GCxZ0tzfiT&sig=c7ViD0WDoTg4o3HiGh26OVMMasM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VyN-UIPSDqqGyQGomYCICA&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ
http://books.google.com/books?ei=VyN-UIPSDqqGyQGomYCICA&id=JQNEAAAAIAAJ&dq=true+temper+kelly+axe&q=american+fork+axe#search_anchor
 
If it says "Kelly Works" it's from no earlier than 1930.
The earliest "True Temper" axe I've seen advertised was from 1938.
Kelly Works shut down on May 28, 1982. (reference)


Steve Tall said:
Some clarifications, and it's complicated.

True Temper Kelly Perfect Axes were being advertised in 1938, as far as I know:
http://books.google.com/books?id=JQNEAAAAIAAJ&q=%22true+temper%22+axe&dq=%22true+temper%22+axe&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rAtrU42OC8n4oAS4_oH4Ag&ved=0CG4Q6AEwCQ
So, if an axe says "True Temper" it could be from as early as 1938 (or perhaps earlier?)

Here are some details of the True Temper puzzle:

Based on info from yesteryearstools.com,
If it says "Kelly Works" it's from 1930 or later.

Acquisition of Kelly Axe Mfg. Co. and Operation as Kelly Works 1930-1949+
Corporation Name Changed to True Temper 1949-1987+
from http://www.yesteryearstools.com/Yesteryears%20Tools/American%20Fork%20%26%20Hoe%20Co..html

1949 is the year that American Fork and Hoe (owner of Kelly Axe since 1930) changed the A.F.&H. name to True Temper, BUT there were some True Temper axes out there before 1949.
Here's an ad from 1941 for True Temper axes:
http://books.google.com/books?id=iycDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA221&dq=%22true%20temper%22%20axe&pg=PA221#v=onepage&q=%22true%20temper%22%20axe&f=false

A reference to "Kelly True Temper axes" from 1939:
http://books.google.com/books?ei=6X-wU5zJPIzfoASX2oLQBA&id=z9NFAAAAYAAJ&dq=true+temper+kelly+perfect+axe&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=true+temper

American Fork & Hoe was using the True Temper brand as early as 1907...
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Steve Tall I had heard that there were "true temper" axes back well before WWII, thanks for filling in some of the specifics. It seems that it was 1949 then that True Temper became the actual brand name and not just a specific model in the lineup of Kelly or some other conglomerate etc..

It is pretty common for me to find axes laying around with True Temper as the headline, followed by "flint edge", "Vulcan" or "perfect".

Where my axe head is concerned I was guessing from what I read that the phrase "tool works" at the end of a stamping meant that the axe was made after American Fork and Hoe owned Kelly, and that a stamping ending in "mfg. Co. or "tool co." meant it was pre- American fork and hoe....or 1930 and earlier perhaps.
 
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gben said:
...Where my axe head is concerned I was guessing from what I read that the phrase "tool works" at the end of a stamping meant that the axe was made after American Fork and Hoe owned Kelly, and that a stamping ending in "mfg. Co. or "tool co." meant it was pre- American fork and hoe....or 1930 and earlier perhaps.
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That part sounds right to me. And it might seem reasonable to assume that True Temper axes started being made in 1949 (when the company name was changed to True Temper), but it's a false assumption. American Fork & Hoe had been using the True Temper brand for over 40 years -- and making True Temper axes for more than 10 years -- before the 1949 name change.
 
I have a head stamped, "Kelly axe & tool CO, Charleston W.VA USA" on one side, the other is stamped True Temper.. From what I understand, that means the "True Temper" brand was used prior to 1921??
 
quinton said:
I have a head stamped, "Kelly axe & tool CO, Charleston W.VA USA" on one side, the other is stamped True Temper.. From what I understand, that means the "True Temper" brand was used prior to 1921??
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Since AF&H owned the True Temper brand at the time, I'd assume that True Temper wouldn't be put on Kelly axes until after AF&H acquired Kelly, which was 1930.

My guess is that axe was made around 1930, either existing stock when the factory was purchased (and later stamped True Temper), or produced shortly after the takeover, before the "Kelly Works" stamps were put into use.
 
Thanks Steve Tall for helping to clarify things. A plain-jane axe head like mine that simply says "Kelly Axe Mfg. Co." would have to have been made between 1904 and 1930 if it is marked Charleston, and if it was marked Alexandria it would be roughly 1896-1904.

Finding a Kelly Axe from Alexandria or an even earlier one that may have been made in Louisville Kentucky in good condition would probably be tough......
 
Steve Tall said:
Since AF&H owned the True Temper brand at the time, I'd assume that True Temper wouldn't be put on Kelly axes until after AF&H acquired Kelly, which was 1930.

My guess is that axe was made around 1930, either existing stock when the factory was purchased (and later stamped True Temper), or produced shortly after the takeover, before the "Kelly Works" stamps were put into use.
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Thanks, Steve..
 
In support of Steve Tall’s assertion that the True Temper mark was used by Kelly over a decade before the name change in 1949 here is a Flint Edge (one of the nicest axes I’ve ever owned) marked only TRUE TEMPER FLINT EDGE. The interesting part is it’s hung on what I believe is the original haft which is marked Turner Day 1936. The reason I believe it’s the original haft is the way it’s sealed at the top of the eye. It appears almost like a Permabond but it’s not near as thick or waxy and there is a visible secondary wedge. It looks to me like it was pressed hydraulically or some form of automated procedure.
FYI- I’ll be putting this axe up for sale soon🫣









 
UpandAdam said:
In support of Steve Tall’s assertion that the True Temper mark was used by Kelly over a decade before the name change in 1949 here is a Flint Edge (one of the nicest axes I’ve ever owned) marked only TRUE TEMPER FLINT EDGE. The interesting part is it’s hung on what I believe is the original haft which is marked Turner Day 1936. The reason I believe it’s the original haft is the way it’s sealed at the top of the eye. It appears almost like a Permabond but it’s not near as thick or waxy and there is a visible secondary wedge. It looks to me like it was pressed hydraulically or some form of automated procedure.
FYI- I’ll be putting this axe up for sale soon🫣









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Very nice handle but it is not factory original. The head sits too far from the shoulder
 
Very nice handle but it is not factory original. The head sits too far from the shoulder


I think I mentioned it but I didn’t personally hang this particular axe head but I have had the pleasure of hanging roughly half of my collection which last time I inventoried was over 300 axes and hatchets. I wasn’t looking for hanging pointers as I never intended for this particular axe to be a user. I’m pretty sure this head was hung by some sort of press as the eye is glazed over with some sort bonding material. I have 3 or 4 Plumb Permabond axes and it’s perfectly sealed much like them only the bonding product is different. If it’s a re-hang someone would’ve needed to purchase a likely NOS haft and then possibly having an axe manufacturer hang it for them(which is possible). American Fork & Hoe bought out Kelly in 1930 and Turner Day & Woolworth Handle Co. in 1951 so it’s entirely possible they were using Turner Day handles in the factory…

 
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Square_peg said:
Yep, surely not the original handle.

And when did Bladeforums become and advertisement for someone's ebay site?
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I wasn’t aware of the breach of rules. My apologies for the distress it caused you. So it’s not the original handle. Do you have any more keen insight to offer?
 
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