Our Very Best Axe

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06malibu

Joined
Sep 10, 2018
Messages
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Recently purchased a new house. I was out mowing today and found this. At first I thought it was a brick until I picked it up. Does anyone have any information on these axes? Looking to see if it’s worth restoring.

Please excuse the drill press pieces, current on going project
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Please try again with photos and if you don't mind describe better the stamp(s)

Perhaps the region of the country you are in sometimes helps...not necessarily but every clue can help till we get the pictures :thumbsup::cool:

It's super cool to find the axe in your yard...a personal treasure that just might bite you...the axe bug;)
 
Sorry, my pictures aren’t loading and can’t figure it out. Hope to get them figured out soon.

I am from Missouri and found it here.
 
It's a good quality axe co, but we need to see the full thing to see if its had all the hardened steel ground away by sharpening.
P.S. The H.S.B. stand for the Hibbard, Spencer, and Bartlett Hardware co.
 
From an earlier thread, which also mentioned that Plumb made axes for HSB.

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Our Very Best OVB from H.S.B. & Company.

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"Hibbard, Spencer, & Bartlett CO. Chicago Illinois 1883-1983. They sold axes, cutlery, hatchets, knives, levels, plane irons and planes and many other items. This company was a large hardware dealership that had a variety of tools made by others marked with their name and or one of several brand names they used..."
from Rose Antique Tools http://www.roseantiquetools.com/id103.html
 
That's a beautiful find!

Thank you AgentH...some kind of picture magician you are lol!

Over a year ago I also unearthed...well my then 5 year old unearthed an old axe head of my grandfathers here in our yard, the family home. The axe bug bit us both and he and I have spent countless hours together searching yard sales and cleaning our treasures in the garage together.
Excellent find and keep asking questions if you need answers or help. That's a very good find
 
Our Very Best was a line of axes manufactured by the Hibbard, Spencer, & Bartlett CO. Formed in 1882 in downtown Chicago Illinois, it was a leading hardware store in the midwest and closed it's doors in 1962.

That is an uncommon axe pattern for that etch, 90% of the ones I see are always Michigan pattern. It looks to be in actually pretty good shape, just a bit dirty. Something you'd part with?
 
Blue Sasquatch said:
Our Very Best was a line of axes manufactured by the Hibbard, Spencer, & Bartlett CO. Formed in 1882 in downtown Chicago Illinois, it was a leading hardware store in the midwest and closed it's doors in 1962.

That is an uncommon axe pattern for that etch, 90% of the ones I see are always Michigan pattern. It looks to be in actually pretty good shape, just a bit dirty. Something you'd part with?
Click to expand...

Good information

If your not thinking a Michigan pattern are you leaning toward Dayton or perhaps the Hoosier pattern?
 
Blue Sasquatch said:
Our Very Best was a line of axes manufactured by the Hibbard, Spencer, & Bartlett CO. Formed in 1882 in downtown Chicago Illinois, it was a leading hardware store in the midwest and closed it's doors in 1962.

That is an uncommon axe pattern for that etch, 90% of the ones I see are always Michigan pattern. It looks to be in actually pretty good shape, just a bit dirty. Something you'd part with?
Click to expand...
Thank you for the information! But I am not interested in parting with it. Lookingtk restore it and simply hang it on the wall.

When you say Michigan pattern what do you mean? Is there anyway to date it based on the markings/shape?
 
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After soaking in vinegar for a few days it cleaned up well. I will post a picture later but there is a 9 or 6 stamped in the center of the back side. Is this common?
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