In 1942 I was seven years old...just starting in with the Cub Scouts. For my birthday, my Mom bought me a Plumb Official Boy Scout Hatchet. (Back then, the Boy Scouts had a regular catalog of 'official' stuff you could order.)
I used and abused it for many years, through many adventures. About 1958, as I was entering the military, I 'loaned' it to my young brother-in-law-to-be. He kept it for nearly 30 years, using it in camping and in his swimming pool installation service, where it did yeoman service chopping roots and rocks.
In 1990, visiting BIL's home, I spotted the old hatchet in his garage. It was in bad condition: broken handle, rust, deep scars on blade and poll. I took the old beast back, gave him a pretty good TruTemper to replace it.
It sat on my workbench for many months. I removed the broken handle, and polished off most of the rust. Somewhere along the line, I determined to restore it as closely as I could to its former state. I contacted Cooper Tools in Texas, now owners of the Plumb brand. They were delighted to accept my old hatchet head for restoration. Three months after sending it to them, I had it in my hands again, polished (but still showing some of its honorable scars of service) and with a new red handle. Great! I carefully packed it away.
Move ahead to yesterday. My son's birthday. He's a homeowner and gardener himself now. He'd hinted that he needed a good hatchet. I took the old Boy Scout from its drawer, and presented it to him. Not an heirloom, or a safe queen, but a tool, still sharp and solid, ready to do its work for perhaps another 65 or so years. We laughed: 'It's like George Washington's hatchet: exactly the same, except it's had three handles and two heads!' Well, not quite! Hope you enjoyed this little story.
I used and abused it for many years, through many adventures. About 1958, as I was entering the military, I 'loaned' it to my young brother-in-law-to-be. He kept it for nearly 30 years, using it in camping and in his swimming pool installation service, where it did yeoman service chopping roots and rocks.
In 1990, visiting BIL's home, I spotted the old hatchet in his garage. It was in bad condition: broken handle, rust, deep scars on blade and poll. I took the old beast back, gave him a pretty good TruTemper to replace it.
It sat on my workbench for many months. I removed the broken handle, and polished off most of the rust. Somewhere along the line, I determined to restore it as closely as I could to its former state. I contacted Cooper Tools in Texas, now owners of the Plumb brand. They were delighted to accept my old hatchet head for restoration. Three months after sending it to them, I had it in my hands again, polished (but still showing some of its honorable scars of service) and with a new red handle. Great! I carefully packed it away.
Move ahead to yesterday. My son's birthday. He's a homeowner and gardener himself now. He'd hinted that he needed a good hatchet. I took the old Boy Scout from its drawer, and presented it to him. Not an heirloom, or a safe queen, but a tool, still sharp and solid, ready to do its work for perhaps another 65 or so years. We laughed: 'It's like George Washington's hatchet: exactly the same, except it's had three handles and two heads!' Well, not quite! Hope you enjoyed this little story.
