Please Date a Hatchet

L

leghog

Joined
Aug 10, 2013
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Picked up this Plumb Official Scout Ax at a gun show on Saturday. Can you date it for me? Handle has "Official Scout Ax" on two offset lines stamped on right side of handle.

A search of BF wasn't fruitful. And a net search hasn't provided a lot of info. I did find one site that clamed these stamps were pre-WW2/1930s but I don't know anything about the one saying so. I thought the early-mid 1950s.

Thanks.

Plumb%2520Scout%2520Ax%2520Left%2520Side.JPG

Plumb%2520Scout%2520Ax%2520Plumb%2520Stamp.JPG

Plumb%2520Scout%2520Ax%2520Right%2520Side.JPG

Plumb%2520Scout%2520Ax%2520Scout%2520Emblem.JPG

Plumb%2520Scout%2520Ax%2520Eye.JPG
 
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Don't know that I can help as far as dating, but I would be glad to take that sweet little hatchet out to dinner and a movie! :eek:
 
National pattern 1948/1949-1955 is what I came up with. Are the stamps and their locations correct for that date range?
 
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National pattern (your hatchet) originated after WWII and came out (copyrighted 10 Sept 48) in about 1947. Your hatchet looks to have the OEM handle which is wood wedged. Meaning it pre-dates Permabond hangs which were implemented on many of the Plumb products (and probably the Scout models) in 1956. The 'series of lines' Plumb stamp baffles me; some tools of that era have it some don't. Plumb did have factories on the go at two locations at the time and maybe one used a solid stamp and the other a series of lines. I don't know.
The shape of the head and lack of epoxy convincingly dates it but were that hatchet to have been made between 1922 and 1943 there would have been a factory 'take-up screw' installed in the eye along with the wedge.
 
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300Six said:
National pattern (your hatchet) originated after WWII and came out (copyrighted 10 Sept 48) in about 1947. Your hatchet looks to have the OEM handle which is wood wedged. Meaning it pre-dates Permabond hangs which were implemented on many of the Plumb products (and probably the Scout models) in 1956. The 'series of lines' Plumb stamp baffles me; some tools of that era have it some don't. Plumb did have factories on the go at two locations at the time and maybe one used a solid stamp and the other a series of lines. I don't know.
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Yes, the handle is original and retains the "Official Scout Axe" stamp though it's light and extremely difficult to photograph. You can just see "OFF" and "XE" of the stamp in the top pic above.
 
Except for the small "Voyager," except for the very first model, all the pre-war Plumb BSA hand axes had nail-pullers.

Could be the #1510 "Pack Axe" less the original "permabond." From about 1963-1974. Right shape and right handle. I saw a lot of those that lost the permabond. Kids can be really hard on gear, hence the futile search for the unbreakable axe.

Nice find.
 
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Thomas Linton said:
Except for the small "Voyager," all the pre-war Plumb BSA hand axes had nail-pullers.

Could be the #1510 "Pack Axe" less the original "permabond." From about 1963-1974. Right shape and right handle. I saw a lot of those that lost the permabond. Kids can be really hard on gear, hence the futile search for the unbreakable axe.

Nice find.
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Pretty tough stuff to remove. The handle underneath that epoxy wouldn't have been wood wedged and a recouped handle wouldn't have lent itself to being re-hung.
 
I have no doubt of no permabond. This hatchet never had any permabond in the eye/on the handle.
 
I wish I could discover the date range Plumb use the rounded corner double boxed with Genuine (lined) Plumb stamp. That info has to be available somewhere.
 
leghog said:
I wish I could discover the date range Plumb use the rounded corner double boxed with Genuine (lined) Plumb stamp. That info has to be available somewhere.
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As with everything 'commonplace-taken for granted' 1/2 to one century+ ago no one at the time thought to keep minute and detailed records. Steve Tall (I think it was him) has featured 1970s transcripts of interviews with the by-then-aged former owner of Plumb and even that gentleman's memories cannot to be regarded as Gospel. Your 'baby' is very very likely from the late 40s-early 50s and whatever transpired with rounded corners and lined stamps has got to fall into this category. Be nice to have some definitive answers but the new generation believes 'if it ain't immediately 'touch of a key' available on Google search then it ain't happening' is going to make it increasingly difficult to get better or more accurate answers.
 
300Six said:
As with everything 'commonplace-taken for granted' 1/2 to one century+ ago no one at the time thought to keep minute and detailed records. Steve Tall (I think it was him) has featured 1970s transcripts of interviews with the by-then-aged former owner of Plumb and even that gentleman's memories cannot to be regarded as Gospel. Your 'baby' is very very likely from the late 40s-early 50s and whatever transpired with rounded corners and lined stamps has got to fall into this category. Be nice to have some definitive answers but the new generation believes 'if it ain't immediately 'touch of a key' available on Google search then it ain't happening' is going to make it increasingly difficult to get better or more accurate answers.
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I agree, can't get much closer on the date.
 
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