I have recently found my grandfather's old double bit Michigan style(I believe?) Axe. I want to restore it but I'd love if I could get help identifying it. It only has one marking I can see so far. A stamped "S" at an angle off center on only one side of the head. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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Please Help me identify my Grandad's old axe!?
- Thread starter Idlehands
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We'll really need an image to have a half-decent chance of ID'ing it.
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Hmmm...based on those images I'm not sure it's possible to easily ID it. The condition is quite worn and the shape isn't distinct for a particular producer. It's very likely that this was a paper labeled axe, possibly made for a hardware store and bearing a label with their name. It was quite common for manufacturers to do this, and most axes that don't have manufacturer's stampings bore a paper label originally.
Thanks for the help. I am going to restore it and use it. I have a friend who's an archeologist for the state of MN who is going to do some digging and see what they find. My granddad would want it to be used and not a wall hanger. I redid the handle on his old Estwing leather washer hammer. So I'll do something similar here. I've hung axes before but never a double bit. Looking forward to making it useful again.
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The shape and bevels point to 1910-30ies axe(it should have overlaid bits). I usually associate those big single letter marks with Kelly or Warren. You can use brass wire wheel to clean it a bit and maybe there is some makers mark on the other side. Hard to say cause of the rust, but the shape of bevels makes me think METCo
Hickory n steel
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Just an FYI.
It is your axe to do with as you please, but the best way to " restore it " would be to just remove the rust with a wire wheel fix the bits and sharpen , of course replacing the handle as well.
You can put in a ton of effort to make it all shiny and " new " looking, but it would not have come that way originally.
I think this axe still has some real life left in the bits, it's definitely lost a good bit of steel over the years but it's not too far gone.
I have seen Sager's with S stamps.
A soft bristle brush like brass is best for those soft body axes like Sager Chemical if that is what it is.
Might be some stamps hiding under that rust.