Plumb Boys Axe - What's the relative Age/Quality?

B

Barrnone

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Jan 18, 2015
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Just Picked up this Plumb Boys Axe at a Garage Sale... person selling didn't know the history. Haft is 28", head feels about 2-2.5 lbs.

Does anybody know how to tell how old this is? Want to make sure it's quality steel before I invest time into restoring. I understand that there are some contemporary tools that have used the Plumb name (origin China?) that are of lesser quality cast steel. Anyone know how to tell the difference?

Thanks
~Barrnone



 
Barrnone said:
Just Picked up this Plumb Boys Axe at a Garage Sale... person selling didn't know the history. Haft is 28", head feels about 2-2.5 lbs.

Does anybody know how to tell how old this is? Want to make sure it's quality steel before I invest time into restoring. I understand that there are some contemporary tools that have used the Plumb name (origin China?) that are of lesser quality cast steel. Anyone know how to tell the difference?

Thanks
~Barrnone



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Does it have epoxy in the eye? If not its older, if it does it can still have some age on it and be a very good tool.
 
I like Plumbs, they are very good axes. That looks like a newer one with an original red finished handle. Should make a very nice user.
 
I couldn't tell ya either but I can tell you I wouldn't even hesitate to take that. Hard to tell from the pics (masking tape isn't usually encouraging) but I'm guessing the handle could be saved too.
 
cityofthesouth said:
I couldn't tell ya either but I can tell you I wouldn't even hesitate to take that. Hard to tell from the pics (masking tape isn't usually encouraging) but I'm guessing the handle could be saved too.
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The loose head kind of makes me think its an older one with out the epoxy in the eye. Maybe its just been my luck but I have never seen a poor quality Plumb. If I have owned a made in china one they did a god job on it.
 
The haft is 'unclipped'. In 50 years of rubber-necking axes on the shelves at hardware stores I don't recall seeing that feature on 'new' goods. I have 3-4 similar-looking un-clipped hafts with Walters Quebec stamps on them and I have good reason to believe these are from the late 1940s and 1950s. Painting the butts yellow or red (to make them visible in the snow or bush) seems to have been a post-WWII factory phenomenon and only the Premium line of axes got that despite all the hafts of the time being identical.
 
Great input everyone thanks! I also am unfamiliar with the term "unclipped" though.

Here's a pictrure of the eye, no epoxy.

I started the restoration today, no real damage under the masking tape, but there was a brand mark which i can't quite make out (pic included). I plan on keeping the handle.

~Barrnone



 
Jay Mulcahy said:
Could you please explain what an "unclipped" haft is? Never heard the term before. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Could he mean that there isn't a flat cut into the fawn's foot? Something more common on "later models".


Barrnone said:
Great input everyone thanks! I also am unfamiliar with the term "unclipped" though.

Here's a pictrure of the eye, no epoxy.

I started the restoration today, no real damage under the masking tape, but there was a brand mark which i can't quite make out (pic included). I plan on keeping the handle.

~Barrnone
Click to expand...

Looks to be a great find and ready for restoration.
 
Restore the heck out of this one, it deserves it just because it was never abused before!
 
Looks pretty original to me and should make a great project. If you can save the handle, it would benefit from being set about another half inch onto the shoulder, that way when you put the new wedge in you will have a bit sticking proud of the eye and it won't budge.
 
Looking at the eye and the wedge, I would guess its newer than older, but I am no expert. I have restored a few Plumb's now, and have one 3.5 pounder in line. I think the quality is excellent. That is an excellent find. You won't go wrong putting the time into it.
 
No stinking metal cross wedge to crack the handle and make re-hanging a hassle either. It should turn into an extremely nice user.
 
Barrnone said:
Great input everyone thanks! I also am unfamiliar with the term "unclipped" though.

Here's a pictrure of the eye, no epoxy.

I started the restoration today, no real damage under the masking tape, but there was a brand mark which i can't quite make out (pic included). I plan on keeping the handle.

~Barrnone



Click to expand...

Could that by chance be the circle Plumb Anchor Brand logo branded on that haft?

I am going to rummage through all my old Plumbs now looking for branded hafts.:)
 
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