Red Becon Axes?? Anyone have Info on them?

[DeadFall27]

Hey all,

I was browsing the web and stumbled upon a beautiful axe, and was wondering if anyone had information on the manufacturer.
It is stamped "Red Becon 461 Germany".

I have spent the past half hour searching through google to find pretty much nothing. I'm not sure if there is just not much information out there, or I am an idiot for not being able to find anything...








Have a good day fellas, take care. Thank you for looking.

-Jim

 

[Square_peg]

Never heard of them. Probably good. Looks like a Connie.

 

[Steve Tall]

BECON was the trademark of the Australian company Beck & Coram Pty Ltd. (trademark registered in 1941) for the product category "Axes, hatchets, drills, punches, hedge and garden shears..."

http://www.wipo.int/branddb/en/showData.jsp?ID=AUTM.77745

The Hand Tool Preservation Association of Australia lists Beck & Coram as being 'merchants' (not necessarily manufacturers). There are online mentions of them being agents for a German company.
http://www.htpaa.org.au/hand-tools/australian-tools-makers/australian-makers/directory-of-australian-makers

 

[300Six]

Good sleuthing Steve. This would help explain the Connie profile (for the Aussie market) but why the stamp says Germany and not W. Germany is a puzzle. The head doesn't look to be newer than 1991 and by then there was fierce competition from everywhere but Europe.

 

[DeadFall27]

BECON was the trademark of the Australian company Beck & Coram Pty Ltd. (trademark registered in 1941) for the product category "Axes, hatchets, drills, punches, hedge and garden shears..."

http://www.wipo.int/branddb/en/showData.jsp?ID=AUTM.77745

The Hand Tool Preservation Association of Australia lists Beck & Coram as being 'merchants' (not necessarily manufacturers). There are online mentions of them being agents for a German company.
http://www.htpaa.org.au/hand-tools/australian-tools-makers/australian-makers/directory-of-australian-makers

Thank you so much, I duly appreciate it!

 

[DeadFall27]

Good sleuthing Steve. This would help explain the Connie profile (for the Aussie market) but why the stamp says Germany and not W. Germany is a puzzle. The head doesn't look to be newer than 1991 and by then there was fierce competition from everywhere but Europe.

I'd love to dig up some more info on these axes and try and find out their age. I have a good start now that Steve has done the heavy lifting. And per my original post, I guess i am an idiot!

 

[300Six]

I'd love to dig up some more info on these axes and try and find out their age. I have a good start now that Steve has done the heavy lifting. And per my original post, I guess i am an idiot!

Not at all! Steve routinely 'pulls rabbits out of a hat' with claims it was something that anyone could have done. I beg to differ.

 

[DeadFall27]

Not at all! Steve routinely 'pulls rabbits out of a hat' with claims it was something that anyone could have done. I beg to differ.

I appreciate the kind words, and I've taken note now that Steve is the reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes

I ended up getting the axe, and it's getting sent home in a couple days. I'll post up pictures before and after I put a handle on it when I return home early February. I got it as an EAS present for myself. This is gonna be a good year!

 

[300Six]

There should be considerable 'heft' to a Connecticut pattern head and the generous eye will give ample purchase to whatever piece of wood you adapt to it. These wide heads lend themselves to straight handles (if you so desire) even though the poll on your's isn't hardened.
Have fun with it.

 

[300Six]

Hytest axes were painted red, green or black along with a print designation according to the grade of the tool. There's a possibility that this applies to your head too.

 

[DeadFall27]

Hytest axes were painted red, green or black along with a print designation according to the grade of the tool. There's a possibility that this applies to your head too.

After a quick search I've found an old advertisement from Hytest. I hope that this axe is the same color code as them!
I also have a new brand to hunt for, those 5Lb heads look great.

 

[300Six]

After a quick search I've found an old advertisement from Hytest. I hope that this axe is the same color code as them!
I also have a new brand to hunt for, those 5Lb heads look great.

Back in the early 70s Molson Breweries of Quebec introduced a bottled beer called Brador (bra d'or: arm of gold). Initially the stuff featured 10%+ alcohol which floored us college kids, American tourists and anyone that was used to standard suds. Other brewers followed suit and very quickly any beer with high alcohol content came to be known as Hi-test. Probably derived from the slang for Esso's high octane gasoline. Anyway Hytest axes pre-date this but it'd be interesting to hear their take on it.

There's a lad on this forum that has an entire thread devoted to Hytest axes. If you use the search feature you should be able to find it.

 

[rjdankert]

. . . was wondering if anyone had information on the manufacturer.
. . .

Well, I think it was manufactured in Germany with the trademark "RED BECON".

BECON was the trademark of the Australian company Beck & Coram Pty Ltd. (trademark registered in 1941) for the product category "Axes, hatchets, drills, punches, hedge and garden shears..."

http://www.wipo.int/branddb/en/showData.jsp?ID=AUTM.77745. . .

. . .
The Hand Tool Preservation Association of Australia lists Beck & Coram as being 'merchants' (not necessarily manufacturers). There are online mentions of them being agents for a German company.
http://www.htpaa.org.au/hand-tools/australian-tools-makers/australian-makers/directory-of-australian-makers

The above shows a trademark of "MATADOR" for Beck & Coram Pty Ltd. It is not known what trade mark(s) were associated with their axes - at least I could not find it.

Here are a couple of items with the "BECON" mark:

Bob

 

[300Six]

Far out! Someone following in the footsteps of the Master, and graciously posting the steps. That Imperial tape also says 'Germany' and not W. Germany which I find puzzling since BECON supposedly didn't get underway until 1941. I don't imagine any Jerry-Aussie orders were filled until the late 40s and most businesses discerned whether it was E or W they were dealing with.

 

[Steve Tall]

...That Imperial tape also says 'Germany' and not W. Germany which I find puzzling since BECON supposedly didn't get underway until 1941. I don't imagine any Jerry-Aussie orders were filled until the late 40s and most businesses discerned whether it was E or W they were dealing with.

I was wondering about that, too. By 1941, when BECON was registered in Australia as a trademark for axes, hatchets, etc., Australia was already at war with Germany; so perhaps Beck & Coram at that time had a lot of warehoused stock made in pre-war Germany with the BECON label???

 

[300Six]

I was wondering about that, too. By 1941, when BECON was registered in Australia as a trademark for axes, hatchets, etc., Australia was already at war with Germany; so perhaps Beck & Coram at that time had a lot of warehoused stock made in pre-war Germany with the BECON label???

Unlikely, but that can't be ruled out. Post 1918 Germany was an economic shambles with wartime reparations internationally owed and rampant inflation until uncle Adolf took the reins in 33 and Aus was a Commonwealth member that had a direct stake in the war starting in 39. I don't know what to make of this. Perhaps not all manufacturers were required to adhere to specifying E or W when they were making post war externally-commissioned goods. There was a considerable rise in global manufacturing activity during the 50s and 60s and that's what I'm betting on with regard to this BECON axe.

PS With tongue in cheek I'm wondering if 'RED' RECON has something to do with which side of the border it was made on. 'DEMO' might have been the West side, and COMMIE would have been too obvious.

 

[Steve Tall]

...I don't know what to make of this. Perhaps not all manufacturers were required to adhere to specifying E or W when they were making post war externally-commissioned goods. There was a considerable rise in global manufacturing activity during the 50s and 60s and that's what I'm betting on with regard to this BECON axe...

On the topic of marking W. Germany or plain Germany, here's a BECON tool set that specifies W. Germany on the case, but has plain Germany marked on some of the tools. Interesting that it also specifies "Designed by Australian Experts":

The only BECON axes I've found pictured online are a couple that were listed for sale in Australia, including this one:

 

[300Six]

Plastic handled screwdrivers didn't come on the scene until the 1950s and brace and bit accessories didn't really sell very well once electric drills started to become commonplace in the 1960s. As your say these tools all spell Germany on them except the accompanying pouch which says W Germany. Post WWII it is. Well done Steve.

 

[Axeddict]

so i found this... would mean that they are definitely no older than 1973. apparently they didn't really have to specify which side of Germany it came from until then.

"Made in Germany" is not controlled by a central regulatory body. However, its status has been defined by several court rulings in Germany.[citation needed] In 1973, the Bundesgerichtshof made a ruling that the label Made in Germany cannot be restricted to west German companies only. After this ruling in Western Germany often Made in West Germany was used and in eastern Germany Made in GDR. In 1995, the Oberlandesgericht Stuttgart ruled that the term Made in Germany is misleading according to Germany's Fair Trades Act when the largest part is not German raw materials or German craftsmanship.