Photos Rixford Catalog ca. 1947

[FortyTwoBlades]

Also viewable in PDF format here.

Some real interesting info in this baby.

 

[Steve Tall]

Thanks for sharing this 1947 catalog. Made me wonder when Rixford finally closed, and YesteryearsTools says it was 1956.

"The Rixford Company of East Highgate, Vermont continued until 1956 when they closed their doors, not because of an acquisition but because of a significant decline in the demand for axes and an almost complete cessation of the demand for scythes."
from YesteryearsTools

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Interestingly, the price list shows that Derby & Ball was making cherry snaths as late as 1947, which is much later than I would have expected. Also, this is the only time I've seen mention of special competitive scythe blades from an American company.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

A Facebook friend just posted these pictures of a Rixford maul-head axe he has.

 

[Lieblad]

Nice bit of tool history.
Thanks for sharing !

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

For fun, I decided to do a vector tracing the "G" pattern "Fine India Steel--Plain--New England" model on page 10, as it greatly resembled a bead-less version of my current favorite grass blade. When scaled up, using the tang as the basis (3" interior edge before the bend, standard) the catalog image revealed itself to be showing a whopping 40" blade, which happens to be the maximum length they offered their grass blades in. Overlaying that favorite ~30.5" blade of mine with it, the curves matched almost perfectly, and if the blade extended further along the same trajectory it would have virtually been the catalog blade's twin.

The blade on the bottom is the tracing direct from the catalog image, the one above it is the same blade truncated to 30", the one above that is my current favorite grass blade (which actually has a double bead--not a fan of that feature) and above that is the truncated catalog tracing only with the foible narrowed a little, but the heel left broad.

 

[Dusty One]

Great info....Thanks for Posting