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Simmons axe head
- Thread starter Maine20
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- Aug 28, 2010
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It might be as "new" as 1939.
The 1939 catalog from Simmons (pages 825-848) shows the "Keen Kutter" axes as well as an assortment of the lower-priced "Simmons" brand of axes and hatchets.
The 1939 catalog from Simmons (pages 825-848) shows the "Keen Kutter" axes as well as an assortment of the lower-priced "Simmons" brand of axes and hatchets.
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2010
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Interesting that on page 825 (of the 1939 Simmons catalog), the Keen Kutter axe heads are said to be made of a mild steel body "electrically welded" to the "crucible steel" bit.
On page 830, the Simmons brand axes are said to have the same welded construction. However, the "Klicker" brand ("at a very economical price") is said to be made of one-piece steel, with hardened poll (page 831). (The mild steel polls of those Keen Kutter axes can't be hardened, without some extra tool steel welded to the poll, right?)
My bet is on Vaughan being the producer of those Keen Kutter and Simmons axes, considering Vaughan's patent for electrically welding the bit to the eye/poll section (discussed in a recent thread).
But what's this... the Kelly Perfect axes (on page 838) are also said to have electrically-welded heads. Is this a mistaken assumption on the part of whoever wrote up the catalog descriptions? Vaughan's 1940 catalog was bragging about it's "patented electric fusion process" -- did Kelly also electrically weld the bits to the eye/poll sections, with a somewhat different process? This doesn't seem likely, since True Temper's 1938 catalog describes how Kelly axes were drop forged (in one piece).
On page 830, the Simmons brand axes are said to have the same welded construction. However, the "Klicker" brand ("at a very economical price") is said to be made of one-piece steel, with hardened poll (page 831). (The mild steel polls of those Keen Kutter axes can't be hardened, without some extra tool steel welded to the poll, right?)
My bet is on Vaughan being the producer of those Keen Kutter and Simmons axes, considering Vaughan's patent for electrically welding the bit to the eye/poll section (discussed in a recent thread).
But what's this... the Kelly Perfect axes (on page 838) are also said to have electrically-welded heads. Is this a mistaken assumption on the part of whoever wrote up the catalog descriptions? Vaughan's 1940 catalog was bragging about it's "patented electric fusion process" -- did Kelly also electrically weld the bits to the eye/poll sections, with a somewhat different process? This doesn't seem likely, since True Temper's 1938 catalog describes how Kelly axes were drop forged (in one piece).
Hmmm. I read somewhere that the Simmons/Keen Kutters were thought to be made by kelly. What you brought up seams to make sense though. I guess either way it should be a quality head, from what I understand vaughan and kelly both made quality products. It looks like the Simmons line was the “Economy” line, think the quality is still reasonably good?
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Yes. In this catalog, they had lower quality axe brands, Klicker and Totem....It looks like the Simmons line was the “Economy” line, think the quality is still reasonably good?