The Iconic American Axe

M

Matthew R

Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Messages
5
Great to discover a community of like minded axe collectors and users. My love of axes started in Australia when my Dad restored a few Swedish made tools for me. I'm in the US far a year serving with the US Army, and I wanted to buy a few axes that best represent US axe making. I'm a little overwhelmed by the number of brands and models, and unsure how to sort the sheep from the goats, particularly for quality steel that will sharpen well.

I'd love to hear your suggestions, but basically I'm after a quality US made half/boy axe and full size axe that I'll be able to use. Happy to restore. Older the better. Interesting brand/model history would be good, as would nice lettering. A look on Ebay shows that anything with an embossed logo seems to get high prices, but I'd rather something that is well made.

cheers, Matt
 
Welcome Matt... A fella on here by the name of operator1975 would be the guy to contact... There are several genius axe gurus lurking around.
 
Matthew R said:
and unsure how to sort the sheep from the goats, particularly for quality steel that will sharpen well.

I'd love to hear your suggestions, but basically I'm after a quality US made half/boy axe and full size axe that I'll be able to use.
cheers, Matt
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I would start by finding a head pattern that you like from the many out there. For instance Jersey,Dayton,Connecticut,Michigan etc. Lots of others also.
Information about patterns and history here. Oh and single or double bit?

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/publications/fs_publications/99232823/toc.cfm
 
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Thanks Cattledog, the fhwa website was useful. Double bit axes appear to have been invented in the US, and would worry the neighbours, but I'd probably use a single bit axe more.

I like the look of a Jersey or Dayton axe for a full sized tool, the Kelly made Jersey style one here looks great
Rules Violation removed.

For a boys axe/hatchet something in this shape (Norlund?) looks good.
Rules Violation removed.

The Kelly brand seems to have been one of the largest and longest operated US companies, and not too expensive on ebay. I'll be looking around thrift/second hand shops to see what I can turn up there as well. From a quality perpective, is there any brands that I should avoid? I'll keep a good look out for damage or signs of abuse as noted in other posts.
Matt
 
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Welcome to BFC. I hope you end up enjoying this community at least as much as I do.

Please take some time to get familiar with our rules here.

Links to ebay are not allowed since that opens the door to abuse of this site and how we wish it to operate.
 
Broady said:
Welcome Matt... A fella on here by the name of operator1975 would be the guy to contact... There are several genius axe gurus lurking around.
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LOL. Welcome Matt. Another axe head. The more the merrier, though I guess that took me some time to get used to.

Your seeking of knowledge is awesome. Keep it up.

First of all, let me thank you for your military service. It is an honor to try and help you, with whatever we can.

So your question is a great one overall. A couple questions back for you that I would have, in order to try and help you out is :

Are you looking for a current american axe, or an older manufacturer? I would assume you are after older ones, seeing you site the overall number - there arent that many left today.

Then, what kind of axe, or is anything on the market? Say, boys axe, single bit felling, double bit, etc? This will enable us to help you out overall.

Third, we will need to talk about price for sure. This will depend on user vs keeper vs collector. The way that I look at this, and this is wide open for conversation is = user - said enough. Keeper - like it, but might use it. Collector - show piece only.

So as you can see, and as you stated, there are a lot of variables.

I will be on a break from the forum for awhile, but rest assured, there are some great axe heads here with great info. Great thing about this forum is that people will try and help you. Take advantage of them.

I wish you well, new guy.

Thanks.

Mike
 
Matthew R said:
Thanks Cattledog, the fhwa website was useful. Double bit axes appear to have been invented in the US, and would worry the neighbours, but I'd probably use a single bit axe more.

I like the look of a Jersey or Dayton axe for a full sized tool, the Kelly made Jersey style one here looks great
Rules Violation removed.

For a boys axe/hatchet something in this shape (Norlund?) looks good.
Rules Violation removed.

The Kelly brand seems to have been one of the largest and longest operated US companies, and not too expensive on ebay. I'll be looking around thrift/second hand shops to see what I can turn up there as well. From a quality perpective, is there any brands that I should avoid? I'll keep a good look out for damage or signs of abuse as noted in other posts.
Matt
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Matthew, welcome to the forum. Kelly was a fantastic manufacturer and many folks seem to really like them. Some other manufacturers from the 'old days' that are well regarded are Collins, Warren, and Mann. These were all American manufacturers that were eventually swallowed up by bigger hardware manufacturers in the 50s and 60s and their production moved out of the US. Collins is still available in hardware stores today, but they are a shadow of their former quality. (Although I've heard some decent things about the Mexico Collins as good users.)

If you're looking into a vintage axes there aren't too many brands to avoid. Even some of the axes sold back in the day at department stores (rather than hardware stores) were manufactured by quality makers but sold under different names, such as Eclipse, and Marshall Wells.

And if you're into history, this is a very, very deep website to draw from. Many of us on the forum consult it on a regular basis.
http://www.yesteryearstools.com/Yesteryears Tools/Home.html

Operator brings up some good points to think about. Another to consider is that Jerseys in particular can be a bear to hang and fit with new handles. The lugs often require that a lot of wood be removed from the handle. But that's no reason to avoid them!
 
Thanks operator and nickzdon. I'm after a single bit full sized axe, as well as a boys axe. Older the better, as long as I can use it. I'd say I was primary a (light) user, but I'd like to own some axes that look good as well - for example the raven embossed kelly axes look outstanding, but are well outside my price range (unless I found one at a garage sale!) Price wise, I'm after the budget end of the market.
I was interested in what forum members thought were the iconic, or classic axes of the last 100 years. It sounds like kelly was one of those widespread manufacturers that made good quality axes used by many Americans.
 
For me it doesn't get much more iconic than a jersey head with bevels, ala the Kelly Perfect, which you can probably get without breaking the bank. You'll find those in larger head sizes rather than a boys' axe.

The Legitimus line from Collins is also a favorite of mine, and also readily available online.
 
Matthew, I can't give you advice on full size axes, but I've been hitting the boys axe niche myself pretty hard. So long as you play nice on the 'bay, I'll share some advice. :) Budget, old, useable, and look good / high end as cash allows are the key points I saw in your post. The only thing I'd argue is look good / high end as cash allows, so long as the poll hasn't been hammered, a "lower end" axe like a Collins or a Plumb has way more class and soul, because they were the axes people actually used and hopefully loved. Can't be iconic if some rich snob used it once, hammered wedges, and threw it in a garage.

Anyways. What I can say from experience is...
If you can find a vintage Plumb boys axe, those tend to be darn good steel, well balanced, and in high demand for the price. Also convex cheeks, thats a biggy in my mind. I think these were the king of workman's axes in their day.
Another one is any Collins, these really differ with tons of different labels like "Homestead" over the years. I don't have much experience with these, except for one with the square Collins logo, but it holds an edge and has a nice profile and almost well balanced. Unfortunately flat cheeks. I see a ton of Collins here.
True Temper comes to mind, it mixes in with Kelly somewhere along the line. Find one stamped 2 1/4, I feel they're lighter and would wear away over ten years, but the profile is great for chopping, its convexed cheek, and it currently holds the best edge of all my axes. Don't ask me about retention yet.
Council Tool was another workman's axe, but I feel these are more limited in production. Either way, you can't go wrong with one, if you find one.
Norlund, they made a camp axe. If you want a fancy one, these are the way to go budget wise. Depending on the stamping, you may or may not pay a fortune. Mine cost the same as a new CT, but has a better profile, is a razor (though got two nicks in the first outing), and balances well. Outchops anything but is flat cheeked.
Kelly Axe and Tool, these have a few stampings I'm not familiar with. In my area there rare-ish, but I have no doubt the others are right saying they're as widespread as they can get. Only had one, it was convexed. Beyond that, I can't say much.

These pretty much cover the entry axe brands I'm familiar with, except for a few oddball manufactures. Hope it helps.
 
Thanks operator and nickzdon. I'm after a single bit full sized axe, as well as a boys axe. Older the better, as long as I can use it. I'd say I was primary a (light) user, but I'd like to own some axes that look good as well - for example the raven embossed kelly axes look outstanding, but are well outside my price range (unless I found one at a garage sale!) Price wise, I'm after the budget end of the market.
I was interested in what forum members thought were the iconic, or classic axes of the last 100 years. It sounds like kelly was one of those widespread manufacturers that made good quality axes used by many Americans.
 
Mathew, You have been given some good advise. I've been collecting vintage axes for awhile now. I must have around 50+ of them. My preferred axe brand is Kelly and have 12+ of them, including 7 Kelly Prefects, my favorite! I also like Plumbs axes and the older Collins. The Collins I treasure the most are the Legitimus brand of Collins, I think I have 5 of them. I have a hard time identifying the older Collins and the new ones are now made in Mexico, since 2000. I will not own one of those. The Legitimus brand are truly an old Collins. The Mann Edge Tool Co. also made a great line of vintage steel axes. I'm not up to speed on them, maybe someone else can jump in here.

As far as vintage steel is concerned, I think most would agree that Kelly Perfect & Flint Edge are among the best. My pets or "The Iconic American axe" is the Kelly Perfect Jersey 3.5 pound head, I have two of them...one looker and one user.

Don't be afraid to pick up an axe that is rusted and lightly pitted...they will clean up nicely and be very serviceable. One will often find an axe with a mushroomed poll from abuse. They look like hell, but... The mushroom can be easily ground or filed off without affecting the temper of the edge, if you are careful. Speaking of grinding, stay away from anything that has had the edge ground with a power grinder. A power grinder can be identified by the uneven grind marks on the edge. A novice, as most axe owners are, can easily over heat the thin edge of an axe by grinding it, thus destroying the edge temper.

Just a few of my thoughts,
My regards, Double Ott aka Tom
 
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Hi Matt...Don't forget mate there are plenty of good axes in Aussie. I am a real fan Of the Aussie Hytest. But Kelly and Plumb were, and still are popular too.

Like you though mate...I think I would go crazy in the States with all that choice. I picked up a Collins last week. Looking fwd to it arriving.

regards...Frank
 
C'mon guys...no love for Council??:) Hey Matt, welcome to BF. I don't personally own one but I think a good small axe/hatchet that would symbolize the USA would be an original Plumb Boy Scouts of America axe. They are pretty available via ebay but I'm not sure what the variation of pricing will be. I too am developing a strong love for axes and am having a very hard time deciding what's best, and in my budget. I'm very interested in both Dayton and Michigan styles but Hudson Bays are really nice too. Well now I'm gonna hang back and follow this thread in order to learn more myself. Good luck in your search. You definitely came to a great place for info and assistance.
 
Hey thanks to all the good advice. I'll enjoy putting it into practice and will let you know what I ended up with. Lots to look at online. Cheers Matt
 
The double bit axe is pretty distinctly "North American" and in many parts of the world you will scarcely find them. You might consider a double.
 
M3mphis said:
The double bit axe is pretty distinctly "North American" and in many parts of the world you will scarcely find them. You might consider a double.
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Agreed. :thumbup: :cool: :thumbup:


Plus their balance make them a pleasure to use.


They are really no more dangerous in use, the danger is when your not using them,

...not the kind of thing you want sticking out of a stump in camp. :eek:







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Big Mike
 
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All good advice on here. If using the 'bay, i suggest making a price limit for yourself (including shipping). Once you know the brands and/or patterns you are looking for, you can shop for a good one and not break the bank. Bought the pair of these (True Temper Flint Edge & Early Collins R.King Tool Steel) for $20. You can still find good deals. Kelly Works Flint Edge or Perfect, Collins (Legitimus), Mann Edge Co., Plumb all good brands.





My favorite axe as well (least favorite to hang). True Temper Kelly Perfect.

 
cooperhill said:
My favorite axe as well (least favorite to hang). True Temper Kelly Perfect.

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Least favorite to hang why? Because of the depth and shape of the eye? That's a bugger but in return the deep eye will keep an axe hung for a good long time. Worth the trade-off, IMO.
 
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