The Mini Hatchet

[Hickory n steel]

I'm assuming you mean the Craftsman that looks very much like the Vaughan. (Click Me) There is also a different Craftsman that both me and Rockman0 have examples of with a square pole.

You did know that Vaughn produced them for craftsman right ? All of the little craftsman hatchets are actually Vaughan hatchets. Any craftsman tool marked with an m is made by Vaughan. ( all hammers and swinging tools since the 50's or earlier have been made by Vaughan & Bushnell mfg )

 

[Hickory n steel]

It depends but really it does depend on the axe profile, how much wear the bit has seen and so on. Let me just say I'm no axpert. I just do what works for me and I get there by trying different things. For my current production Vaughan I would say the bit is probably at .5 - 5/8 inchs at the center currently. It is what is refered to as a banana grind so that tappers down towards both the heal and toe. I simply thinned, sharpened, tested and repeated until I was happy. That was until I did the GB comparison and I realized that the bit thickness at the centerline on my Vaughan was about the same as the GB. That just wouldn't do so I decided to thin it a bit more since then. As part of that process I did actually lay the entire head on rag (in place of a mouse pad) backed sandpaper. This contacted the back of the bit and very top of the ramp at the same time. I figured this couldn't hurt at this point. I'm honestly not sure what the actual angle is because I've never measured it but I can try to get you some sort of idea if your interested. Once I get it back on a handle I'll see if my efforts made a noticeable difference. In the past I will say the work definitely paid off.

If you measured the GB mini at 3/4 back from the edge ( so I know if mine is thinner than it, or if it needs more work, 'cause as long as mine is thinner then I'll be happy ) if you wanted that'd be nice :thumbup:

 

[Hacked]

If you measured the GB mini at 3/4 back from the edge ( so I know if mine is thinner than it, or if it needs more work, 'cause as long as mine is thinner then I'll be happy ) if you wanted that'd be nice :thumbup:

Nah I'm not that fancy. I don't use guided sharpening systems, nor do I have a bit gauge with marked angles. All I did was take a bit of cardboard and cut V shapes until I got a match to the angle on my Vaughan. I then put that on the bit of the GB and realized that the bit angle matched. If I have time in the future my plan is to make a bit gauge using cardboard and a protector so I can measure the angles of my best performing axes. With statements of axes all having 40° bevels being thrown around I'm curious as that just seems completely bogus in my mind. That said I've never actually bothered to measure the angle on any edge tool I've owned or used. All that said I don't have the GB in my possession any longer but I can tell you that my Vaughan now has a thinner bit profile than it does ;-)

Hope that all makes sense, work has been hell today and I've still got a little while to go before I get to head home.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Nah I'm not that fancy. I don't use guided sharpening systems, nor do I have a bit gauge with marked angles. All I did was take a bit of cardboard and cut V shapes until I got a match to the angle on my Vaughan. I then put that on the bit of the GB and realized that the bit angle matched. If I have time in the future my plan is to make a bit gauge using cardboard and a protector so I can measure the angles of my best performing axes. With statements of axes all having 40° bevels being thrown around I'm curious as that just seems completely bogus in my mind. That said I've never actually bothered to measure the angle on any edge tool I've owned or used. All that said I don't have the GB in my possession any longer but I can tell you that my Vaughan now has a thinner bit profile than it does ;-)

Hope that all makes sense, work has been hell today and I've still got a little while to go before I get to head home.

To measure my Vaughan I cut 3/4 (3/4 is as far back as the file has sharpened it, so I guess I'd consider that the bit ) into cardboard and measured the width of the cut and came up with 5/32 thick.

 

[LG&M]

Thanks for the info. Cool little tools.

 

[pommie]

some small doubles as a belt axe. 2 old Collins 6 inch double bit that are few and far between now days.

 

[Hacked]

To measure my Vaughan I cut 3/4 (3/4 is as far back as the file has sharpened it, so I guess I'd consider that the bit ) into cardboard and measured the width of the cut and came up with 5/32 thick.

So I measured as best as I could at .75" back from the edge at the center of the bit or the thickest part mine is right around 3/16th so just a bit thicker than yours. I'd say you should be happy with it.

Just did the math and came up with an overall angle of 14.362° so a little over 7° per side or whatever, that's a far cry from 40° ;-)

 

[Hacked]

some small doubles as a belt axe. 2 old Collins 6 inch double bit that are few and far between now days.

That is an awesome little hatchet, you certainly don't see very many of those floating around!

 

[pommie]

That is an awesome little hatchet, you certainly don't see very many of those floating around!

I got lucky over the last coupe of years and acquired 6 in total and have 2 hafted already but to get a handle means that you are willing to make it as i looked and seems a though no one make a handle in the 14 to 15 inch range.

 

[Hickory n steel]

So I measured as best as I could at .75" back from the edge at the center of the bit or the thickest part mine is right around 3/16th so just a bit thicker than yours. I'd say you should be happy with it.

Just did the math and came up with an overall angle of 14.362° so a little over 7° per side or whatever, that's a far cry from 40° ;-)

Thanks! That's good to know.:thumbup:

 

[Hacked]

Well this handle was originally going to be for my Vaughan, but it ended up being used for my Craftsman instead. Happy with how it came out.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Well this handle was originally going to be for my Vaughan, but it ended up being used for my Craftsman instead. Happy with how it came out.

I've never seen such an even mix of Hart and sap wood before I like how that looks:thumbup: and while the handle is fairly straight ( at least looks that way in the picture ) it looks pretty good on that "Vaughan" hatchet , what's the length ?

 

[Hacked]

The length overall is a little over 13" but the usable length is a little over 12" with the way I did the fawn's foot. This has become my favorite style swell for a hatchet as it provides comfortable support to the palm of you had in use, and excellent grip. It's a bit curvier than the picture let's on. Also not convinced this particular Craftsman is a Vaughan. I own two Vaughans and there are a number of distinctions between them, mainly the squared pole, still always possible of course.

 

[Hickory n steel]

What's the stamp on the head ? I know that the full sized axes were made by axe focused manufacturers, but since some of the little craftsman hatchets were Vaughn sub zero's ( also Vaughn being one of the most prominent hammer manufacturers made most of craftsmans hammers ) and almost some of Vaughan's other mini hatchet patterns, it would stand to reason that they would've just kept to vaughan. ( something they have continually done to this day ) I could be wrong about it being made by Vaughan, but if it has an M on it anywhere it was absolutely made by Vaughan

( I believe the reg us trademark M stamp started in the 50's )

 

[Hacked]

So I wouldn't say it has an M exactly. The stamp reads as below.
CRAFTSMAN
REG U.S. PAT OFF - M

There is a picture of it back on page two I believe. Rockman0 also has the same one. In this case I believe the M stands for Mark and precedes the Patent Office TM or Trade Mark. Which leads me to believe that it is in reference to the Craftsman branding and not the tool itself.

I have heard from different sources that an M on an axe stands for Mann Edge Tool Co or Mexico, and now Vaughan. I honestly don't know who made axes for Craftsman. I have heard that their current camp hatchet is made by Vaughan. Anyway I would appreciate info on where the M would be located, and why it would be associated with Vaughan. Only because I enjoy learning that kind of stuff, and this is the first I've heard of this.

 

[the possum]

Thanks for keeping this thread alive, fellas. My daughter has pretty much claimed that little Craftsman hatchet I posted, so it's a keeper. I'm thinking about picking up another one just for grins. In fact, I had a scrap of black locust just the right size, and already started shaping a new handle in case I find another head. If not, I may just buy a new one & scrap the factory handle right off the bat.

 

[Hickory n steel]

So I wouldn't say it has an M exactly. The stamp reads as below.
CRAFTSMAN
REG U.S. PAT OFF - M

There is a picture of it back on page two I believe. Rockman0 also has the same one. In this case I believe the M stands for Mark and precedes the Patent Office TM or Trade Mark. Which leads me to believe that it is in reference to the Craftsman branding and not the tool itself.

I have heard from different sources that an M on an axe stands for Mann Edge Tool Co or Mexico, and now Vaughan. I honestly don't know who made axes for Craftsman. I have heard that their current camp hatchet is made by Vaughan. Anyway I would appreciate info on where the M would be located, and why it would be associated with Vaughan. Only because I enjoy learning that kind of stuff, and this is the first I've heard of this.

OK that hatchet was made by Vaughan, that M (only the plain M, there was also an m in a square used for wrenches...ect that designated another company )is the manufacturers code that craftsman had for Vaughan & Bushnell . On other brands like Collins an m can mean Mann edge or Mexico. And yes craftsmans current hatchet is made by Vaughan, as well as all of their American made hammers ( I don't know about mallets though )

 

[Hickory n steel]

I forgot to say that the M would be located exactly where it is on your hatchet, and that sometimes craftsman just has existing tools produced with their brand , and other times they have their own design of tool produced. so it doesn't necessarily have to look just like Vaughan's own hatchets. If you google craftsman mfg codes you'll find a thread from the garage journal on the subject ( you'll also find the alloy artifacts site, but they mostly focus on wrenches,ratchets...ect )

 

[Hacked]

I forgot to say that the M would be located exactly where it is on your hatchet, and that sometimes craftsman just has existing tools produced with their brand , and other times they have their own design of tool produced. so it doesn't necessarily have to look just like Vaughan's own hatchets. If you google craftsman mfg codes you'll find a thread from the garage journal on the subject ( you'll also find the alloy artifacts site, but they mostly focus on wrenches,ratchets...ect )

I did just that, another good resource for information on these tools. I have no problem with it being another Vaughan, they make fine tools.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I did just that, another good resource for information on these tools. I have no problem with it being another Vaughan, they make fine tools.

They certainly do, especially framing hammers and handles. The balance of their 21oz #999 on the 16"handle is perfect.