The Vintage handle information thread

[gben]

Not much to say, found these today in an old warehouse, anyone ever use this brand? Too bad they are not full-size. Anyone here have any boy axe heads? I have never come across one.

 

[Axe Master '94]

I'd say '40s to '60s
I'm definitely interested if you'd want to part with them.

 

[grafton]

Me too, I can always use old handles like these. Please let us know if you are selling.

 

[gben]

Another good old brand of tool handle, O.P. Link. I have found a lot of "Perfect" branded O.P. Link handles over the years.

This box has a date on it that says it was shipped in 1967. Label on these riveting hammer handles matches that on the old SB axe handle I have. The hammer handles were stored in a dry warehouse, the axe handle was stored in the corner of somebody's single-car garage. Of course O.P. Link could have used this label for many years, so who knows how close in age the handles are anyway.

 

[Steve Tall]

I don't know the age of those handles, but I found some interesting history about the Turner, Day & Woolworth Handle Co., which dates back to 1855 (Turner & Day) and 1884 (as Turner, Day & Woolworth).

Oliver Perry (O.P.) Link had worked for Turner Day & Woolworth before starting his own handle company which eventually acquired Turner Day & Woolworth (in 1948). (Turner Day & Woolworth's assets had previously been sold to American Fork & Hoe Co. in 1947.) O.P. Link Corp. (including Turner-Day) was acquired by Seymour in 2004.

"In 2004, Seymour acquired the O.P. Link Corporation, which included the O.P. Link Company of Salem, Indiana, the Sequatchie Handle Works of Sequatchie, Tennessee, the Bruner-Ivory Company of Hope, Arkansas, and the Turner-Day Handle Company of Crossville, Tennessee."
http://www.seymourmfg.com/en/history

 

[Steve Tall]

My guess is that the top one is the oldest because it looks like the slimmest, with maybe a more refined knob.

I would suggest saving it and finding a suitable head for it.

 

[gben]

Another brand of handle I have run across a few times, marked "Gold Boy". Here are two examples:

I know nothing about their history, but they are both marked with prices of about 99 cents each on the bottoms, so they are not too new....

 

[Square_peg]

My guess is that the top one is the oldest because it looks like the slimmest, with maybe a more refined knob.

I would suggest saving it and finding a suitable head for it.

Just what I saw. That's a good looking haft. They all look to be pre-UPC symbols which come out in the early 1970's.

 

[BG_Farmer]

They were still making handles in crossville in the late 80s and may still. My granddaddy and/ or later a friend and i would take a truck over there and park under the scrap chute, catching a load of hickory mostly sized right for a wood stove. They were great. I don't think they even charged for the scraps. The other handle company in Loudoun charged 5$ a load but it was about a wash in gas and labor. I think the one in crossville had more usable handles come out the chute, so we had spares for mattocks, poleaxes, night sticks, etc. My grandfather sold the TD handles (not the seconds) in his old general store as well if I remember correctly. I would guess the stickered one is possibly 70s or eighties as it looks familiar.

 

[Square_peg]

I got another old handle with these that I thought might be a Plumb because it had a hole in the top that looked like a screw-wedge would fit in, but unfortunately it is badly warped so probably good only for kindling.

Probably a lathe mark.

If it's unfinished keep in mind that hickory does pretty well in the smoker.

 

[markv]

gben,
you don't have any contact info?
send me a message about the handles.

thanks for your reply
buzz

 

[gben]

Plumb handles. A hatchet with a "screw wedge" handle probably from around WWII or earlier, and a Plumb Victory DB axe from the late 40s or early 50s with it's original handle.

 

[gben]

I called up "Turner Day and Woolworth" today, which is of course a name that was bought up by Seymour and they directed me to this website page that has the boy's axe handles still for sale. They said they could be ordered through any Ace or TrueValue hardware store for probably a cheaper price than is on their website. They were very helpful. It would be interesting to compare one of their new axe handles with one of the old ones I have...

http://www.seymourmidwest.com/en/boys-single-bit-curved-grip-axe


Also here is an old Belknap Blue-Grass axe that looks to have had a very easy life which has it's original handle:

 

[300Six]

I do not even see how to work the PM system here, I apologize to those who I asked to use it. My email is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com. I do not have a cell phone so the only time I check this stuff is when I can sit down at a desk computer.

I too have the same problem. However, once you are contacted by those interested go right back to this thread and delete your address. Something to do with attracting unwanted spammers etc.

 

[gben]

Went through my handle drawer and found these today:

Notice how the hatchet handle has some "tiger" in it....The sort of handle that might go well on a half or lath hatchet maybe.

 

[gben]

I noticed one of the NOS boy-axe handles I had seemed larger than the others and when I put it up to my Kelly Jersey head it was even a bit too large to fit into it! So I worked it with a small rasp, plane and chisel a bit and put that head on. It fit very tightly, what do you think about putting a full-size Jersey head on a 28" handle?

Also here is an old SB True Temper Flint-Edge which I think may have it's original old handle, I found it along with the Plumb Victory DB axe shown earlier in the thread:

 

[cityofthesouth]

I don't see any trouble with it at all. Interesting find with the Seymour Midwest site. As much digging as I've done for every and any handle turning outfit I have never come across that site. Looks like they have 32" handles too. What I don't quite understand is that they list two or three "waxed" finish handles for each size at different prices - home owner use, industrial/commercial use, and contractor use.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

It has to do with the grade of the hickory in the handle.

Seymour Midwest owns O.P. Link, and still sells their handles under that branding.

 

[cityofthesouth]

It has to do with the grade of the hickory in the handle.

Seymour Midwest owns O.P. Link, and still sells their handles under that branding.

But is contractor somehow better or worse than industrial? Doesn't a contractor do industrial work? I didn't have any luck with Ace or True Value websites, but it would be nice to be able to order an actual X grade handle and know that's what you were going to get vs the generic "Link" handle listed on various websites.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

"Contractor grade" is their highest because the tool is considered as being in continuous use on the job. Industrial applications tend to have slightly lower (though still high) frequency of use and lower intensity of application.