True Temper Flint Edge Cruiser

Agent_H · Apr 1, 2015

I picked this TT cruiser head a while ago but have been working on the handle off and on.

Used a rasp to fit the head snug then ran a spokeshave over it for the flats. After that pretty much evened up and thinned with the back of an old hacksaw blade. Drawing the blade takes off a very very small amount of wood each time. Time consuming but fun. Lots of other, more efficient ways to remove wood for sure. Messed around with it for about 3 weeks: coming out, going over each flat, leaving it alone for a while, do it again. I put a bevel edge on the saw blade with a Worksharp electric deal. Only have to sharpen it after two runs of the entire length on each flat. There is a lot of blade surface to use before getting dull I guess. I recommend this as a finishing tool or it's great at removing laquer without too much effort.

The swell isn't as pronounced as I wanted as the first night I was fitting the head, I didn't take the large staple out of it first, flipped it upside-down, and smacked the swell with a rubber mallet to seat the head. The prong on the staple split the edge of the swell off. I blame the Knob Creek (myself, in other words). Had to take off material to make it more even all the way around.

I really like octagonalized handles but am more partial to the shape more than edges. Smoothed those out during shaping while maintaining the flats.

Either the dwindling light or my photography skills, I had some trouble getting the octagonalized shape to show up.

Anyway, I'm really pleased with what I ended up with. I have a sheath for a cruiser- this one will probably go behind the back seat in the truck.

This one was done concurrent with a 3.5lb Lakeside double bit that was shaped only with the hacksaw blade. Swell and shoulders included.

Head/stamp

Wedge

2.2#

Shoulder

Shoulder 2

Octagon

Full shot

DarthTaco123 · Apr 1, 2015

Sweet axe Agent!

Agent_H · Apr 1, 2015

Thanks Darth. It was rewarding to put together and it will get used if it's with me when I'm out. I have an old Wood Slasher (once painted red, ridge eye) beater cruiser that I carry but the handle is missing a chunk. It's sharp and been handy after storms to clear the road off the butte but this one will be a step up - if there is such a thing from a tool that works. This one will just be prettier, which is irrelevant when you need it.

garry3 · Apr 1, 2015

A beauty for sure Agent H, I would let her ride in the front seat of my truck.

What did you put on the handle?

I had to chuckle a little about your miss fortune with those dang staples. They get me from time to time also. I have a habit of just pounding the axe handle on the floor(rubber mats) to seat the heads and at times never notice the staples. If I am lucky it will just be bent over and counter sunk into the bottom of the haft.

Square_peg · Apr 2, 2015

Looks perfect. Great axe. Great hang.

Agent_H · Apr 2, 2015

Thank you for the kind comments.

Garry3- the handle on the cruiser, I applied 4 coats of BLO, light sanding, then a mix of 1/3 Watco Danish Oil, 1/3 BLO, 1/3 mineral spirits - need an acronym for that. After that several applications of BLO only on the wedge end. It came out smooth.

Here is the other I was working on along with it. It's a Lakeside. Used a rasp for head fitting and to put the edge on the swell, other than than that was only worked with the hacksaw thing I was talking about.

It seems decent quality but Lakeside is also the name of a town next to where I grew up. Old stomping grounds sort of nostalgia for me.

Mark

W32

The head itself isn't completely symmetrical so I compensated some on one side to make it sit where both bits had the same contact points.

Hips

Full length

Down

Grain

My only gripe is the splits that popped out. I was using a new dead blow hammer for the wedging. Don't think the cracks really go too deep into the head but I thought it was strange that it happened on both sides.

Doesn't affect much for use. Overall I like how it turned out.

garry3 · Apr 2, 2015

Those axes look great. Very good work.
That "W32" stamp has me a little stumped. Why was I thinking these are made by Mann? That sure looks like a Warren stamp. I have a cruiser, but I don't believe it has that stamp. I will check.

garry3 · Apr 2, 2015

Nope mine does not have that stamp. It has the traditional weight stamp 2-2. With the second two being smaller. On the Warrens that would be the manufacture date of 1932. Is there a weight stamp on that head also?

Agent_H · Apr 3, 2015

garry3 said:
Nope mine does not have that stamp. It has the traditional weight stamp 2-2. With the second two being smaller. On the Warrens that would be the manufacture date of 1932. Is there a weight stamp on that head also?

The TT cruiser is marked 2 2 with the second one smaller. The Lakeside double bit shows a W 3 2 with both of them the same size. I was looking at the other Lakeside I have and noticed it had the same markings but at W 3 5. I ran some chalk over the weight markings on this one just to make them show better.

Now I am curious as to who made them.

Tymowens · Apr 3, 2015

wow those all 3 look awesome

Agent_H · Apr 3, 2015

Tymowens said:
wow those all 3 look awesome

Thanks Tymowens. I hadn't noticed but the temper lines are pretty deep on the bits of both of them.

quinton · Apr 3, 2015

Nice haft work!

garry3 · Apr 4, 2015

Agent_H said:
The TT cruiser is marked 2 2 with the second one smaller. The Lakeside double bit shows a W 3 2 with both of them the same size. I was looking at the other Lakeside I have and noticed it had the same markings but at W 3 5. I ran some chalk over the weight markings on this one just to make them show better.

Now I am curious as to who made them.

I have never seen weight stamps with both numbers being the same size, but I have seen Warren axes marked exactly like your two lakesides. Looks to me like Warren made some of them. Weight stamps usually go by quarter weights and I think the "W 32" is a coincidence that the weight probably matches the year. The "W 35" seems to add some credence to this. Kind of hard to explain the 32 and 35 as being anything but years when you look at them collectively.

Agent_H · Apr 5, 2015

garry3 said:
I have never seen weight stamps with both numbers being the same size, but I have seen Warren axes marked exactly like your two lakesides. Looks to me like Warren made some of them. Weight stamps usually go by quarter weights and I think the "W 32" is a coincidence that the weight probably matches the year. The "W 35" seems to add some credence to this. Kind of hard to explain the 32 and 35 as being anything but years when you look at them collectively.

I like that. Most of the Warren axes I've come into seem solid. The single bit does weigh an ounce shy of 3.5#. Assumed that was the weight. Unfortunately I didn't weigh the double bit before hanging but by feel it seemed at least 3.5# just you know, spread out some - flat of hand: a double bit.

Can the marking 3 2 be a weight? If so, then by what increment after 3#? Did other makers use 3 2 as a marked weight on their head? For example, the TT cruiser is marked 2 2 and it weight 2.5# on my scale.

garry3 · Apr 5, 2015

Agent_H said:
I like that. Most of the Warren axes I've come into seem solid. The single bit does weigh an ounce shy of 3.5#. Assumed that was the weight. Unfortunately I didn't weigh the double bit before hanging but by feel it seemed at least 3.5# just you know, spread out some - flat of hand: a double bit.

Can the marking 3 2 be a weight? If so, then by what increment after 3#? Did other makers use 3 2 as a marked weight on their head? For example, the TT cruiser is marked 2 2 and it weight 2.5# on my scale.

3 2 could be the weight but then how would we explain the 3 5? Axes are traditionally marked in quarter weights. For instance a boys axe would be 2 1, a cruiser 2 2, ect. Why I never see a 2 1 weight stamp on a boys axe I don't know. I have come across a few 3 1 stamped axes but they are not common. The 3 3 is a common stamp on Pulaski axes.
I don't think there are any rules etched in stone and exceptions seem to pop up. The weight stamps can be way off it seems.

This is a Warren undercutter. You can see the W48 stamp as the year of manufacture. Look familiar?

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Here is the logo stamp and the weight stamp 4 2. The two is smaller than the four. Its also way off as the weight is now at 4lb 13oz. I would not be surprised if it was 5lbs new.

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Agent_H · Apr 5, 2015

Wow garry. The scripts look the same you are right the only letters they share are the "a" and "e" and they look identical including the entry and exit lines to and from the neighboring letters. Had no idea. Pretty cool deductive reasoning! I really like the Lakesides but assumed they were a lesser make and maybe produced for a hardware chain or something. All I know is they are solid and have a lot of tempered bit.

So the W is Warren's mark on it and the same size numbers are the date - nice.

This configuration would be 3 and 3/4lbs?

Awesome undercutter by the way.

garry3 · Apr 5, 2015

Agent_H said:
Wow garry. The scripts look the same you are right the only letters they share are the "a" and "e" and they look identical including the entry and exit lines to and from the neighboring letters. Had no idea. Pretty cool deductive reasoning! I really like the Lakesides but assumed they were a lesser make and maybe produced for a hardware chain or something. All I know is they are solid and have a lot of tempered bit.

So the W is Warren's mark on it and the same size numbers are the date - nice.

This configuration would be 3 and 3/4lbs?

Awesome undercutter by the way.

Thank you.

Yes the 3 would stand for 3 3/4 lbs.

I have noticed the script being similar and am not at all sure Warren made all the Lakeside axes, but I do think they made the ones you have.
Lakeside is a Montgomery Wards brand. At one time these catalog brands stood for quality, Wards, Sears, Marshall Wells and Keen Kutter.

I had a Wards brand 30-06 in a mauser action, hand cut checkered walnut stock, hinged floor plate steel magazine, claw extractor of coarse, and a chrome lined barrel to boot. For sure no quality issues!

Agent_H · Apr 5, 2015

What would make of a Lakeside with a W 0? I lifted this pic off some random auction but it kind of fits with the discussion.

garry3 · Apr 6, 2015

It would be a very interesting stamp. Would it not be reasonable to assume that the Lakeside brand would date to at least 1900 and Warren as the likely maker?
I have been trying to find a Montgomery Wards catalog online to confirm the Lakeside brand dating that far back but have not yet found one.

It seems that at some point Warren quit dating there axes as I have several without the date stamp, I just get the impression that these are later axes(1950's?).
I also have some Lakesides with out dates, don't really have a clue as to who made them.

This is Montgomery Wards other axe stamp, Maybe it was just used on hatchets I don't know for sure. This is the second one I have had. I didn't notice they were not Lakesides until I got home the script is so similar. I have heard that the Eclipse stamp dates at least as far back as 1907 but I can not confirm that. They are both good quality hatchets.

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Sluicebox · Apr 10, 2015

These are those Lakesides I was talking about in other thread. I had thought they were made in Oregon in Klamath Falls due to what I found on another thread. I saw another thread as well that says some Lakesides predate 1830.

I don't know how accurate any of that is. The script writing on the Warren and the Eclipse do seem quite similar. I did use chalk to try to pull the stamps.