What is this thing? DOuble bit axe/maul?

Thanks, Steve. I thought Warren Tool in Ohio was the Warren Axe & Tool of Penn., so you got me straightened out. Thanks.

But I'm still confused on this one. According to the Chopper 1 website, the company's president, Bob Kolonia invented and patented the Chopper 1 axe in 1975. Chopper Industries sold it for a long time from its headquarters in Easton, Pa. His axe was featured regularly in Popular Mechanics and Mother Earth News and such. Now the company has moved to Phillipsburg, NJ, but Kolonia is still president.

So how would Warren Tool in Ohio get the rights to manufacturer The Great Divider if the basic design was patented by Kolonia?
 
Twindog said:
...So how would Warren Tool in Ohio get the rights to manufacturer The Great Divider if the basic design was patented by Kolonia?
Click to expand...

"Chopper 1" and "The Great Divider" each had their own patent.

Chopper 1 shown at top, then The Great Divider below it:

Splitting assembly
US 4044808 A
US4044808-2.png


Splitting device
US 4383562 A
US4383562-3.png


Note: The patent date for The Great Divider was in 1983, but the patent application was filed in 1980. The 1981 ads for The Great Divider said "patent pending".
 
Yet another patent for a splitter with levers. Maybe this is the basis for the double-bit splitter in the first post?

US4440205-1.png
 
That drawing of "Great Divider" makes me think that my double-bit splitter has very similar flipper/spring assembly, I wonder if this is one of their products?

BTW, I was splitting some very large hard seasoned black oak rounds this morning and the handle on my frankenmaul is about to come apart. I wonder what best option for replacement handle is? The eye looks like standard double-bit eye with hard angles, I should post a pic.
 
That last patent I posted was assigned to Alltrade Tools.
Alltrade had a trademark for a "Splitmaster" axe.

These photos of an Alltrade Splitmaster were found online. Single bit (not double), but maybe the same green paint and same levers as the OP's?

s-l1600.jpg


s-l1600.jpg
 
Steve Tall said:
That last patent I posted was assigned to Alltrade Tools.
Alltrade had a trademark for a "Splitmaster" axe.

These photos of an Alltrade Splitmaster were found online. Single bit (not double), but maybe the same green paint and same levers as the OP's?
Click to expand...

One more clue that leads me to conclude (my best guess, anyway) that the double bit lever splitter is made by Alltrade:

Alltrade evidently had an advertisement which said,
One tool does it all! Chops trees and splits logs!
Combines the versatility of the Splitmaster with the
chopping ability of an axe.

No picture is shown, but how else could a Splitmaster (Alltrade's lever splitter) be "aerodynamically" combined with a chopping axe, other than as a double-bit?

Advertisement (partial) found here:
Hardware Age - Volume 220, Issues 7-12 - Page 477
https://books.google.com/books?id=BtUTAQAAMAAJ
1983 - ‎Snippet view
...Combines the versatility of the Splitmaster with the chopping ability of an axe. ... Its aerodynamic form enables the Speedwedge to easily slice through wood.


By the way, there was also an ad for Alltrade's "Roller Maul", pictured below:

US4465113-1.png
 
Thanks, Steve, for that really, really interesting stuff, especially with all the detail you added.

Seems odd that the succeeding patents could be issued because they are basically the same thing as the Chopper 1.
 
I just got one of these axes and hope to soon fully test is for the community to go over. First I got to fix the handle;)
 
AndreLinoge said:
well, its cool, we can all agree on that... also, I'm of the opinion that every new poster of axes should be warned of the disease that goes with em.. Why was i not warned OO? dammit man, im heavy about 20 axes and short a woman now... only been on this kick since November - where will i be in a year? lol
Click to expand...
I agree, I got bit bye the bug and an currently at 35+ axe, hammer, mini-sledges zeds counting! [emoji13] [emoji13]

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top