Craftsman stamps

ultrahesh said:
Sorry, having real problems with the photo hosting website. I can't manipulate the photo, so it's upside down
Click to expand...

No problem. Thanks for posting those. Interesting that it has a Craftsman head with a Dunlap haft. Dunlap was Sears 2nd-line of axes (post-Fulton). Makes me wonder.....maybe Sears wasn't happy with the stamp and relegated them to the Dunlap line. Good geometry. Good steel.

Single%20Oval%20stamp2.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Hickory n steel said:
That style font with the big c on craftsman tools is much earlier ( I believe the 2 line =CRAFTSMAN= logo started in the 40's ) by the way if it has an M stamped on it anywhere it was made by Vaughan ( M was and still is craftsman manufacturers identification code for Vaughan & Bushnell )
Click to expand...

That font was seen in the catalog as early as 1933. I never saw it on an axe without the double oval until 1943 (but the double oval continued on some axes until at least 1948). My recollection is that the double bars came along in 1949 but looking through my old catalog photos I don't find evidence to support that one way or the other.
 
Square_peg said:
That font was seen in the catalog as early as 1933. I never saw it on an axe without the double oval until 1943 (but the double oval continued on some axes until at least 1948). My recollection is that the double bars came along in 1949 but looking through my old catalog photos I don't find evidence to support that one way or the other.
Click to expand...
oh I meant the craftsman logo with the weird shaped c that looks sorta like a sideways barn roof, which was replaced by the 2 line logo.
 




The boys axe and hb axes aren't old, but I thought I'd post them anyway. I like the hb axes, I'd rather have my axes stamped craftsman than norlund. I haven't seen a lot of the craftsman hb's
 
Square_peg said:
No problem. Thanks for posting those. Interesting that it has a Craftsman head with a Dunlap haft. Dunlap was Sears 2nd-line of axes (post-Fulton). Makes me wonder.....maybe Sears wasn't happy with the stamp and relegated them to the Dunlap line. Good geometry. Good steel.

Single%20Oval%20stamp2.jpeg
Click to expand...
I'm not so sure that the Dunlap haft was original. The hang and wedge job were not very good. I don't know if the craftsman axes had metal wedges at the time of this axe, but this didn't have one
 
No bars, with the "M" mark. It seems to be better quality than the no bars no M one I posted here a while back.

So who else might have made Craftsman axes over the years, besides Vaughan?



 
I recently picked up another Craftsman single oval. It pairs well with my single oval boys axe. This one is 3.35 pounds.

Crastman%20single%20oval.jpg
 
Last edited:
Last edited:
Square_peg-
My dad just picked up that very axe at an auction over the weekend. I was gonna post it here since it looks like it was made by Mann/Norlund. I'll have to get some pics.
 
Steve Tall has already established a common manufacturing parentage between Mastercraft (Canadian Tire brand tools) and Craftsman (Sears) and I can't help but notice the seemingly 'tag-on' larger font of the 'Craft' in 'MasterCraft' on this particular example.

Mastercraft%20002%20Medium_zps0idiatqt.jpg
 
300Six said:
Steve Tall has already established a common manufacturing parentage between Mastercraft (Canadian Tire brand tools) and Craftsman (Sears) and I can't help but notice the seemingly 'tag-on' larger font of the 'Craft' in 'MasterCraft' on this particular example.

Mastercraft%20002%20Medium_zps0idiatqt.jpg
Click to expand...

I think I just pointed out that Mastercraft was involved with Mann, according to the YesteryearsTools page about Norlund. Others might have shown the connections between Mann and Craftsman.
 
Thanks, Rickoff.

I have both a boys and fullsize with that stamp. I like the boys axe so well that I recently purchased the full size off ebay. I haven't done anything with the full size yet.
 
You too Square_peg, just re wedged it on the haft it came with and saves from buy/making one and it looks decent it's stamped "HARTWOOD" but I don't think it's the original.
I picked up a fullsize with the 3 bars on each end will get a photo tomorrow!

Also do you have an idea to it's age?
 
I don't know the age or manufacturer for these axes. The fact that the stamp is so different leads me to believe that Sears might have been sourcing these from other than their regular supplier. They are much less common than the double-bar axes or even the double oval axes - not to say that they are any better. My wild-ass guess would be that these are pre-1960s. A thorough review of historic Sears catalogs might shed some light on this.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top