Americanax hatchet help

DarkPatriot

DarkPatriot

Joined
Aug 12, 2011
Messages
221
I've become a lot more interested bushcraft lately and had been looking for a better hatchet than what I currently have. I was looking at the wetterlings and other Swedish axes. I was about to pull the trigger on a new wetterlings when divine intervention struck in the form of a phone call from my mother. Over the course of the conversation my potential new acquisition came up. She told me to hold off because she had a hatchet for me. It turns out that my great grandfather used to work for the American ax company in glassport PA until 1919. He had held on to several of the hatchets he had help to make while there and had designated that one should go to me when I got old enough (he died a year after I born). I can't think of anything more cool than using the hatchet made by and picked out for me by my great grandfather. I just want to know if anyone here knows much about the company, and how this hatchet would serve in a bushcrafting role. Also any advice on securing the hatchet head, it's somewhat loose. I'd love to use the original shaft if I can, but if that's unrealistic I'll replace it. Thanks in advance!
 
There is definitely immense sentimental value in using and maintaining a tool that has been in the family for 100 years. If your handle is loose enough to be gently tapped or pulled out it is merely a question of putting in another wood wedge. You can buy metal axe/hammer wedges at a hardware store and they install fine without removing the handle.
 
American Ax was a cartel or consortium of many axe companies formed in an attempt to dominate the axe market. Yesteryear tools has a lot of info. The scheme failed and they disbanded I think in the 20's. The couple axes I have show a high polish and high quality. Post up some pictures. Great that your grandfather helped make them.
 
Sorry for whatever reason it's not letting me post photos, I'll try again later today. I'll give the wedge replacement a try. I did find the yesteryear tool site and have tried to further identify the hatchet. Other than the Americanax and part of glassport PA there is nothing else readable on the hatchet so identifying the individual company it came from has proven difficult. Anyone I could ask specifically which company my great grandfather worked for is either dead or doesn't know. I'll keep poking around maybe something will turn up.
 
AmeicanAx Co is one of my favorite axe companies of the past. A consolidation of 16~17 axes companies bent on domination of the marketplace. Soon as it started though, in house bickering began, and members started to pull out, most notably the Mann family. Ended in 1921 when Kelly bought them out and became the largest axe maker in the world. Kelly continued to use the AmericanAx logo/imprint into the 1930s to maintain those loyal customers.

What you will find from them is good overall quality. I have never had my hands on one that was substandard in anyway.

If it is an old original placed away for you to have one day down the road, that is awesome. I am sure it will be a great user. Here are some pics of some of mine -









AmericanAx was an attempt to consolidate the axe market, but alas it failed because it was just too big, and too many hands in the pot, so to speak. It was a good idea on paper but not in real life. What is really hard to wrap your brain around is, so there was the original 16 or so companies, all with their own imprints, logos, trademarks, etc. These all come under one roof now with the AmericanAx consolidation. Names such as Amoskeag, Robert Mann, Thomas Mann, Romer, Ten and Eyck are all now being produced by AmericanAx. The lines included Red Warrior, Underhill, Bloods, Peerless, Lippincott, Climax, and many others. Then the Manns leave and use their own names again. Then Kelly buys out AmericanAx, now technically they own the rights to all those names - such as Red Warrior which you see a lot of in Kelly, was originally a Mann name, then an AmericanAx name, then a Kelly name. Good times. Good times.
 
That's the general opinion I've come to, thanks for the info. I've perused the yesteryear tool site and the american axe and tool threads on here. Those are some beautiful axes. I can't figure out for the life of me how to put pictures on here so I'll just describe mine. Standard looking hatchet head, flat back, a slot in the bottom near the eye to pull out nails, I assume. Arching Americanax, Glassport PA logo. Original 16 in hickory handle, curved, stained, and waxed. The head has no rust, just normal greying of tool steel. Still has all the original gloss on the head too. I've put a new edge on it and done some practice cuts in the yard, and has blown my other hatchets out of the water. I'll probably keep my estwing in the pack as a back up since it's indestructible, but the Americanax is definitely my new primary hatchet.
 
I did mean to ask, any recommendations on a person or place to buy a new sheath from? If it did have a sheath it didn't make the journey with the hatchet. I made a temporary one out of cardboard to protect the edge. Just looking for a simple leather or nylon sheath with a belt loop so I can secure it to the pack.
 
I use photobucket for my photos. It is very easy.

Upload your photos.
Once uploaded, put your mouse over the photo, and a "gear" will appear in the top R corner.
Put mouse over the gear, and a list comes up. Click on share.
Another box comes up, with tabs, click on link
Then click on the bottom option, IMG code, it will say "copied" and then paste into your thread.

Hope this helps!!
 
Apparently I can do it from my phone, here are the pics.








The electrical tape was added by my grandfather, I liked it so after I cleaned the handle up I put it back. Thanks for the photo tip, I can now fully participate in the community!
 
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Thanks. My grandfather who was keeping it for me from his father maintained his tools in a way I can only hope to emulate. I know he used it for some yard work but for the most part it sat wrapped in an oil cloth in a box in his tool chest.
 
The axe with AmericanAx on one side and TrueTemper on the other seems very confusing to me. Especially with AmericanAx "Glasport PA" that supposedly closed in 1921, prior to the Kelly buy out. It seems that Kelly with their True Temper name could have later used the AmericanAx brand that they acquired, but why would they use the stamp with Glassport PA?? Any ideas on that, I have seen other axes with that same double marking.
 
First off, that's an awesome axe and a great story. A photo of the top of the axe would help us to advise the best way to go about tightening up the hang. It also shows off the profile of the axe head ;-).

As for how this could be used as a tool for Bushcraft well it's a camp hatchet so that's essentially what it was designed for. It can be used to chop and split wood generally of a smaller diameter, rough carving tasks, driving wooden stakes and wedges, the nail puller aside from the obvious can be used to pull up stakes from the ground, and if need be it can completly take the place of your knife. Check out MCQBushcraft on YouTube, he demonstrates a lot of hatchet use in his videos from 2014 if I recall. His hatchet isn't as nice as yours, but he certainly puts it to work.
 
Tenbrooks said:
The axe with AmericanAx on one side and TrueTemper on the other seems very confusing to me. Especially with AmericanAx "Glasport PA" that supposedly closed in 1921, prior to the Kelly buy out. . .
Click to expand...

I think you are referring to the dbl (first pic in operators post above), Here is the other side of that axe:
SAM_1111_zps97499c90.jpg


It is post AA&T. The Americanax trademark was used after the AA&T buyout. The trademark went with Kelly and beyond,
.
I see this is your first post, welcome. :)

Bob
 
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