A 4.5 pound William Mann Superior?

G

gben

Joined
Nov 26, 2014
Messages
501
An axe-head I saw in the basement of a local estate-sale. I thought the way it was sculpted meant that it could be older. I cleaned it and I think I can make out "William Mann Superior", which was a brand of axe made and sold in Pennsylvania back in the mid to late 1800s. Can anyone look at the photo of the stamp and make guesses on anything else it might say? I can see there is a second line under the William Mann line but all I can make out is a few letters. Maybe with some cleaning method other than a wire wheel I can bring out some more detail?

32977828_1717852858305587_3220110275151659008_n.jpg


33091374_1717852851638921_4869102667110023168_n.jpg
 
Another example, with what looks like a combination of stampings (the N from LEWISTOWN is covered by the C from CAST STEEL):

I assume it's supposed to be
WILLIAM MANN SUPERIOR
LEWISTOWN CAST STEEL

s-l1600.jpg
 
Thanks Steve, That means it could have been made anywhere between 1893 and 2012? I guess I will have to look for some old catalog pages and see what years Lewistown may have made the "William Mann Superior" Brand....
 
gben said:
An axe-head I saw in the basement of a local estate-sale. I thought the way it was sculpted meant that it could be older. I cleaned it and I think I can make out "William Mann Superior", which was a brand of axe made and sold in Pennsylvania back in the mid to late 1800s. Can anyone look at the photo of the stamp and make guesses on anything else it might say? I can see there is a second line under the William Mann line but all I can make out is a few letters. Maybe with some cleaning method other than a wire wheel I can bring out some more detail?

32977828_1717852858305587_3220110275151659008_n.jpg


33091374_1717852851638921_4869102667110023168_n.jpg
Click to expand...
Looks like direct competition to Full Concave Lippingcott
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/l3901-hubbards-full-concave-1852225288
 
Brass wire wheels, contrary to what I first thought, will reveal more details, instead of "erasing" them. Others, with more experience than me, confirmed this as well.

Any particular reason you'd want to steer clear of it?
 
I got it this clean with a steel-wire wheel, and thought maybe I would try something else someday on it. Most likely I will just throw it in the garage on the pile of other axe-heads that I will never get around to doing anything with.
 
Dunno, maybe insist a little bit more? It may not need more pressure - just more time.

You could try electrolysis, but even the you'd still have some black gunk left all over it that you'd need to wire-wheel away. But it's, when fresh, less resilient than rust.
 
So, I just put this thing on two different scales and it shows 4.5 pounds. Hefty, especially since it must have been sharpened a few times in the last century. And as usual a big-thanks to Steve Tall who on average has the best input on old axe heads out there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top