Axe head identification

Y

Yare yare daze

Joined
Feb 21, 2019
Messages
8
Yo, first-timer on the site but I've been finding a lot of useful info for identifying axes so I thought I would ask about the axe head I recently bought off eBay.

The seller had it listed as antique without any knowledge of it's history, they just "thought it was". Not sure if I got ripped off or got a deal but I paid 12 plus 12 for shipping so it was 24 total, it has USA stamped/impressed on the right cheek, old blue paint still on the head, and it's also got one ridge going halfway up the eye on the inside of the right cheek.

I'm thinking maybe an old council since they have a similar mark but maybe the paint points to a Collins? Here's some pics. the ridge is closer to the poll btw
I appreciate any info that can be offered.

https://ibb.co/MNR4yQw
https://ibb.co/0XjsQxd
https://ibb.co/4t94mCD
https://ibb.co/vdzK3M0
https://ibb.co/1TZ05t2
https://ibb.co/dBLqrvp
https://ibb.co/26LN03p
https://ibb.co/wScTYd6
https://ibb.co/09kZP2q
 
Looks like a decent axe. US made. And $12? Hard to find anything for that price nowadays. You did fine.
 
It does look like a Council, that's what I'd say as well. Maybe Woodings Verona if not.

Good using tool for the price, but I wouldnt call it an antique. Still easy to get just about the same from Council new.
 
Thanks for the help everyone, for now I'm going with council. I'd love to see some other axes with one eye ridge, I can't manage to find a single picture of one.. From the other council USA marks I've seen they have three periods after each letter, where this one has no periods and a pill shaped frame around the letters. Could this indicate when it was made based on the period this marking style was used? again, just something I haven't really seen on another axe head.
And a BIG thanks to everyone again! Always glad to have a second opinion or more hahaha
 
I just checked yesteryearstools and they don't have council listed among the other brands, anyone know a resource for the known history of council markings? I'll be googling it myself, so if something comes up I'll pass it on.
 
Ust my experience......I've got lots of councils, with just the usa stamp, no dots in between. Look similar to that logo you have. Date stamps in the 2007-current range. Some with no date.

The grinding is pretty rough on yours, even for a modern council.

The single eye ridge looks to me like a forging error, something with the drift left crease maybe.

It's not that old an axe, don't read too much into it.
 
A couple examples......all different years 07, 11, 13 I think. Oval around the "USA" is pretty clear on the lower one.

4opxkaA.jpg


DQfD6XI.jpg


QZv5M9n.jpg
 
I'd say Woodings Verona. I've seen a double bit and a hatchet that look awful close with grinding, etc that are WV's.
 
So my searches haven't led too far, but I'm intrigued by the pics of the markings muleman posted. The heads pictured are councils, I assume, and they are red. I feel like I heard somewhere that old Councils and Collins were blue, with true temper and Kellys being red, but these pics would disprove that notion. From what I've gathered about the woodings-verona, it's made by true temper and should be red, would that not eliminate the WV? I haven't found an image of a blue WV. Also the shape of the WV seems to have a curve on the top of the head, where mine is fairly flat in comparison. I think I'm still in the Council camp.. For now...
Whatever maker it's from, it does seem strong and I'm excited to use it! I'll definitely give it a good chopping and splitting test first but, if I get a chance, I would love to try it out as a felling axe. I have a small pine tree in my yard that needs to be removed, it's only 4 or 5 inches in diameter though so I imagine it wouldn't be a very difficult test. Anyway..
I also thought some close-ups of the ridge would help, it looks pretty intentional to me. Some shots of the mark and of the groove I had to make in the tongue to get clearance for the ridge too.

https://ibb.co/3MqLG7B
https://ibb.co/DrT4rGF
https://ibb.co/sRg4KmS
https://ibb.co/sFSk1ms
https://ibb.co/BcNQFJk
https://ibb.co/nrqxMWw
https://ibb.co/rFdbm00
https://ibb.co/NF0dv0d
https://ibb.co/Fs1CZ3h
https://ibb.co/f4wG69G
https://ibb.co/pXTwQgW
https://ibb.co/5vK1T46
https://ibb.co/sw96Jsn
https://ibb.co/ZHvCw1y

BTW I'm also starting a new thread to try to get some help identify a broad/hewing axe I have.

THANKS AGAIN!

[EDIT] to explain the last two pictures.. anyone know why it has such an odd texture on the cheek? It looks like a harder steel might run through the blade so I thought that maybe the more mild steel on the outside corroded and the texture was left from cleaning it up? I've never seen rust make pitting in this way.. the surface gets pretty smooth toward the edge, another reason I thought it could just be a tougher steel being exposed. If I use the head, would it be better to grind the cheeks smooth or leave them to be sorted out by use?
 
Last edited:
Yare yare daze said:
to explain the last two pictures.. anyone know why it has such an odd texture on the cheek?
Click to expand...
Could it be linked to the damage at the poll I wonder, this alligator skin so odd, as if the side of the eye there has come under a tremendous stress? It seems most pronounced where the sides are thinnest , diminishing in relation to the bulk of material. Once the material was stressed, corrosion making the effects obvious later on. It's just my guess 's all.
 
I see what you mean, the shock waves moving through the head from striking with the poll somehow created harder and softer layers that were worn down to their current stage. Almost like when you push fabric together, it forms folds,wrinkles, etc.
Something to think about for sure, but I feel like it would be more common to see if it were the case. Also, wouldn't make sense if it turns out to be a 2000 or newer head. It would have to be some serious force too, even if it happened over time, I'd imagine that would be more likely to just crack the head..
Not to be downer, I like the idea, but I suppose I'm just not convinced.. Haha

Thanks!
 
Yare yare daze said:
So my searches haven't led too far, but I'm intrigued by the pics of the markings muleman posted. The heads pictured are councils, I assume, and they are red. I feel like I heard somewhere that old Councils and Collins were blue, with true temper and Kellys being red, but these pics would disprove that notion. From what I've gathered about the woodings-verona, it's made by true temper and should be red, would that not eliminate the WV? I haven't found an image of a blue WV. Also the shape of the WV seems to have a curve on the top of the head, where mine is fairly flat in comparison. I think I'm still in the Council camp.. For now...
Whatever maker it's from, it does seem strong and I'm excited to use it! I'll definitely give it a good chopping and splitting test first but, if I get a chance, I would love to try it out as a felling axe. I have a small pine tree in my yard that needs to be removed, it's only 4 or 5 inches in diameter though so I imagine it wouldn't be a very difficult test. Anyway..
I also thought some close-ups of the ridge would help, it looks pretty intentional to me. Some shots of the mark and of the groove I had to make in the tongue to get clearance for the ridge too.

https://ibb.co/3MqLG7B
https://ibb.co/DrT4rGF
https://ibb.co/sRg4KmS
https://ibb.co/sFSk1ms
https://ibb.co/BcNQFJk
https://ibb.co/nrqxMWw
https://ibb.co/rFdbm00
https://ibb.co/NF0dv0d
https://ibb.co/Fs1CZ3h
https://ibb.co/f4wG69G
https://ibb.co/pXTwQgW
https://ibb.co/5vK1T46
https://ibb.co/sw96Jsn
https://ibb.co/ZHvCw1y

BTW I'm also starting a new thread to try to get some help identify a broad/hewing axe I have.

THANKS AGAIN!

[EDIT] to explain the last two pictures.. anyone know why it has such an odd texture on the cheek? It looks like a harder steel might run through the blade so I thought that maybe the more mild steel on the outside corroded and the texture was left from cleaning it up? I've never seen rust make pitting in this way.. the surface gets pretty smooth toward the edge, another reason I thought it could just be a tougher steel being exposed. If I use the head, would it be better to grind the cheeks smooth or leave them to be sorted out by use?
Click to expand...

That smooth/rough look is just a relic of the forging process. After being drop forged, the rough areas where the dies met, and the bit were cleaned up quickly on a grinder, but not the whole head.

Seeing a better picture of the rib, I'm convinced it's an accident.

The companies color schemes were not as simple as you describe. I not going to even pretend to know all that much about it, but I know I also have all the brands you mention in black, and councils in red and green. A lot of colors have happened over the years, and concurrently with different lines in the same brand.

Those in the pics of mine above are definitely Councils.
 
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Yare yare daze said:
I thought I would ask about the axe head I recently bought
Click to expand...
Here is a CT Dayton to compare:



Your axe:



Bob

FWIW, this is how I post images on my laptop. Of course YMMV.:)



Go to the Bladeforums editor, put the cursor where you want the picture, and paste (eg. hold ctrl and press V).
 
So, thanks to MM for clearing up the texture, rib, and color misconceptions. I assume an intentional rib would run through the whole eye? Since I've already started with the handle, I will leave the "rib" flaw to grind off in the future. Thanks again!

RJD, those comparison photos have me pretty convinced that it's a Council, many thanks for them.
I will also definitely try the picture workaround, the links did seem inconvenient..
Right now my macbook pro is out of commission after I spilled about a quarter size drop of red wine on the keys.. It shut down a few minutes after, I'm working on that, so I'm posting from an Ipad. I hope the shortcut still works, and thanks for the input!

SP, the axe heads were from separate sources. The head mentioned here was bought on ebay and sent to me from Kansas with no background info. The seller of the hewing head put it on craigslist and when I met him he said that he used to live in New Hampshire but bought the head on a trip in Pennsylvania about 40 years before I picked it up. I'm in SoCal by the way and funny thing is I'm going to be moving to NH soon, that's one of the reasons I wanted to get some good tools in order.
Thanks for stopping by!

There's another axe head I have that I would like to post a thread about, but I wanted to talk more about my utterly horrible hafting that the head tbh.. I don't know if anyone is against talk of woodwork on a forum for blades.. Let me know I guess!

Thanks everyone!!
 
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