Collins and Co - Manufacturing Thread

Awesome, Mike. Really great job, thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I'm going to go look through my axes and look at all the Collins made pieces and think about this history lesson!

Thanks!
 
Great stuff as usual. Thanks. I love the paper labels. Hope you don't mind me adding a few:

R.King Tool Steel Connecticut:



Collins Legitimus Connecticut:





Collins Co. Legitimus



Collins & Co. (Hartford) Shingling Hatchet - Legitimus.



Collins Old Timer (also marked with Legitimus). Balti-Jersey



Collins & Co. Hartford Cast Steel Warranted (marked with crown, arm & hammer)
57e8d0d4af7811e1bf341231380f8a12_7.jpg
 
I absolutely adore Collins. Not only were they legends of the axe world, but they were the "patron saint" company of my personal favorite tool--the machete! They were one heck of a manufacturer and their attention to detail was phenomenal.
 
Thank you so much for the write up! I am from Connecticut, and my late uncle gave me a Collins Legitimus machete before he passed. Here is a picture of it (cleaned up a bit, believe it or not). It still needs some TLC, but it still serves me well, to this day.

YNGFewYn
 
Great write up Mike! On an interesting historical note, the export axes Collins shipped to Mexico and South America closely resemble the trade axes that originated from western France and northern Spain in the 1500s. The poll didn't develop in Central and South America (or never caught on) and this early form of trade axe is what they were familiar with, and subsequently what Collins manufactured for the market.
 
Also I believe many of those "trade axe" heads had tomahawk style eyes, which made it easy for folks to make their own primitive handles.
 
Also, thanks for the info about the Mann Edge buy-out. Now I know what those look like. I've seen several on fleebay with that sticker.
 
Nick - good point on the south american axes - Collins supplied the area with what they wanted/were used to. This seems like common business sense, and perhaps they probably had easier manufacturing processes than the poll axes of north america, which made the entire operation easier.

One would think that companies like Collins would of introduced the poll axe to south america, though I am not familar enough with that habitat, maybe it just wasnt the axe for that area, maybe the rounded poll axe was better suited for the tasks that they had to endure. Or maybe they did, but it just took a long time to catch on. Lots of different factors.

The ones pictured are big overall - the one with the paper label 3.5 lbs and the other with the handle 4.5 lbs - so nothing that is light and you would want to work all day. Plus not having a poll would make the axe more prone to twisting in your hands - which wouldnt be good.

I know you can find many Collins machetes on da bay with paper labels intact that were made in columbia - seems to fit the bill I guess due to the habitat. Plus if you had no competition other than imports, you would own that market.

Interesting stuff no doubt.

Thanks!
 
Operator1975 said:
Nick - good point on the south american axes - Collins supplied the area with what they wanted/were used to. This seems like common business sense, and perhaps they probably had easier manufacturing processes than the poll axes of north america, which made the entire operation easier.

One would think that companies like Collins would of introduced the poll axe to south america, though I am not familar enough with that habitat, maybe it just wasnt the axe for that area, maybe the rounded poll axe was better suited for the tasks that they had to endure. Or maybe they did, but it just took a long time to catch on. Lots of different factors.

The ones pictured are big overall - the one with the paper label 3.5 lbs and the other with the handle 4.5 lbs - so nothing that is light and you would want to work all day. Plus not having a poll would make the axe more prone to twisting in your hands - which wouldnt be good.

I know you can find many Collins machetes on da bay with paper labels intact that were made in columbia - seems to fit the bill I guess due to the habitat. Plus if you had no competition other than imports, you would own that market.

Interesting stuff no doubt.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Also they made many of the machetes here in the 'states! But yeah they ended up shifting most of the production down there 'cause it made more sense if they were mostly serving that market.
 
Thanks for that 'Big O'... Post of the year.

Great information and photos. I only have one 'Collins' and she's a beauty. I usually have an axe of the week but after your thread 'Kathleen' may stay at the forefront for a fortnight.

I know another guy on the forum who has a beauty as well. Maybe she's so beautiful he's keeping her in hiding.

Thanks again 'O' I will be reading your post a few more times.

regards...Frank
 
Good stuff operator!
Thanks for the info and for taking the time to put it together.

Any info available about the axes Collins made for the Australian/NZ market?
Those 'Tasmania' style 4 1/2 pounders!
 
Operator, This thread is OUTSTANDING..... Thanks for sharing it with us!!! :thumbup:

Double Ott
 
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