=MADE IN USA= ID help?

Liam Ryan · May 5, 2016

Just scored a double bit on kijiji, the only mark is the one in the thread title, just like a boys axe I have.
It's shaped like the G Bruks throwing axe, flared up on top and bottom, and looks like a blind man got loose with an angle grinder on it, but nothing I can't fix. Any ideas on the maker? I will try to post pics later, watching the baby right now.

Hickory n steel · May 5, 2016

Hmmmm, that 2 line stamp is usually seen on =CRAFTSMAN= tools, but it'll always have the word craftsman on it somewhere.
Maybe it could be pre craftsman ( early before the early 30's ) and potentially as Sears was creating the craftsman line.

Now this is just a wild guess, but it's all I can think of.

Liam Ryan · May 5, 2016

It's the closest clue so far, I have an old craftsmen stored away I will see if the lettering is similar.
Worst hang job I ever saw too. The wood is a full inch below the top of the eye, and the big ugly steel cap wedge. Also hung upside down, it looks like.

Square_peg · May 6, 2016

Hickory n steel said:
Maybe it could be pre craftsman ( early before the early 30's ) and potentially as Sears was creating the craftsman line.

Sears bought the Craftsman brand in 1927 and didn't start using the bars until the late 40's or early 50's (I think). I'm thinking it might be another offering by whoever was making axes for Sears. I don't think we've ever established who made axes for Sears. We know at least that Vaughan made many of their hatchets. I've heard rumors of both Vaughan and Mann making axes for Sears but I don't recall details. Maybe one of our historians on the site has better memory than I.

Old Axeman · May 6, 2016

I was at the Mann factory in Lewistown Pa sometime in 1988. At that time they were making the Craftsman axe for Sears.

Liam Ryan · May 6, 2016

My boys axe has a very thin bit, really hard steel, like it a lot. This new one it will be hard to tell until I clean it up.

Hickory n steel · May 6, 2016

Square_peg said:
Sears bought the Craftsman brand in 1927 and didn't start using the bars until the late 40's or early 50's (I think). I'm thinking it might be another offering by whoever was making axes for Sears. I don't think we've ever established who made axes for Sears. We know at least that Vaughan made many of their hatchets. I've heard rumors of both Vaughan and Mann making axes for Sears but I don't recall details. Maybe one of our historians on the site has better memory than I.

If a craftsman tool was made by Vaughan it will always have an M on it as that was the mfg code that Sears had for Vaughan & Bushnell mfg.

Square_peg · May 6, 2016

Hickory n steel said:
If a craftsman tool was made by Vaughan it will always have an M on it as that was the mfg code that Sears had for Vaughan & Bushnell mfg.

Do you have a source for that information? There are many Craftsman axes and hatchets out there without the M stamp. It would be nice to say with certainty who made them - or at least who didn't.

As for the 'M' on Vaughan hatchets it's certainly the case on my Craftsman-Vaughan hatchet.

Here's the same Hatchet with the Vaughan logo.

Even got the bars.

Square_peg · May 6, 2016

A Sears & Roebuck - Vaughan alliance was a natural since they were both Chicago based companies.

http://www.vaughanmfg.com/pages/history-of-vaughan

http://www.searsarchives.com/history/chronologies/chronology_brief.htm

Square_peg · May 6, 2016

And Vaughan still makes some of their stuff here in the US - including most of their hatchets. These are some of the best values found in hatchets.

http://www.vaughanmfg.com/shopping/Departments/Hatchets-and-Axes.aspx?sortorder=1&page=1

Hickory n steel · May 6, 2016

Square_peg said:
Do you have a source for that information? There are many Craftsman axes and hatchets out there without the M stamp. It would be nice to say with certainty who made them - or at least who didn't.

As for the 'M' on Vaughan hatchets it's certainly the case on my Craftsman-Vaughan hatchet.

Here's the same Hatchet with the Vaughan logo.

Even got the bars.

You can find a list of craftsman mfg codes on the alloy artifacts website.
The most common stamp is the = REG US TRADEMARK M = like the one on your hatchet.
As far as axes goes the craftsman's will usually be about identical to their Vaughan marked counterparts, while craftsman had some unique hammer designs like my hammertooth which AFAIK has no Vaughan counterpart.

garry3 · May 6, 2016

It seems that some one here on these forums did not have a lot of good to say about one of Vaughn's hatchet offerings. Unhardened bit or some thing.

Hickory n steel · May 7, 2016

garry3 said:
It seems that some one here on these forums did not have a lot of good to say about one of Vaughn's hatchet offerings. Unhardened bit or some thing.

Every factory can let a lemon out the door every once in a while.
I will absolutely never question buying a Vaughan tool, that being said craftsman has been contracting some pretty rough stuff from Vaughan recently. I'm assuming that Sears decided that a very sloppy head will still hit stuff just as well, and skipping finishing steps will keep cost down.
( on the same shelf I saw the same ball peen hammers with the craftsman and Vaughan names, and the craftsman heads were much sloppier and more poorly shaped )

Liam Ryan · May 7, 2016

So Vaughan is looking like a good candidate, so far.
I checked my craftsman axe and turns out it's actually Mastercraft, which is the Canadian Tire brand. Has the same = bars as the craftsman, so another mystery. I guess they just similarly sourced their axes from the same companies as Sears.

Found a bit more info in this thread after searching for mastercraft. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1296112-Double-bit-ID?highlight=Mastercraft
Mann might be a likely maker too. I wish the pic was working in that post, I can't see it, anyway.