Need help ID'ing an axe head and other tool.

P

paleomanone

Joined
Apr 7, 2012
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55
I rescued these two as well as some other tools from a load of junk that was going to the metal recycling yard. I was hoping someone might know what the stamp represents on the axe head as well as the small pick-axe. There are no other markings on the axe head. The pick-axe has the date 1942, the initials W.G. and a small arrow above the date.
I thought it might be military issue considering the date, but there is no U.S. property mark stamped anywhere on it which I thought was mandatory with military issue equipment. Any ideas? Thanks in advance
tools%20003.jpg~original
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W.G., I suspect, stands for William Gilpin of Britain long time prominent tool maker that manufactured a wide range of hand tools such as this. The arrow is a British ordnance mark indicating it was military property. Below is a W Gilpin sledge from an Estate auction 25 years ago. The man had been a Rideau Canal lockmaster during the 1930s and 40s.

Gilpinhammer002Small_zps1a186c87.jpg
 
Thanks 300six. Interesting bit of history there. Now I remember where I had seen that type of arrow. A quick peek at my Enfield confirmed that. I can only wonder how that tool wound up down in my neck of the woods. Any idea as to what kind of handle length might be appropriate? The pick axe is 11 & 1/2 inches in length.
 
Buy a standard slip fit taper handle and shave it to fit if it doesn't already. I don't think there are a huge number of size and length options for pick and/or mattock handles but this being British-made you never know.
 
paleomanone said:
I rescued these two as well as some other tools from a load of junk that was going to the metal recycling yard. I was hoping someone might know what the stamp represents on the axe head as well as the small pick-axe. There are no other markings on the axe head. The pick-axe has the date 1942, the initials W.G. and a small arrow above the date.
I thought it might be military issue considering the date, but there is no U.S. property mark stamped anywhere on it which I thought was mandatory with military issue equipment. Any ideas? Thanks in advance
tools%20003.jpg~original
tools%20002.jpg~original
tools%20004.jpg~original
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My first thought on that axe head would be council tools.
 
Thank you Hickory and steel for the information about Council brand axe's. I will see if I can find any similarities with their logo's.
 
paleomanone said:
. . .Council brand axe's. I will see if I can find any similarities with their logo's.
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I don't know what the logo is. :( It may well be a CT. CT claims to go back to 1886, so their logo may have gone through several iterations in their history.

For comparison with my only CT axe:
25651015164_1b50422941_c.jpg


The trapezoid outline on yours is a puzzle to me. I seem to recall that I have seen a CT mark that was narrower and taller than mine, but was rectangular and had the "bump" on top.

It would be really cool if you find yours is an older CT mark. :thumbup:

Bob
 
Well, there have been no real takers on this axe stamp, there is no resemblance to the Council Tools mark and April fool has passed with an interesting 'bushtit' stamp entry (which we never saw evidence of) so I'm nominating this one for Bush Tits Axe Co' . There is a bawdy old Ottawa Valley lumberman's song that ends with; "her 'bits' hung loose like the balls on a moose, and she came from Lowertown". That logo seems to fit right in!
 
300Six said:
Well, there have been no real takers on this axe stamp, there is no resemblance to the Council Tools mark and April fool has passed with an interesting 'bushtit' stamp entry (which we never saw evidence of) so I'm nominating this one for Bush Tits Axe Co' . There is a bawdy old Ottawa Valley lumberman's song that ends with; "her 'bits' hung loose like the balls on a moose, and she came from Lowertown". That logo seems to fit right in!
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300...





Or a "3 point crown" Collins...
 
I tried to clean up the stamped mark with some vinegar to loosen the rust, but I'm not sure if it helped at all. If looked at from the angle with the poll being at the bottom the logo may be that of 2 conifers or upside down V's.
That is a nice old Council you have, Rjdankert. Is it an old "Yankee" style? It has the look of a vintage piece, not something one finds very often.
If her "Bits" hung lower than a Moose's Jewels -well that would make for an interesting logo stamped into a "Bush Tit Ax Co. axe head.
DSC00162.jpg~original
 
paleomanone said:
. . .That is a nice old Council you have, Rjdankert. Is it an old "Yankee" style?. . .
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Thanks, but you may be referring to the head in post #9. Link at bottom of picture will identify the owner. My axe (post#7) is a four pound Dayton.

Bob
 
Steve Tall’s post about Western Auto got me thinking.

Ok, so this logo is pulled from a doll collector reference site…

But they have it labelled as a Montgomery Ward trademark from 1915.

Could it be half of that stamped on their hardware? It would have to be framed in a trapezoid which I haven't found.
Or maybe it's pitted deeper than I can get my head around and it was a "W" that corroded away to look like a trapezoid around it?

http://dollreference.com/american_antique_doll_makers_marks3.html

montgomery_ward_logo1915-Optimized.jpg
 
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Maybe a Welland Vale "Crown". Just guessing as that seems to be where we are but maybe someone will have a stroke of genius - I have never seen nor can I find a stamp like it.

Just making sure no coffee goes to waste this morning.

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Time to resurrect I suppose. Here is mine that I got from a garage sale in Colorado. Same exact marking.
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I think it does, it has been abused too :-(

Got a hit on reddit today, someone has said that this is a crown butler from about 1867

Anyone have any informations on this crown butler?
 
My Googlefoo did not turn up anything listed as a Crown Butler axe or tool. It did turn up the Reddit post. But, the company would be very old, 1867, so that is not too surprising. Maybe someone has a book on axes that mentions this company?
 
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