Since when does estwing make that typical steel handle hatchet

Kevin Houtzager said:
The title says it all, but I was wondering because of the following: I came about a DRGM stamped hatchet/hammer with a steel shaft. Since the DRGM was only used in the period of 1891 - 1945 in Germany, could it be possible that estwing copied that after W.W.II? Or was estwing building them before 1945? I'll post a photo tomorrow, but was just to curious to let this go.
Click to expand...

US1707787-drawings-page-1.png

http://www.datamp.org/patents/search/advance.php?pn=1707787&id=22691&set=3

Description

April 2,1929. E, o. ESTWING HANDLE Filed July 29, 1926 Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,707,787 PATENT QFFICE.

ERNEST O. ESTWING, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO EST'WING MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, INC., 01? ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

HANDLE.

Application filed July 29, 1926.

This invention has special utility in connection with hand striking tools of the character shown in my Patent No. 1,578,502, dated March 80, 1926.

Said patent discloses axes, hammers and hatchets in which the head and the handle are drop-forged in one piece, the handle being so shaped and heat-treated that maximum strength is obtained with minimum weight, and the tool is properly balanced.

The present invention relates particularly to the construction of the handle of such a tool, although certain features of the invention are not limited to tools of the one-piece drop-forged type. Heretofore the ideal handle has been assumed to be one possessing a considerable degree of flexibility. I have found, however, that if the tool is properly balanced and the handle made as light as possible, the handle should preferably be rigid.

Among the objects of the invention are to make the handle as light as possible while obtaining a high degree of rigidity, and to provide a grip which shall feel comfortable in the hand and be as lightas practicable.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a claw hammer provided with a handle embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a fragmental top plan view of the handle shank, on the same scale as Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental view of the handle prior to application of the grip.

Fig. 3 isa cross-sectional view of the handle.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View showing an alternative form of grip.

Fig. 5 is a View of a hatchet having a handle embodying the features of this invention, the grip being omitted.

Fig. 6 is a side View of agrip formed of molded material.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 of Fig. 6.

For a detailed description of the manner in which the head and handle shank are formed, reference may be made to the abovementioned Patent No. 1,578,502. It is suflicient here to say that the claw hammer head 1 and the handle shank 2 are drop-forged in one piece. In the embodiment shown in the present drawings, the handle shank comprises a forward portion or neck 3 and a rear or grip-carrying portion 4: on which the grip 5 is mounted, As shown in Figs. 1 and 1 the neck 3 is relatively thin, its mean thickness being less than one-third of its width in the Serial No. 125,608.

plane of the head. The thinness of the neck 3 is highly desirable for the sake of lightness and to avoid interference when working in close quarters. In order that the handle portion 4 shall be both rigid and light, said. handle portion is preferably T-form in crosssection, as shown in Fig. 3. It comprises a vertical web 6 and narrow transverse top and bottom flanges 7 and 8. The flanges 7 and 8 resist alternately the compressive and tensile stresses which are set up when blows are struck with the head of the tool, the web 6 serving as the equivalent of truss members. To further lighten the handle, openings 9 may be formed in the web 6, as shown in Fig. 2.

The grip shown in Figs. 1, 3, i, and 5 is formed of transversely laminated leather or analogous material. The laminations or washers 10 have internal openings conforming to the cross-sectional shape of the handle portion 4, as shown in Fig. 3. After a sufficient number of leather washers 10 have been forced upon the handle portion 4, the washers are secured in place by means of a steel end cap 11 having openings therein conforming to the cross sectional shape of the eX- treme rear end of the handle shank. At the junction of the neck 3 and the grip-carrying portion 4 is an annular shoulder 12. The washers 10 are compressed between the annular shoulder 12 on the handle shank and the end cap 11 by riveting the ends of the handle portion which project through said cap, as shown at 13 in Fig. 1. The grip may then be given its proper external form and coated with any preferred finishing material.

If desired, the weight of the grip may be still further reduced by forming an internal opening 14. in each Washer, as shown in Fig. l.

The interengagement between the handle portion a and the grip 5 is such that stresses in every direction are effectively resisted. WVhen pressure is applied to the grip from the top, as when pulling a nail with a claw hammer, the grip has a firm bearing against the top of the flange 7 and the top or inner surfaces of the flange 8. If pressure be ap plied to the grip in the opposite direction, the grip has a bearing against the bottom of the flange 8 and the lower or inner surfaces of the flange 7. If pressure be applied from either side, as when using a hatchet in pulling a nail or prying up a board, the grip bears against the side of the web 6 and against the sloping inner surfaces of the ulanges 7 and 8, so thateven though the grip he hollovv' for the sake of lightness it Will nevertheless he timely inter-looked with the flanges f7 vandB and the Web 6 and well supportedagainstdistortion.

\Vhcn the laminated-leather grip is to he applied to hatohets and to axes of the scoutaXe type, the grip-carrying portion of the shank may be of any suitable cross-section, the l ter-1n cross-section not "being essential. However, in Fig. 5 I have shown the grip as applied to a handle portion 4 of the lastrnentioned form. If desirable, the handle may oe curved, as indicated in Fig. 5. The grip shown in Fig. 5 maybe inade'up of WtSl1 ers such as those illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, a sutficient number of the washers loeing tapered, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5.

If desiredythe grip niay he formed oi bake- "lite or the like molded onthe hantlle portion 4. Such-a grip 'isindic'atetl'hy the numeral 15in F6 and 7.

A grip formed in the manner shown in 1 and6has various advantages over a grip made up of Wooden scales riveted to the shank. The grip therein disclosed "has a sn'iooth, continuous, .unbrokensur faee, 'Wli'Cl as in a grip formed of Wooden scales there are joints between the wood and the metal which-even though. smooth andlight at first may "eventua'lly become ,uneven and uncomilbr'talile to the hand.

The handle construction herein shown is so light that, if desired, anost of the Weight of the complete tool may be concentrated in the head. In the case of each of the tools shown in the drawings, the eight o f the complete handle is less than that-otithe head, thus giving the tool the balance required for etlicient and comfortable use over a relatively long period Without fatigue.

For the sake o f lorevity, the term leather has been used in the following claim to denote leather or any analogous material.

I claim as any i-n'venthnr:

A hand striking t'ool havin ga "head and a handle, said handle comprising a thin and "Ni-(l0, l ght but rigid steel neck and a light rigid grip-carrying portion of thin-\vehhed flanged or .L'iori'n cross-section integral with the neck, there *h'eing-a shoulder at the 311110- tion outthe neck and the grip-carrying por- 1 4- I, 5,. tion, a giip eompleee y surrounding the gr 1pcarrying portion and comprising a series of leather Washers having internal openings conforming to the "flanges on the longitudinal edges oi the grlp carrying portion, whereby the WtLSllGlS are interlocked with and held *fixed my signature.

Patent No. 1,578,502, dated March 80, 1926
US1578502-drawings-page-1.png

https://patents.google.com/patent/US1578502
 
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I was looking for a DGRM marked Mercator, and found at least one reference that said DGRM was used up until around 1952. It made sense to me, as after the war was over the Germans continued using what they already had ready to go. They may have changed the molds eventually, but initially according to the source I found they continued to use the old stampings, and again that made sense to me, as their concern would be to get products out the door and make some income. John
 
Let me see if I can get this down correctly: On Google the title was "D.R.G.M.: An Early 20th Century German Copyright-The Bassic Sax

bassic-sax.info/blog/2013/early-20th-century-german-copyright-patent-designations

down in the text it talks about the date and states used until 1952

John
 
Kevin, here is another source: DRGM Silver Forums At 925-1000.com (https://www.925-1000.com) which explains the marking was used up until 1949, BUT was valid for another 3 years which is why you can find markings of D.R.G.M. as late as 1952. After Oct 1952, it was apparently no longer used. I have a Carl Schlieper Sod Buster marked D.R.G.M. 1423923, and doubt very seriously if it was made Pre or during WWII. I have seen several adds for sale of these knives, even on similar Schlieper Sod Buster with the classic yellow handle and saw, identified as being made in the 1950's. I want to say Germania (German knife expert) said the same thing, but may have a mistaken memory on that fact. John
 
Kevin, My Sod Buster has a wooden handle and on the blade in a rectangle (with rounded ends) has Hammer Forged, below that Carl Schlieper, then Solingen-Germany and at either end of the rectangle the Eye logo. On the left side of the tang it has again "Carl Schlieper and Solingen Germany". On the right side of the tang is "D.R.G.M 1423923", and agree it is after WWII. I also have a well worn lock back Mercator, with D.R.G.M on the tang on the right side and on the spine of the handle "Mercator D.R.G.M." Since there is no Germany on the knife, may not have been made for export, and it is possible this was a Pre-WWII made knife. John
 
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