The Members Discussion Thread

Hey I've got a quick question for many of you who are very knowledgeable about axes and hatchets>> I have a Sears Craftman hatchet that I got all the way back to the mid 80s. It's built similar to how Estwing axes and hatchets are built. Over the years I've asked people who made those Sears Craftsman hatchets with no one really knowing for sure. It actually looks like it's got a stainless blade on it of all things. But the construction of it is very similar to that of Estwing tools.

Anyone who could tell me who made those hatchets for Sears Craftsman in the mid 1980s I would appreciate it.
 
Hey I've got a quick question for many of you who are very knowledgeable about axes and hatchets>> I have a Sears Craftman hatchet that I got all the way back to the mid 80s. It's built similar to how Estwing axes and hatchets are built. Over the years I've asked people who made those Sears Craftsman hatchets with no one really knowing for sure. It actually looks like it's got a stainless blade on it of all things. But the construction of it is very similar to that of Estwing tools.

Anyone who could tell me who made those hatchets for Sears Craftsman in the mid 1980s I would appreciate it.

Vaughan
vintage-60s-craftsman-usa-vaughan_1_d9b4c9b7d3c59c4e860fbf9278946d14.jpg

vaughan-hatchet-13-hiking-hunting_1_764e9f512c926d5e565cc91d508ac598.jpg

vaughan-hatchet-13-hiking-hunting_1_764e9f512c926d5e565cc91d508ac598.jpg

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vaughan-hatchet-13-hiking-hunting-1816906981
 
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I'm not normally lucky enough to come into a lot of full fawn's foot handles but for the clipped ones that are standard anymore I made myself a large oak mallet. More forgiving than steel but still hard enough to make it work. I dig the swell saver though. Will try to get a photo of the mallet, if nothing else it was kind of a fun project to build.

Mallet photo:
EgnPSKA.jpg

Head is 7" long, 5" wide, white oak. I did a blind mortise and wedged and glued the hammer handle in. So far so good. Much bigger and it would be pretty awkward but this is still usable. Someday I want to make one out of some laminated mountain mahogany.
 
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Mallet photo:
https://i.imgur.com/EgnPSKA.jpg
Head is 7" long, 5" wide, white oak. I did a blind mortise and wedged and glued the hammer handle in. So far so good. Much bigger and it would be pretty awkward but this is still usable. Someday I want to make one out of some laminated mountain mahogany.
I figured I'd post your picture for you;
EgnPSKA.jpg

Nice job by the way! It's a good looking mallet!
 
I believe you hit the nail on the head. I went to that link you posted and it's the exact one I've got that was Sears Craftsman. I sure field dressed a lot of bucks over the years with that hatchet. That Craftsman hatchet would open up a buck's rib cage so easy it was incredible. That hatchet was always really easy to keep sharp as well.

That's really ironic in a way that it was made by Vaughn because I have 3 carpenter's hammers made by Vaughn and they have been great over the years. I also have one of their "Wonder Bars" ( Nail puller bar) and it's a great tool as well. They are like Collins in that you don't hear them mentioned much but they do make great tools. thanks for the great information.
 
yeah, for a while, my ACE had some really LINK nice 32" bent axe handles. I snatched up a few of them. The LINK 36" handles were like clubs.

then I think the 36" and 28" handles went to the Truper garbage, and the price of the 32" handles went up to $20+

There's an ace here that has (had?) a good array of Link handles, even boys axe. The rub was they all had bad grain, and they were all over $30.

I saw something earlier suggesting Link might be in serious trouble. Apparently Barco has closed doors as well. I'd love to have backing and rights to the Kelly name. Group buy? :D
 
There's an ace here that has (had?) a good array of Link handles, even boys axe. The rub was they all had bad grain, and they were all over $30.

I saw something earlier suggesting Link might be in serious trouble. Apparently Barco has closed doors as well. I'd love to have backing and rights to the Kelly name. Group buy? :D
In related news: Perfect75 formerly known as Operator75 is liquidating parts of his axe collection and buying Kelly Axe Co naming rights :p
 
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