Unmarked woodslasher

[Square_peg]

Sears was known to switch suppliers from year to year. But Mann (and Vaughan) were also known to use eye ridges. My guess is you have an example of the latter.

 

[rjdankert]

Sears was known to switch suppliers from year to year. But Mann (and Vaughan) were also known to use eye ridges. My guess is you have an example of the latter.

It has also been said that the "M" in a Sears mark is a mfr code for Vaughan. If it is a Vaughan then True Temper was not the only manufacturer to make an axe ". . .with eye ribs (2 wide, opposite 2 narrow)". On the other hand, if it is not a Vaughan then the "M" cannot be used as a reliable indicator.


Bob

 

[Square_peg]

It's already been established that numerous other makes besides True Temper use eye ridges. True Temper seems to have been first (and patented). But we've seen Vaughan, Collins and Plumb axes with eye ridges, too.

Most found today are True Tempers. But you're never certain without a stamp. Being a Sears and having the 'M' stamp that one is most likely a Vaughan.

 

[Hickory n steel]

It's already been established that numerous other makes besides True Temper use eye ridges. True Temper seems to have been first (and patented). But we've seen Vaughan, Collins and Plumb axes with eye ridges, too.

Most found today are True Tempers. But you're never certain without a stamp. Being a Sears and having the 'M' stamp that one is most likely a Vaughan.

Yeah, the M was used by sears on all Vaughan & Bushnell produced tools and I think may still be today ( i keep seeing new ones but am always told it's been NOS stuff since 2012 ), so this one has to be Vaughan.
Later on i don't believe Vaughan was a huge axe contractor for much more than Sears though I could be wrong.

Luckily the TT's normally have the letter and number stamp so we'll know it's not Vaughan.

 

[Agent_H]

Thanks again Steve! Good info 2 days in a row!

Anyone know the significance of the
C 32 stamp?

Not exactly but the letter+number stamps on ridge eyed axes shows up here as well:

I don't have much to add as far as which North American axe company manufactured these red 4 ridge Jerseys. But I have a personal weakness for them. They are fairly abundant at garage sales around here, often with minimal use but signs casual abuse. I have three basically identical to gben's original pic, (originally red, same weight, 4 eye ridges, one definitely had a paper label so likely they all did). The only major difference is that two of them are stamped A 7 on the left cheek where the label would have been.

I just brought this home last week with a few others.

Head looks very similar, same red paint, 4 ridges, only visible markings are what looks like a backwards "C" and "43".

Steel is very hard....just about wore out a file on it. De-rusted, sharpened, and re-hung on the same handle I got with it. It was hung with one metal wedge in the kerf. Made pulling the handle real easy. Another nice $3 user to the herd.

It's a tough decision to know where to post this, here or "it followed me home".

No name Dbl bit cruiser 8.5 bit to bit, the bits are 4.375. only marking is C8.

Only 4 ridges

The stamp/marking

Picked up a hatchet with ridges. Only marking is C31

It will look good next to its big brother. Boys axe with the same eye ridge configuration.

 

[garry3]

Don't know if it's been mentioned before but according to one of their old forge operators the code stood for the Hammer that the tool was forged on followed by the batch number. So A29 would be hammer A batch number 29.

Oddly enough I have several unmarked TrueTemper axes, not a single one has this QC code stamped on it. They are some darn fine axes as well. Just used a couple of them on a camping trip this past weekend to buck dead fall and split out kindling. Couldn't have asked for better tools.

How do you know they are True Temper axes?

 

[Maine20]

So a basic summary of what is known so far about the unmarked ridged eyed true temper axes: (please let me know if anyone disagrees)

1. The majority of ridged eye axes are TT
2. Red seams to be the most common color
3. Several examples of known (either by makers mark or paper label) TT axes have been found with the letter-number stamp and ridged eye. Several other unmarked heads have the letter-number stamp and ridged eye.
4. Several heads that could match a TT pattern have been found with only the ridged eye.
5. To my knowledge no example has been presented of a non TT ridged eye head that has the letter-numbers stamp.

Has anyone seen a known brand axe head of any kind, other then a TT, with the letter-number stamp?

 

[Hickory n steel]

Has anyone seen one of these axes with the original hardware brand logo on it ?
It's always said they came with various paper labels on them and I don't doubt this, but I wouldn't mind seeing an example of such.
I'm just curious as to what they would say, was it just the stores name or a tool line they had, or both.

 

[Maine20]

I have only seen partial true temper woodslasher paper labels around the the web. Some had the letter number stamp some did not. I would be surprised if there weren’t some out there with hardware brand labels on them.

 

[Hacked]

How do you know they are True Temper axes?

Easy, they are a perfect match for both marked Kelly and TrueTemper heads that I also have. If they aren't then other companies were making the same heads with the exact same dimensions and identical shaped eyes to the point where handles can be swapped at will. So it's possible that they aren't, but in my opinion extremely unlikely.

 

[rjdankert]

So a basic summary . . . (please let me know if anyone disagrees). . .

• To my knowledge no example has been presented of a non TT ridged eye head that has the letter-numbers stamp.

I don't know of any, but on the other hand have there been examples presented of a "TT ridged eye head that has the letter-numbers stamp" with no other markings?


Bob

 

[Maine20]

I don't know of any, but on the other hand have there been examples presented of a "TT ridged eye head that has the letter-numbers stamp" with no other markings?


Bob

To my knowledge no. Not a 100% known head with all the other trates but no makers mark. Several have been presented (including mine) that have the ridges and letter number stamp... but no maker mark. But I wouldn’t say they are 100% known. I would say very high certainty based on the features listed.

I guess in order to know for sure the maker of a unmarked head one would need to know the back story of the head, or, the head has a feature that is linked exclusively to a brand. Is the mysterious letter number stamp exclusive to true temper? I guess that’s the million $ question.

 

[Steve Tall]

To my knowledge no. Not a 100% known head with all the other trates but no makers mark. Several have been presented (including mine) that have the ridges and letter number stamp... but no maker mark. But I wouldn’t say they are 100% known. I would say very high certainty based on the features listed.

I guess in order to know for sure the maker of a unmarked head one would need to know the back story of the head, or, the head has a feature that is linked exclusively to a brand. Is the mysterious letter number stamp exclusive to true temper? I guess that’s the million $ question.

Here's a red axe with a True Temper Woodslasher label and a C10 stamp, with no other visible markings (and none mentioned in the old auction listing). The photos unfortunately don't include an eye shot that shows the ribs.

from https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-true-temper-woodslasher-254145725

 

[Steve Tall]

To my knowledge no. Not a 100% known head with all the other trates but no makers mark. Several have been presented (including mine) that have the ridges and letter number stamp... but no maker mark. But I wouldn’t say they are 100% known. I would say very high certainty based on the features listed.

I guess in order to know for sure the maker of a unmarked head one would need to know the back story of the head, or, the head has a feature that is linked exclusively to a brand.

Looks like we have a winner! The axe in the previous post has a partial label, which (when compared to a similar intact label) mentions the "steel ridges" in the eye (on the label under the "Made in U.S.A.")

So it has (a) the C10 stamp, (b) eye ridges, (c) label confirming that it's a True Temper Woodslasher, and (d) no maker/brand stamping.

 

[garry3]

Here is a Woodslasher with the small number letter code and no eye ridges. I have had a similiar one from the early sixties that didn't have ridges also. But I can't remember if the letter code was there.

 

[rjdankert]

Jersey. Star 49

I guess we can't refer to these marks as alpha/numeric any more.


Bob

 

[garry3]

I guess we can't refer to these marks as alpha/numeric any more.


Bob

The star seems to be fairly common. It’s the only symbol I recall seeing.

Though the heat treat on these Woodslahers is good these later heads lack the geometry and workmanship of some of their other brands and the more vintage Woodslashers.

 

[300Six]

Holy smokes Steve! Informative pictures. Not only does the Woodslasher label on that unstamped head (model 35M2K) indicate that there are eye ridges but it also says 'wear safety goggles'. Same goes with the double bit Woodslasher (model 25M2K) without eye ridges. If I recall 'wear safety goggles' became compulsory print on n. American striking tools in the mid to late 1970s. Perhaps TT was ahead of it's time and was already labelling them with such a warning before 1960, or else the double bit was manufactured sometime after 1982.

 

[garry3]

Holy smokes Steve! Informative pictures. Not only does the Woodslasher label on that unstamped head (model 35M2K) indicate that there are eye ridges but it also says 'wear safety goggles'. Same goes with the double bit Woodslasher (model 25M2K) without eye ridges. If I recall 'wear safety goggles' became compulsory print on n. American striking tools in the mid to late 1970s. Perhaps TT was ahead of it's time and was already labelling them with such a warning before 1960, or else the double bit was manufactured sometime after 1982.

Here is a Kelly from a camp kit that I can place to the early sixties with a foil label. No mention of safety goggles. And no eye ridges either.

 

[garry3]

The letter codes seem to not be there also...