What did you rehang today?

This is an older axe a friend found for me on the way to hunt elk last year. It was tucked in the corner of an antique shop. It was no looker but it was a thing of beauty to me. The head just has great geometry, I think. The poll was pretty battered but the eye was straight. The bit was in good shape with just minor chipping. It seems to have a great heat treat and it came from the factory designed to bite deep, no need to thin the bit I think.
Its stamped "Peerless" and "Powell" , "Cleveland Ohio" I think. It weighs 4 1/2lbs and its on a 32" haft. It was touch and go if I was going to have enough eye on the haft to hang this head. Its a deep eye.


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I usually leave more handle sticking out of the eye. I didn't have any extra.
 
This is an older axe a friend found for me on the way to hunt elk last year. It was tucked in the corner of an antique shop. It was no looker but it was a thing of beauty to me. The head just has great geometry, I think. The poll was pretty battered but the eye was straight. The bit was in good shape with just minor chipping. It seems to have a great heat treat and it came from the factory designed to bite deep, no need to thin the bit I think.
Its stamped "Peerless" and "Powell" , "Cleveland Ohio" I think. It weighs 4 1/2lbs and its on a 32" haft. It was touch and go if I was going to have enough eye on the haft to hang this head. Its a deep eye...

Now that's an "oldie but goodie"!

In case you didn't see this at YesteryearsTools:
Powell Tool Co., Cleveland, OH, Est. 1872

Label for Powell's "Peerless":
Romer,%20Powell-9.jpg


Kauffman's American Axes lists a couple other earlier Powells from Cleveland.

Interesting that the "Peerless" brand from "Powell Tool Company, Cleveland, Ohio" was still being manufactured after American Axe & Tool Co. acquired Powell, according to this article from 1890.

books

from The Iron Age, Vol. 45, 1890
 
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Great looking axe!
Looks halfway between a Connie and an Aussie - leaning toward an Aussie. Weight is right for an Aussie, too.
Good score.
 
Great looking axe!
Looks halfway between a Connie and an Aussie - leaning toward an Aussie. Weight is right for an Aussie, too.
Good score.

I don't know of a name for this style, but that is a common style/shape for very old hand made American axes that I see around here. Not limited to a specific brand, but a popular shape I guess for maybe pre-1900 axes turned out by lots of local shops. These typically had the type-set style stamping that usually included a company name and some other words such as "warranted" or "cast steel". If you can find them unabused they look very nice. I don't know of a specific date range for this style, but I think of them as second half of the 19th century.
 
I don't know of a name for this style, but that is a common style/shape for very old hand made American axes that I see around here. Not limited to a specific brand, but a popular shape I guess for maybe pre-1900 axes turned out by lots of local shops. These typically had the type-set style stamping that usually included a company name and some other words such as "warranted" or "cast steel". If you can find them unabused they look very nice. I don't know of a specific date range for this style, but I think of them as second half of the 19th century.

Thank you for that information JB. This type of axe is scarce around here. I do know that the owners of the antique shop are from the Midwest and have family pick that part of the country for them. Probably how this axe came to Idaho.
What I know of the history of Powell Tool Co and the standard axe patterns that came out around 1900(?) seem to confirm the date range you give because this pattern must have fell out of favor by then, as it is not listed in the patterns. I do wish I knew more about the 400 or so patterns listed by various makers prior to that.
 
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...this pattern must have fell out of favor by then [1900], as it is not listed in the patterns.


Looking at the 1873 catalog from Douglas Axe, there is a somewhat similar pattern that seems to have disappeared since then:
North Western Pattern.


books


books



"NorthWest" could be in reference to the historical "Northwest Territory":
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When Northwest Airlines was founded in 1926, it went as far west as Minnesota.
"Northwest Airlines was founded on September 1, 1926, by Colonel Lewis Brittin, under the name Northwest Airways, a reference to the historical name for the Midwestern United States that derived from the Northwest Territory."
--Wikipedia
 
Looking at the 1873 catalog from Douglas Axe, there is a somewhat similar pattern that seems to have disappeared since then:
North Western Pattern.


books


books



"NorthWest" could be in reference to the historical "Northwest Territory":
250px-Northwest-territory-usa-1787.png


When Northwest Airlines was founded in 1926, it went as far west as Minnesota.
"Northwest Airlines was founded on September 1, 1926, by Colonel Lewis Brittin, under the name Northwest Airways, a reference to the historical name for the Midwestern United States that derived from the Northwest Territory."
--Wikipedia

Very similar.
There is a Cleveland pattern I found here.
328839-axe-head-age.html
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/328839-axe-head-age.html

The pattern naming has always been a best guess for me. It seems like axes just do not fit into nice and tidy category's. It would be nice if we had all the known patterns categorized in one place.

I had forgot about that old Douglas Catalog being out there. Its similar to no 204 and 214 also. That they do not even bother to name, just give them numbers.
 
DeadBoxHero, that is a good looking match.

Made in West Germany 1-1/2lb hatchet. It presents a solid face.


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I've had good luck with them. Most of them at least. This one is hard.
 
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JB, that came out nice. I have owned some like it, good axes. Them german axes are not bad at all. Even the cheap Helko's that we used to be able to buy at Harbor Freight had a pretty good heat treat.

Blue, Great handles and axes to go with them. Is that Rockaway an AA& T Co?
 
Blue Sasquatch those are awesome. Great patterns in good condition on svelte looking handles. Nice work on those.

That Plumb with the Star marked on it is a handsome tool. I have a 3lb Connecticut that I am toying with hanging on a 28" handle.

Your work there helped me decide.
 
I have done several nice hammers lately, I need to do something with an edge so I can show everything off!
 
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