Ok. So the axe is one of mankind's oldest tools. They've been made from most every material imaginable, for at least the last several thousand years. However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in America, the axe attained its highest expression. Quality makers abounded. Axes were made in a variety of shapes and sizes. A distributor or consumer with a certain minimum order could have axes made up in any size/shape they wanted, and painted/embossed as well. Some catalogs from this period offer hundreds of patterns, in a variety of weights. Proper steel was available, and multiple piece construction and tempering put that steel to good use. Most axes from the time period from ~1880 to ~1940s, if they haven't been too badly beaten-up are going to be of superior quality to anything available new today, with the exception of a few imports (Specifically, I'm thinking of the Gransfors Bruks, SOME of the Ox-head/Iltis axes, and the Tuatahi/Keech/Davis Foster work axes - those last three being more of a competition practice axe than a real work axe). Of course, I don't want to suggest that every old axe is better than every new axe. Then as now, some makers didn't quite get it right. Those makers probably disappeared pretty quickly, and few of their inferior products have been passed down to us.
For this post, I'll start with a few brands that a general consumer is likely to find, either roaming the internet, or the summer flea market circuit.
Kelly/True Temper - These companies have a complicated history, with buyouts, factory moves, multiple brandings, etc. If you look around for long though, you will definitely see LOTS of axes marked with these stamps, together or seperately. Currently, I think the True-Temper brand is owned by Ames tool company, and is used on a line of consumer grade hand tools - axes, rakes and the like.
Collins - made in Connecticut, in several factories over the years. This brand is also still used on axes, however, the current production doesn't hold a candle to their older stuff. In particular, look for the "Legitimus" stamp on Collins axes - it was used to denote their top of the line equipment, and can be taken as a virtual guarentee of (original) quality.
Plumb - at least where I live, this brand would probably round out my "Big 3" of used axes. Maybe not quite as common as the two above, but you find them around alot. Anyone who was a boyscout back in the day likely had an official boyscout hatchet. If you still have yours, pull it out and you should be able to find the Plumb stamp on it. These hatchets are all ovedr the market, and can be had pretty cheap now, if you are looking for a servicable kindling hatchet.
Other brands tend to be more regional. In the northeast, where I live, lots of Snow & Nealley axes are found laying around. They have been around for a long time, and axes have been produced (with a short hiccup in the early 2000s) in Bangor, Maine since their inception. In the midwest, where I used to live, I saw more of the Belknap/Bluegrass axes, made in St. Louis. In the Northwest, I understand the Warren and Sager names are more common.
One more to mention, is the Simmons Keen Kutter brand. I have a few of their axes, and I find them to be exceptional work axes. I have a soft spot in my heart for them, I guess, and one friend likes to make fun of me for this. That's fine with me. He is far too fond of Kelly axes for any normal person.
Three quick notes, and then we can let the debate begin:
1) Few of my FAVORITE axes were made by any of the brands above. In general, those axes come from smaller, more hand-production shops. Those axes are generally older, from factories that may be local, and in some cases one-of-a-kind blacksmith pieces.
2) Every axe that I use has been reshaped and re-hung by me. I generally bring the edges back behind any chips, reprofile the cheeks, depending on what I want to use the axe for, and hang it on a new hickory handle, which is also then heavily re-shaped.
3) Current axes are made for the current market. Few people use axes on a daily basis to fell trees. Rather, most people just want something to split a few logs to throw in the fireplace. As such, axes have changed to match market demand. Axes are cheap, many come with overly long (36 inch) handles - far too long to control for felling, but offering a bit more momentum for splitting to those that don't know proper splitting techniques. Perhaps most significantly, axe stell has gotten very soft. One fellow suggested to me that consumer demand pushed this as well. He is his logic: modern consumers, not familiar with the finer points of steel behavior, assume that an axe that goes dull is fine - just sharpen it (or, more likely these days, just go on swinging it) - but an axe that chips must be faulty, and in need of replacement (at the makers expense). Unfortunately, edge retention usually comes at the expense of some brittleness. Because most axes will be used mostly for splitting, constantly encountering gravel/grit, etc, soft axes that don't chip are the order of the day. Thank goodness some of our fathers and grandfathers (and mothers and grandmothers) took care of their tools and handed them down to later generations....
Ok. There's a book. Please feel free to disagree. I'd love to learn more.
