Any axe aficionados here?

[Thumper]

You wouldn't believe what a huge collector market there is out there for hatchets and axes. The "good stuff" brings a pretty penny on The Bay. I got hooked when I attended a sale and found TWO Norlands. An axe as well as a double bit hatchet! If I remember correctly, the hatchet brought close to $250 and the axe brought $125-$150 (can't remember persactly). Since then, I've probably sold a half-bazillion various axes and hatchets. Their value hasn't been discovered by most of the estate sale people and I usually pick them up for $3-$5 each. It seems about 90% of the good axes I find are Kelly Works/True Temper or Collins and they bring good $$$. Older Plumbs are good to find and even some of the old Craftsman's have enough room for a decent profit. Anyway, the last sale I was at had a hatchet and three axes in the shed. Due to Florida's humidity, they were so covered with surface rust, I could see no maker's marks, but I gambled on none of them being Chinese and walked away with them for $3 each. I cleaned the hatchet up first and found it to be a Craftsman. Nothing super special, but I immediately flipped it for $40. The other three are a "boy's axe/camp axe" but I've yet to clean it up. Another is a large double bit, but again, I haven't cleaned it. I grabbed the 4th axe over the weekend and got it cleaned up and looking really nice. Turns out it's a dang Sager Chemical Axe! This is only the third Chemical Axe I've come across, but I always do well with them. This one may be a bit on the rare side. It's marked "Sager Chemical Axe" but there's no date. Another rarity is that it has a Baltimore Jersey Pattern head that's in really good shape except from some minor pitting from sitting out in the shed and rusting. The cutting edge appears to have never been re-sharpened and it really looks like the axe has hardly been used. The poll has a few very minor strike marks, but zero mushrooming. Now to the haft, it appears original, but it's a straight, 36" handle, which seems odd on a single bit Chemical. I found an old Chemical Axe catalog but it only mentions the curved single bit handle and the straight double bit handle. Again. I'd bet my left nut on this particular axe having it's original haft. I'm assuming it was produced in a different year than the catalog I found, so I still have some research to do. Any'o youse dufes into the quality, vintage stuff?

P.S. I don't have pics yet. Maybe tomorrow.

[quercus alba]

I've always associated axes with blisters so I've managed to dodge them most of my life

[Thumper]

Oh ... a chainsaw guy? ;)

[quercus alba]

I’ve always associated chainsaws with nubs where fingers used to be so I’ve tried to avoid them also.

[Thumper]

I got'cha ... you get your "firewood" at the grocery store. ;)

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[Arty]

I got'cha ... you get your "firewood" at the grocery store. ;)

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He associates those with charred fingers, so he avoids them!


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[quercus alba]

I really don't like smoke in any form other than gun powder smoke. Trash burning, campfires, fireplaces, bonfires, weenie roasts or even smoked meat I shy away from. I even use a gas grill.

I know, weird

[Thumper]

Q/A's campfire. ;)

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[Bwana]

Sounds like some interesting finds Thumper. Hope its worth a mint.

[Thumper]

It appears this particular axe (the Chemical Axe) will probably bring an easy $150. We have a bunch of errands to do today, so I’m not sure I’ll have time to get any pics. Will post some soon. I’m beginning to fall in love with the old, quality axes. They’re not the easiest to find in Florida. Not a huge need for firewood here.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I busted the handles out of a few axes and such in my day. Not every time on purpose.
BKB

[Thumper]

Update: I listed it yesterday afternoon and it sold immediately for $172.25. Dang! Must'a underpriced it! :crybaby

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[airbud7]

Dude!, that's the Lizzie Borden axe!....:D

good morning Thump...nice sell.

[Penguin]

You know I've seen a lot of "bushcrafters" argue the merits of one very expensive axe versus a different very expensive axe. They take it pretty serious. I admit it was all over my head.... I always use a maul.

And after using it since my early teens it looks like a Viking artifact that was carried thru a couple world wars. It says 8 pounds but I'd bet it has lost a pound of metal via all the punishment and use it has seen.

But axes? Like Tom Selleck said about poetry in Crossfire Trail: I always like it, never understood it. :)

Will

[quercus alba]

Or like he said in Quigley down under, "I never said I couldn't use one, I said I didn't have any use for one."

[Thumper]

The one thing I've learned about this business is that people collect EVERYTHING. My brother (who lives in the San Francisco area BTW) was incredulous whenever he used to see my gun collection. He'd just shake his head and ask why I needed so many guns. I'd always have the same answer for him ... I didn't NEED them, I WANTED them. He'd just roll his eyes and walk off shaking his head. I've sold literally hundreds of old razors over the years. In this age of plastic and/or disposable razors, the old ones are getting harder to find. You wouldn't believe how many bathroom drawers or linen closets I've rifled through looking for dad or grandpa's old DE razor. I'm not talking the old straight razors. Believe it or not, they generally aren't a huge collector item. I'm talking the old 50's - 60's style adjustables. My best sale was right at $650.00 for a nasty old razor I picked up for $0.50. I used to love the old, Gillette "Fat Boys" and have probably sold 50 of them, but sell anything I come across. These are NOT the priciest razors out there and are "fairly" common, but are becoming harder to find, like anything else collectable. As an example, here are a few Fat Boys that have sold in the past couple months.

$2951.00 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Razor-Gillette-Fat-Boy-BOTTOM-DIAL-with-Original-Case-NICE-LQQK/154226146169?hash=item23e8983b79:g:h5YAAOSwuLdfyWv X

$1508.98 https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Vintage-Gillette-Red-Dot-Fatboy-Adjustable-Safety-Razor-RARE-D1-1958/203180219432?hash=item2f4e7c1c28:g:y48AAOSwgmBfrw~ m

$1377.20 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Gillette-Adjustable-Safety-Razor-F-4-Fat-Boy-Bottom-Dial/193771187307?hash=item2d1da9ac6b:g:GzQAAOSwTMhfwpD G

$1200.00 https://www.ebay.com/itm/1958-D-1-GILLETTE-RED-DOT-FATBOY-SAFETY-RAZOR/203177524904?hash=item2f4e52fea8:g:lToAAOSwnUhfrJ7 O

Well, you get the idea. You'd be surprised how many of these things are forgotten and found shoved into the back of a bathroom drawer at grandpa's house. These were very common razors back in the day and sold for $1.95 in the late 50's - early 60's.

Toggles (Gillette) bring insane money and I've only found ONE during my razor hunting career (can't remember what I sold it for).

I just did a quick scan and the sales since mid-November look like this: $4058.25, $1792.05, $1508.98, $1377.20 & $1157.95

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gillette-F4-Toggle-Adjustable-1-9-Razor-CHROME-Nickel-Plated-Excellent-Boxed/224213877653?hash=item3434304395:g:KLcAAOSwcmVfmvH 2

Now these aren't new, museum pieces ... all of the above were used razors and only the first listing posted above of each razor were complete with case, etc. The others were all just the razor themselves. They're still out there and I don't leave an estate sale without digging through the bathroom drawers or peering into the dark recesses of those under-sink cabinets! ;)

The point is, you name it ... SOMEBODY collects it. :thumbsup