I'm an absolute sucker for old and neglected tools which has lead me to stray from the straight and narrow on many occasions, to much fiscal malign. I cant resist the feeling of taking something, neary 100 years old in some cases, and restoring it back to a workable piece of equipment that may last another 100 years or so.
I was rummaging (one of my favourite pastimes) in a junk shop the other day when I stumbled across an old No.2 size Kent pattern hatchet. I've never really been a fan of the shape of them, having been used to the GB style or the more common chippie hatchet my father used to use. I expected it to be an Elwell or Whitehouse as many hatchets of similar design were manufactured in huge numbers and found their way all over the UK. I could make out some rough numbering; 3 10 No.2 with the faint imprint of '...EDGE TOOL Co'.
Here's a few photos of before;
A bit of elbow grease and an hour or so later, along with some internet research I discovered the imprint revealed the name of 'EAGLE EDGE TOOL Co'. I'd never heard of them before, but research revealed that despite the very American sounding name, the hatchet was the product of a Wolverhampton-based firm occupying the Eagle Works in Monmore Green, W'ton. Apparently the firm had been a going concern since the middle part of the 19th Century and were suppliers of tools to HM Government amongst others.
Regardless of the manufacturer, the hatchet was a joy to restore and will probably replace either my GB Small Forest Axe for chopping duties as the convex edge on this blade seems to be better suited to chopping kindling and the like.
Here are a few more snaps of the finished article:
I was rummaging (one of my favourite pastimes) in a junk shop the other day when I stumbled across an old No.2 size Kent pattern hatchet. I've never really been a fan of the shape of them, having been used to the GB style or the more common chippie hatchet my father used to use. I expected it to be an Elwell or Whitehouse as many hatchets of similar design were manufactured in huge numbers and found their way all over the UK. I could make out some rough numbering; 3 10 No.2 with the faint imprint of '...EDGE TOOL Co'.
Here's a few photos of before;
A bit of elbow grease and an hour or so later, along with some internet research I discovered the imprint revealed the name of 'EAGLE EDGE TOOL Co'. I'd never heard of them before, but research revealed that despite the very American sounding name, the hatchet was the product of a Wolverhampton-based firm occupying the Eagle Works in Monmore Green, W'ton. Apparently the firm had been a going concern since the middle part of the 19th Century and were suppliers of tools to HM Government amongst others.
Regardless of the manufacturer, the hatchet was a joy to restore and will probably replace either my GB Small Forest Axe for chopping duties as the convex edge on this blade seems to be better suited to chopping kindling and the like.
Here are a few more snaps of the finished article:
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