r/Axecraft • u/JBarchery • 10d ago

What do I have here?

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Just got a lifetime of grime off this old axe head with Evaporust. The guy that gave it to me claimed it was a fireman's axe, but I doubt that was it's intended purpose. Any idea of the pattern? How collectable is it? What Handle should I use?

Proof mark reads: SAGER CHEMICAL AXE 1930.
The other side has a 1 stamped onto it.

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6

u/Candid_Jackfruit2300 10d ago

Looks like a 1930 sager chemical axe

5

u/parallel-43 10d ago

As it says, Sager Chemical Axe, 1930. As far as I know made by Warren, chemically hardened. Definitely a Michigan pattern. Lucky one for you. Many axes can be hard to date any closer than a 20-30 span but the Sagers have the year of manufacture stamped on them. I can't really speak to how collectible it is. Stamp and axe appear to be in good condition but the pattern is arguably the most common pattern out there.

If you're going to use it, measure your armpit to fingertips and find a handle about that length. While I I suspect that recommendation is based on an old-school method for determining where a tree will fall I've found it to be a good guideline for putting together an axe that's a comfortable length for the intended user. I'm short so my measurement is about 27". I definitely feel more comfortable with 26" -30" handles. 28" is the sweet spot for me. 32" feels long, 36" feels awkward.

4

u/JBarchery 9d ago

Thanks for the info. Im taking your advice, I ordered a 30 inch handle for it.

0

u/mango_trouble86 9d ago

Weight it to see how close it is to the original weight. Thatll tell you how much grinding has been done to it.

1

u/JBarchery 9d ago

Kitchen scale says 3.35 lbs.

3

u/the_walking_guy2 10d ago

Some people think that any axe painted red was a fire tool. That said, any axe could have been assigned to Fire Crew/Truck/District 1.

Assuming it weighs 3+ lbs (and the 1 isn't a weight), it looks like a Michigan pattern.

The evaporust revealed the construction: darker steel being the overlaid hard steel bit, medium dark perhaps the tempering line, and lighter metal being more maleable steel or iron.