Getting a vintage Collins ax is always the best. But it’s pretty tricky to date the actual history of a particular Collins ax.But to do this, gathering knowledge about how to date a Collins axe is important.
Know the History Before Dating a Collin Axe
To look at the history of Collins Coal, the first thing to note is that Samuel Collins formed Collins & Co. in 1823. Collins’ store started out with eight people. Within a decade, their business grew into a large factory. Moreover, their brand had established a reputation for producing high-quality, pre-sharpened, polished axes.
Until the 1930s, the brand remained strong, but after 1955, the company changed hands several times. Then Truper Herramientas, a Mexican firm that produces axles under the Collins trademark, owns the company. And the Collins Company closed its doors in 1966 after 140 years of existence.
The company’s South American operations were then sold to Stanley Tools, and Mann Edge Tool Company bought the domestic US operations with the Collins name.
How to Date a Collins Ax Properly?
The Collins Company’s “Legitimate” brand was very famous and axes and other cutting tools were used. Valid mark is an indication of original Collins. Digging into the history of Collins’ Legitimate Axe, one can find that it lasted from 1875 to 1966.
Not only is it difficult to authenticate, but also to identify and date each ax. For example, if someone is trying to date a craftsman, they should also go through certain steps. Dating axes is sometimes critical because the history of many of the historic builders has disappeared.
Companies can throw away print materials. But in this case, Collins is by far the most straightforward and the only one actively trying to preserve their past.
Logo: On Axe Blade
Credit: Ace Hardware
To this day, a Collins axe, the Collins logo, is an important allusion. Because Collins changed its logo after 1966, Mann created it. Prior to 1966, legitimate brands typically used a square logo. So, if your ax has a square logo on it, it’s probably a vintage ax. Additionally, a logo helps a Collins user determine whether his ax is pre-standard or post-man.
Each Collins brand logo had a different shape. i mean sam W. Collins, E. K. Root, R. King, B.X Swift, and Bv Wise all have different logo identifications. This logo is originally stamped on an ax blade or head.
So how to date an ax head may also be your thought. And then between 1966 – 2003, Collins changed their logo to a rectangle shape because it wasn’t the original Collins. It was standard. So, to find the original Collins, a buyer should know the exact brand logo and catalog.
Guess Can Help Sometimes
Searching for logo identification can be a good option, but sometimes it is quite impossible to get accurate information. In this case, other options may be beneficial. Such assumptions can sometimes help. Perhaps someone has discovered a vintage Collins ax, and the ax may be too rusty to trace the origin of the logo.
Thus, the user can guess the origin of the ax after analyzing the catalog. In addition, because the catalog contains a picture of the ax, the user can compare the appearance.
Final Word
In conclusion, how to date a Collins ax case. Then it is very important to find out whether the ax was made before 1966 or after 1966. For example, Collin’s red seal hatchet is a vintage ax and is known by almost every woodworker, but it’s important to dig through the catalog to find out the true provenance.