What is that Collins Joe? Looks like some kind of machete.
Axe restoration thread
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Yep, a machete. Only one I've ever seen. I saw the sticker/tag from a distance, but I didn't see the stamped logo on the other side till I picked it up, and took it outside in better light. Made my day when I saw the crown and hammer, and Legitimus.
Somewhere I read that most of their machete's were made for the South American market. It looks like the black tag on this one is in Spanish.
Collins is an interesting story. Great axes always, but sold to Black & Decker in the 60's and shut their doors forever. B&D continued to sell Collins axes. The story gets muddy at this point as to who and where they were made. I have quite a few Collins heads from the 70's.....all have proven to be hard workers and no issues. Nothing fancy for sure like the northern Euro stuff.....just everyday working man stuff of good value.
Which makes me wonder what the pre-B&D Collins were like?
Kevin
Which makes me wonder what the pre-B&D Collins were like?
Kevin
This is a Collins 3 1/2 that my Dad bought back in the 50's or 60's. Small climbing, and brushing saws hadn't come out yet, and when they did start to find their way onto job sites, many of the workers were so used to limbing up trees with axes, they wouldn't touch a chainsaw. Dad would buy them by the case. When we found this one it was wrapped up in a sheet of burlap, in the rafters of his barn. That was probably 40 years ago. It was cool, for sure, but just an old tool with no special meaning. So, we just set it against a post and it sat there for another 20 years. When we first found it, it had 100% of blueing on both sides and the handle was pristine. When Mom and Dad moved and I found it again, most of the bluing was gone from one side, and the "Genuine Collins Hickory" on the handle had faded some. I think I may have split some straight grained Oak with it just for fun. I had a 40HP wood splitter so didn't do much hand splitting. It's still in nice condition and would be the last ax I'd sell. I have my wife's grandfathers 1900's American Beauty in nice shape also, it would be next to last to go.
It's hard to see in the close up of "Collins", but the "Crown and Hammer" is there, and "Legitimus", is under Collins. If I remember correctly, Collins didn't Copy Right their name, so every fly by night foundry was putting out axes with some variant of Collins on them, cashing in on Collins reputation. When they finally did copy right the name they put Legitimus under it to prove it was a legitimate Collins.
Here's one version of the Collins Crown and Hammer. It's from the above Machete.
copen
ArboristSite Member
This is pretty cool if you haven't already seen it.
Are those guys smoking?? Geeeeze.....no way you could make any money today with all those hand steps in forging the axe.
No wonder those old axe heads are so sought after.
Kevin
No wonder those old axe heads are so sought after.
Kevin
What it says in Spanish is:
Look for the stamp
Collins and co.
Hartford
On every tool
If you want the
Genuine (legitimate) from
Collins
And I can't make out all of the last line at the bottom. What I can read says,
'...the legitimate ones have the...'
CatMan Fetters
ArboristSite Operative
Thanks, the one I found on line had another black tag. You can see a line where it attached to the one here, and the brown curved stain, where there is less rust, where it peeled off this one. When it says, "Look for the stamp", I assume they mean the stamp in the metal on the other side, not just the sticker?
My favorite part is how they trim the handle sticking through the eye. Not sticking an inch through with a fat wedge to spread it. None of my vintage axes have the handles sticking out proud of the metal. Some are 100 years old and they are still tight.
https://www.google.com/search?clien...ing+an+axe#kpvalbx=_MlDKYti5F52O0PEPwI2rsAI16
This kid is pretty good, but a kid after all. Hanging an axe is an art. Not to promote Buckin' Billy for anything, but he knows how to do this as well.
It's all in beating it in, removing, shaving the curl, , beating in, removing again and shave curl, watching the head alignment on the handle, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. I've never done one to my satisfaction that didn't take at least 25 minutes. But then again, I've never had a handle get loose if I put the time into it.
I trim flush to the head. This leaving some proud stuff is something the Millennials and younger are promoting. If you did the job correctly, It shouldn't make any difference in tightness if it's proud or flush.
Kevin
This kid is pretty good, but a kid after all. Hanging an axe is an art. Not to promote Buckin' Billy for anything, but he knows how to do this as well.
It's all in beating it in, removing, shaving the curl, , beating in, removing again and shave curl, watching the head alignment on the handle, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. I've never done one to my satisfaction that didn't take at least 25 minutes. But then again, I've never had a handle get loose if I put the time into it.
I trim flush to the head. This leaving some proud stuff is something the Millennials and younger are promoting. If you did the job correctly, It shouldn't make any difference in tightness if it's proud or flush.
Kevin
I agree it’s a young persons idea of what looks cool. Just shows they never had to use an axe past playing with it. It’s just something else to catch splinters while splitting, and break chips off of the haft. The only axe in my collection that sits proud to the head is my British Elwell, that the head slides on a round, tapered haft like a grubbing hoe/matax.
Homesteader I have one with original handle. GLWS
Do they call that a bow tie or just me?
I have always considered it a nickname, but I know very little about all of the hysterical stuff on axes.
Neil, that's one heck of a nice Collins @rupedoggy just put on the bay. Don't find many like that!
I thought that Joe. If only I'd known it was for sale I could have made an offer, avoided eBay's rather high fees, and the real killer with eBay international, the shipping and import fees... So much easier to write, 'gift, $10 value' and post via parcel monkey or parcel 2go. 
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