Case Hatchets

[g-p2]

I was hoping someone could help me with dating c
Case Hatchets. Some years ago I bought 2 Case Hatchets, both have wooden handles. One is marked CASE XX USA and the other is marked CASE 'S TESTED XX.

[TripleF]

This is where I would look:

https://www.casecollectorsclub.com/college/tang-stamps/

[Mumbleypeg]

Per a post by Steve Pfeiffer on the Case Collector’s Club Forum.

The 380 and 580 were the last ones to be made, discontinued after 1972. The Sportsman and Cruiser are pretty rare and discontinued in the 1960's.

The 380 handle is leather, the 580 is walnut. The Sportsman and the Cruiser had wooden handles but were a camp axe and full size axe, not hatchets.

Welcome to AAPK.

Ken

[Modern Slip Joints]

Interesting. I did not know Case ever marketed a usable hatchet and, even more interesting, a cruiser.

The flat stamped out sheet metal hatchets made by Buck, Western, Case and others deserved their failure in the market. There are not enough ignorant buyers to support that kind of worthless junk. I challange you to find one man who ever heated exclusively with wood who disagrees with me.

[Mumbleypeg]

Interesting. I did not know Case ever marketed a usable hatchet and, even more interesting, a cruiser.

The flat stamped out sheet metal hatchets made by Buck, Western, Case and others deserved their failure in the market. There are not enough ignorant buyers to support that kind of worthless junk. I challange you to find one man who ever heated exclusively with wood who disagrees with me.

According to information provided by Case on the Case Collector’s Club forum in a thread about Case axes and hatchets, they made both stamped models and forged models. At one time Case had an in-house forge shop, and some items were “forged and ground in-house”. Although they did not specify which models were stamped vs forged, it’s possible the discontinuance of these items may have coincided with the demise of the forge shop.


At the time Steve Pfeiffer posted in the thread there on the subject of axes and hatchets, so he may have more info.

Ken

[OLDE CUTLER]

Interesting. I did not know Case ever marketed a usable hatchet and, even more interesting, a cruiser.

The flat stamped out sheet metal hatchets made by Buck, Western, Case and others deserved their failure in the market. There are not enough ignorant buyers to support that kind of worthless junk. I challange you to find one man who ever heated exclusively with wood who disagrees with me.

Yes, they were far to light with no mass to do much chopping. Kind of an emergency kit kind of item or used by hunters as they were light to carry, too light.

[Modern Slip Joints]

For whatever my opinion is worth, maybe not much, axes are swung with two hands, hatchets one. For a couple of centuries the standard axe in this country has been a 3 1/2 pound head on a 36" handle. It's common for heads to vary 1/2 pound up or down. A boy's axe, the other standard, has a 2 1/4 pound head on a 27" handle. That Case ad shows only one hand tools, hatchets.

In speciality stores that cater to loggers and large old fashioned hardware stores you could find a great many specialized hatchets and axes. Case's Cruiser is a good example of one. I've never met a man who owned or wanted a cruiser but the local, now closed, loggers' store usually had one. They also had 17" single bit hatchets with heads all the way up to five pounds. I doubt they sold many of the heaviest hatchets. They were primarily used as hammers for driving in wedges while falling trees. Prior to chain saws four foot double bit axes were not uncommon. They're collectable now. I love a 2 1/4 pound boys axe head on a 17" curved handle. The big US brands sold them as house or hearth axes. I know, that contradicts me not wanting one hand tools called axes. Rig Builders, a variation of framing hammer, are also great. They have a 1 3/4 pound head with a hatchet blade opposite a checkered hammer face on a 17" straight handle.

[g-p2]

Thanks for the info. FWIW I think Case Hatchets are impractical other than as collectors pieces.

[LittleAugieMo]

IIRC the Case hatchets that were forged had a "flanged" or wider poll& also were bit harder than the non-forged ones.

[LittleAugieMo]

heaver,not harder

[eveled]

Interesting. I did not know Case ever marketed a usable hatchet and, even more interesting, a cruiser.

The flat stamped out sheet metal hatchets made by Buck, Western, Case and others deserved their failure in the market. There are not enough ignorant buyers to support that kind of worthless junk. I challange you to find one man who ever heated exclusively with wood who disagrees with me.

Those small hatchets were never meant for processing wood. Some people use a small hatchet while cleaning game. It’s a regional thing.

[Mumbleypeg]

I was hoping someone could help me with dating c
Case Hatchets. Some years ago I bought 2 Case Hatchets, both have wooden handles. One is marked CASE XX USA and the other is marked CASE 'S TESTED XX.

Those marked CASE XX USA were made between 1965-1969. From 1965 onward Case used the same marking on fixed blades, Knif-Ax combos, and pocket knives. On the Knif-Ax sets those marked CASE XX are older than those marked CASE'S TESTED XX, just the opposite of pocket knife stamps. Sorry, I don't know the year the change was made. The last Knif-Ax sets and the last hatchets were made in 1972.

Ken

[sextonknifeworks]

Here are some pics of Case hatchets I just sold:

[kennedy knives]

A few of my Case Hatchets

[btrwtr]

A few more. Far left first picture is stamped "CASE PATD FEB, 23 26 "

[Clymensb]

I was hoping someone could help me with dating c
Case Hatchets. Some years ago I bought 2 Case Hatchets, both have wooden handles. One is marked CASE XX USA and the other is marked CASE 'S TESTED XX.

Those marked CASE XX USA were made between 1965-1969. From 1965 onward Case used the same marking on fixed blades, Knif-Ax combos, and pocket knives. On the Knif-Ax sets those marked CASE XX are older than those marked CASE'S TESTED XX, just the opposite of pocket knife stamps. Sorry, I don't know the year the change was made. The last Knif-Ax sets and the last hatchets were made in 1972.

Ken

Ken-

I'm a newbie in this group, but looking for information. I've seen and read about the little Case Tested XX saddle axe. Maybe a 1 pound head in a roughly 14" handle. (The one in the advertisement in the above post). Well I was able to pick up a Case XX (all in a row). It's around 2 1/2 pound Cruiser head on a 27" handle 2 1/4" eye. I haven't been able to find any other examples of it. And in some of the axe Facebook groups. The thought is its a fake. What are your thoughts,

Thanks
B

[Clymensb]

For whatever my opinion is worth, maybe not much, axes are swung with two hands, hatchets one. For a couple of centuries the standard axe in this country has been a 3 1/2 pound head on a 36" handle. It's common for heads to vary 1/2 pound up or down. A boy's axe, the other standard, has a 2 1/4 pound head on a 27" handle. That Case ad shows only one hand tools, hatchets.

In speciality stores that cater to loggers and large old fashioned hardware stores you could find a great many specialized hatchets and axes. Case's Cruiser is a good example of one. I've never met a man who owned or wanted a cruiser but the local, now closed, loggers' store usually had one. They also had 17" single bit hatchets with heads all the way up to five pounds. I doubt they sold many of the heaviest hatchets. They were primarily used as hammers for driving in wedges while falling trees. Prior to chain saws four foot double bit axes were not uncommon. They're collectable now. I love a 2 1/4 pound boys axe head on a 17" curved handle. The big US brands sold them as house or hearth axes. I know, that contradicts me not wanting one hand tools called axes. Rig Builders, a variation of framing hammer, are also great. They have a 1 3/4 pound head with a hatchet blade opposite a checkered hammer face on a 17" straight handle.

Hi
I'm a newbie in this group, but looking for information. I've seen and read about the little Case Tested XX saddle axe. Maybe a 1 pound head on a roughly 14" handle. (Same as the one in the advertisement in the above post). Well I was able to pick up a Case XX (all in a row). It's around 2 1/2 pound Cruiser head on a 27" handle 2 1/4" eye. I haven't been able to find any other examples of it. And in some of the axe Facebook groups. The thought is its a fake. What are your thoughts, from what I read in your post. It's sounds like there were other style (as in weights) made by case.

Thanks B

[gino]

Beautiful Hatchet B

I have about 2 dozen hatchets but was never lucky enough to come across a Case

[Mumbleypeg]

Sorry B, I don’t have an opinion about your axe. You say some believe it to be a fake. Did they explain why they think it’s fake? If not I’d challenge them to give the reasons.

If you read posts in the “Counterfeit Watch” forum here, it’s frowned upon to make such acquisitions without stating why, so others can learn what to watch for.

Ken

[OLDE CUTLER]

For whatever my opinion is worth, maybe not much, axes are swung with two hands, hatchets one. For a couple of centuries the standard axe in this country has been a 3 1/2 pound head on a 36" handle. It's common for heads to vary 1/2 pound up or down. A boy's axe, the other standard, has a 2 1/4 pound head on a 27" handle. That Case ad shows only one hand tools, hatchets.

In speciality stores that cater to loggers and large old fashioned hardware stores you could find a great many specialized hatchets and axes. Case's Cruiser is a good example of one. I've never met a man who owned or wanted a cruiser but the local, now closed, loggers' store usually had one. They also had 17" single bit hatchets with heads all the way up to five pounds. I doubt they sold many of the heaviest hatchets. They were primarily used as hammers for driving in wedges while falling trees. Prior to chain saws four foot double bit axes were not uncommon. They're collectable now. I love a 2 1/4 pound boys axe head on a 17" curved handle. The big US brands sold them as house or hearth axes. I know, that contradicts me not wanting one hand tools called axes. Rig Builders, a variation of framing hammer, are also great. They have a 1 3/4 pound head with a hatchet blade opposite a checkered hammer face on a 17" straight handle.

Hi
I'm a newbie in this group, but looking for information. I've seen and read about the little Case Tested XX saddle axe. Maybe a 1 pound head on a roughly 14" handle. (Same as the one in the advertisement in the above post). Well I was able to pick up a Case XX (all in a row). It's around 2 1/2 pound Cruiser head on a 27" handle 2 1/4" eye. I haven't been able to find any other examples of it. And in some of the axe Facebook groups. The thought is its a fake. What are your thoughts, from what I read in your post. It's sounds like there were other style (as in weights) made by case.

Thanks B

I can't say anything about your axe, but from having spent several years doing professional leather work, the sheath is modern using modern rivets and the letters stamped on it are using modern stamp sets sold by Tandy leather.

[gino]

I don’t think Case would have stamped their logo that crooked
JMO

[Modern Slip Joints]

Hi
[...] I was able to pick up a Case XX (all in a row). It's around 2 1/2 pound Cruiser head on a 27" handle 2 1/4" eye. I haven't been able to find any other examples of it. And in some of the axe Facebook groups. The thought is its a fake. What are your thoughts, from what I read in your post. It's sounds like there were other style (as in weights) made by case.

Thanks B

I know very little about Case hatchets so I'm not a good member to ask if yours is a fake. My thoughts are, first, I have only seen "Cruiser" axes the size and weight of yours sold as double bit boy's axes, not cruisers. The longest tool I've seen sold as a cruiser was under 20". Specific to your axe, the brand was stamped using individual stamps for each letter. I'm not aware of Case ever doing that. I am not expert enough to pay a collectors' price for a carbon steel axe that is claimed to have gone decades without acquiring a hint of discoloration or patina and is claimed to be an expensive rare collectors' item.

I bought all of my hatchets to use during the years I heated with wood. While I paid a little over $50 for one, $30 would buy the best hatchet that existed. The situation hasn't changed much. The biggest changes are less distribution of American made basic tools and casting tools that were better forged.