Early in 2025, while picking an old junk store for axes, I came across a bundle of one of my favorite “non-axe” tools: turpentine hacks. These nifty little curved blades were an integral part of the naval stores production industry, and were quite often produced by blacksmiths who also crafted turpentine and boxing axes, so they tend to follow me home. Much like axes, sometimes these tools are stamped with a maker’s name, so tracking their history is occasionally possible. Th

Pattern: (n) 1) A repeated decorative design. (n) 2) A model or design used as a guide    If you were raised in the same era as I, or earlier, you’ve likely seen a McCall’s, Simplicity, or Butterick’s brand clothing pattern, or at least one of those sitting on a store shelf or in a relative’s sewing basket. These patterns were sold to those who were looking to make their own clothes, and supplied a basic design that allowed for the creation of a sta

Henry Warwood and Wife, Mary (Maria) Though not primarily an axe manufacturing concern historically, Warwood Tool is a current producer of Axes and Pulaskis, and has offered wood chopping mauls as a product for some time, so they are certainly worth discussing here as a maker of American axes. The company’s originator, Henry Warwood, was born on February 23rd of 1823, at Staffordshire, England, to William Warwood, a skilled tool maker who was employed in the Brades Steel W

In the year 1849, Luther Rixford turned 70 years old. Growing old and in need of an exit from a life of manufacturing, he retired from...