Who Made this Chisel? Your input please.

[Martin Cash]

Here is a lovely little 1/4 inch chisel.
It has a maker's stamp on the back that reads across the top (I think):
Cutlery and Edge Tools Etc
Inside the Scroll type logo the last two letters look like ........GE - well, definitely the last letter is E
This is a very nice chisel, good steel and a fine edge. Cuts very well.
Just trying to work out the maker.
Your help is appreciated as always.
MC

[Jim Koepke]

I think that is one of those junk companies.

If you like I will PM you my address and you can send it to me for proper disposal.

Not sure who makes it, but there were a lot of makers and some were very localized at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th.

It could even be made in Sheffield, Sweden or many other countries.

As a good piece of steel, just keep your eyes open and maybe another will come along. In the mean time, be happy it found you to take care of it and hope it finds its way in to yet another century.

jim

[James Taglienti]

Well, i'm clueless. only a few companies made cutlery AND tools, and the only one that comes to my mind right now is southington. Almost everybody gave their chisels some kind of snazzy or manly trade mark name that is the name inside the scroll that says trade mark under it. The manufacturer or hardware store name should be under that. Once you figure those out, you're golden. If the chisel has decent form and is nicely finished then it is most likely a quality maker. Just like Stanley and Sargent made tools for most of the hardware companies, some big chisel makers did he same.

[Ray Gardiner]

Well, i'm clueless. only a few companies made cutlery AND tools, <snip>

Hi James,

I'm inclined to think that actually might be a good clue, makes me think it could be a Sheffield maker, as many edge tool makers also made cutlery.

I have looked for the trade mark, but can't see anything even close. It's possible that the word in the center of the trademark is the maker, but it was also common enough practice to put other seemingly random words into trademarks.


Regards
Ray

[James Taglienti]

Jeez ray you make it sound like it's my first good idea ever

[Jim Koepke]

Hi James,

I'm inclined to think that actually might be a good clue, makes me think it could be a Sheffield maker, as many edge tool makers also made cutlery.

I have looked for the trade mark, but can't see anything even close. It's possible that the word in the center of the trademark is the maker, but it was also common enough practice to put other seemingly random words into trademarks.


Regards
Ray

I was reading something the other day about a short period in the 19th century when it was popular to use the makers name spelled backwards.

It's always something.

jim

[Richard Jones]

"etc" looks like "ETON" to me.............

Rich

[Peter Evans]

A sharp macro picture of the mark might help identify any design elements that may assist with identifying the maker.

In hot Sydney

[Phil Thien]

Harbor Freight?

[Ray Gardiner]

A sharp macro picture of the mark might help identify any design elements that may assist with identifying the maker.

In hot Sydney

Hi Peter,

I was trying to think of edge tool makers that end in "__GE" and thought it could possibly be J & R DODGE, I know they made chisels, but haven't been able to find a mark. Need to find a J&R DODGE chisel and see what the mark looks like... If nothing else it would eliminate them as possible makers..

Regards
Ray

[Jim Koepke]

Hi Peter,

I was trying to think of edge tool makers that end in "__GE" and thought it could possibly be J & R DODGE, I know they made chisels, but haven't been able to find a mark. Need to find a J&R DODGE chisel and see what the mark looks like... If nothing else it would eliminate them as possible makers..

Regards
Ray

Some makers changed their markings over time. One example of this is Buck brothers. Their marking changed a few times before they started using the "buck's head" mark around 1870. The name buck also had more than one company making chisels with that name in various forms marked on tools. Charles Buck is one. There are Buck tools from England and I still have not been able to find much to say if they were all different parts of the same family. Kind of like Marples. There were a lot of them and mostly related also.

Martin,
Your profile does not indicate where you are located. This could also have a bearing on the maker. Unless you bought it somewhere other than where you are located.

jim

[Martin Cash]

Thanks for the feedback fellas. The chisel has all the hallmarks of the classic US chisels viz: socketted, long and bevelled, and a handle in the classic style with leather impact washers at the top.
It so closely resembles the Witherbys, Greenlees, DR Bartons etc that I have that I would place it as a US made chisel. Even though I live in Australia, I have found US chisels turning up occasionally at the Sunday markets and that is where this one came from.
As for the trade mark/logo - it is extremely faint and has no imprint at all in those areas where you see none in the picture.
It would be great to track down the maker. I thought that there might be enough clues from what there is to point in a direction. Apparently it could be a little obscure and hard to pin down.
I appreciate all of the feedback.
Thanks
MC

[John Eaton]

Hey Martin,

I have quite a few "oddballs" like yours - I've sort of given up sourcing the makers in many cases - I've got some heavy mortise chisels, probably from timber framing that appear to be blacksmith made, even, with lots of evident forging and hammering tells (of course that doesn't prove mutch, as metal items that were heavily used often were "fixed" when broken, etc). I can never decide if I should keep them all or sell the ones I don't use - that's the problem with being a packrat - even those I find handle-less seem to be good projects for the lathe so they kick around forever.

How has that one sharpened up and does it hold its edge? I've only found a few that were inferior (and strangely enough they are usually on the lists of "don't bother" that various people have published) to other "classic" manufactured chisels. I've yet to find a Stanley I didn't like (with the exception of a "Defiant" that doesn't keep at edge worth a crap - it's also on the list of "don't bother") - even the later Buck Bros seem to hold an edge better than the rubber handled Marples chisels I own, made a few years ago.

-- John

[Peter Evans]

Ray, some J & R Dodge pictures. No match though.
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Illustrated in the Eileen Woodhead Trademarks reference: