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Salesman sample axe or giveaway
- Thread starter NJ Marty
- Start date
3baygarage
Well-known member
That axe apparently represents a time in Jacksonville history where racial diversity was not accepted. Not at all what I expected. Interesting find.
Ax Handle Saturday, August 27, 1960
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-08-22/story/ax-handle-saturday-1960-day-defiance-black-and-white
Ax Handle Saturday, August 27, 1960
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-08-22/story/ax-handle-saturday-1960-day-defiance-black-and-white
3baygarage
Well-known member
Could be a strange coincidence but I was thinking an incredibly distasteful souvenir from the past. It looks much older though wouldn't you say?
Curious to see what others might know.
Curious to see what others might know.
Last edited:
Tellingthem
Well-known member
I've seen a few of those types of axes. Seemed to be a business giveaway type of thing. Seen a few different versions on eBay for different companies. Cant say anything about this particular one but I have seen others before.
I looked at the date with a loupe and its definitely 1960.Maybe, maybe not. The date looks like 1969 or 1968 not 1960. There are a lot of other states with cities named Jacksonville so don't even know if that's from Florida.
Rileysan
Well-known member
Definitely not a salesman sample.
This axe is cast, handle and all, not forged.
It looks very much like something made for a metalcasting competition for apprentice molders held by one of the many local chapters of groups like American Foundry Society (AFS), Steel Foundry Society of American (SFSA), and so on, or even made as a souvenir by a foundry for some unknown purpose.
Do you have a picture of the back side or ends? I'm looking for break points where a gate and riser would have been broken away from the casting.
Brian
This axe is cast, handle and all, not forged.
It looks very much like something made for a metalcasting competition for apprentice molders held by one of the many local chapters of groups like American Foundry Society (AFS), Steel Foundry Society of American (SFSA), and so on, or even made as a souvenir by a foundry for some unknown purpose.
Do you have a picture of the back side or ends? I'm looking for break points where a gate and riser would have been broken away from the casting.
Brian
woody 73
Well-known member
I can not add anything to the story but if the stories are true about that axe, I am glad to not be the owner.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Well, I was firmly with 3bay, at first, thinking that it had to be a reference to Axe Handle Saturday in Jacksonville in 1960. It wouldn't just be a strange coincidence if it turned out to be something else (e.g., a token from a national axe mfgr's convention that just happened to be held in Jacksonville in the same year), it would be an implausibly bizarre coincidence. And, according to the newspaper story 3bay linked, there was a huge commemoration held on the 40th anniversary, back in 2000. I can see someone having those made for that event, however grim the reminder may seem. But, wouldn't it be more accurate if it was just the handle?
The only other possible explanation I could come up with was a sports team. Does Jacksonville have a small college or university with a mascot like "the Pioneers" (or something like that), which may have featured an axe, I wondered, who may have had some incredible football season in 1960?
So I Googled around a bit until I stumbled on this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville_Axemen
Is anyone else wondering how it's possible that any modern professional sports team in Jacksonville could call themselves the Axemen given the 1960 event? I am not the most politically correct person in the world, I realize that the "axe" is phonetic (within the "Jax"), and I am positive it was innocently planned and adopted without any knowledge of the 1960 racial event, but, if that event was as deeply ingrained in the historical psyche of the city as that story suggests, how did it not cause a controversy when the team was formed?
The only other possible explanation I could come up with was a sports team. Does Jacksonville have a small college or university with a mascot like "the Pioneers" (or something like that), which may have featured an axe, I wondered, who may have had some incredible football season in 1960?
So I Googled around a bit until I stumbled on this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville_Axemen
Is anyone else wondering how it's possible that any modern professional sports team in Jacksonville could call themselves the Axemen given the 1960 event? I am not the most politically correct person in the world, I realize that the "axe" is phonetic (within the "Jax"), and I am positive it was innocently planned and adopted without any knowledge of the 1960 racial event, but, if that event was as deeply ingrained in the historical psyche of the city as that story suggests, how did it not cause a controversy when the team was formed?
ttpete
Well-known member
Looks like it likely would be from Woodmen Of The World, a benevolent fraternal organization.
http://insideflipside.com/index.php...3&products_id=1787&zenid=136bd3e480fa234528b6..
http://insideflipside.com/index.php...3&products_id=1787&zenid=136bd3e480fa234528b6..
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
Looks like it likely would be from Woodmen Of The World, a benevolent fraternal organization.
Seems like a reasonable guess. Thinking it may have been a souvenir from a convention, I found a list of national conventions for the organization; they did have one in Jacksonville in 1913, and another was scheduled there for 1946 but it was cancelled due to wartime travel restrictions. The convention in 1960 was in Nashville. Still, it could have been a commemorative item for members of the local lodge.