Who made this pick/mattock?

[AreBeeBee]

Posting this here as no replies when posted Oct 26 in the vintage tool section —

I have a pick-mattock I got at the local ReStore Habitat shop. The handle (36") appears to be original (it shows wear, but not neglect) and the head (5 lbs) was covered in dirty rust. Lacking enough Evapo, I gave it a couple days in apple-cider vinegar followed by wire-wheeling and Dremeling.

These brought out the forge mark seen in the image. That logo in the lower stamping seems to ring a faint bell, but I can't ID it. And the words appear to start with an "M" and end in "RK" or perhaps "ERK". I think the USA is the country-of manufacture mark. It might stand for United States Army, but if this is a GI implement there's no other indication on it anywhere.

Anyone have ideas on who made this thing?

 

[four.cycle]

I know nothing about "edge tools"

these are the best two leads I can think of:

Registrant WHOIS contact information verification

The Davistown Museum | Regional history museum

The Davistown Museum is a tool, art, and regional history museum with two physical locations in Maine and a website, rich with resources.

www.davistownmuseum.org

 

[AreBeeBee]

I know nothing about "edge tools"

these are the best two leads I can think of:

Registrant WHOIS contact information verification

The Davistown Museum | Regional history museum

The Davistown Museum is a tool, art, and regional history museum with two physical locations in Maine and a website, rich with resources.

www.davistownmuseum.org

Thank you — I'm aware of Davistown, but the other link was new to me. I'll check them out.

 

[four.cycle]

please let me know when you figure it out so we know what that little herald mark is that is stamped next to the illegible name.

 

[RTM]

I’ve looked at that for a while in the quiet side, and really think the K is a different font size than what is before it.

also, how do you really describe that shape? No words come to me.

 

[andersen24]

Posting this here as no replies when posted Oct 26 in the vintage tool section —

I have a pick-mattock I got at the local ReStore Habitat shop. The handle (36") appears to be original (it shows wear, but not neglect) and the head (5 lbs) was covered in dirty rust. Lacking enough Evapo, I gave it a couple days in apple-cider vinegar followed by wire-wheeling and Dremeling.

These brought out the forge mark seen in the image. That logo in the lower stamping seems to ring a faint bell, but I can't ID it. And the words appear to start with an "M" and end in "RK" or perhaps "ERK". I think the USA is the country-of manufacture mark. It might stand for United States Army, but if this is a GI implement there's no other indication on it anywhere.

Anyone have ideas on who made this thing?

That is made by Quikwerk. The Emblem in the front is their "Q." They are out of Warren, Ohio........

Edit: - here is a pic off the internet of their stamping.....

 

[four.cycle]

thank you.

Warren / Warren Tool & Forge Co., 264 Griswold St., Warren, OH / "Quickwerk" picks mattocks hammers bars chisels edge tools / http://toolarchives.com/index.php/node/326 / http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=11547 / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/quikwerk-tools.462234/ /

1920 Warren Tool & Forge catalog

 

[AreBeeBee]

Anderson24 — THANK YOU! For me at least, this was a stumper-of-the-ages, and you've solved it. Marvelous!
And four.cycle — THANK YOU for providing a heap of links to the company and activity on GJ. Wonderful!