Some years later, there is a restructing, and the axe division gets renamed to True Temper. This is the name most people are familar with when it comes to Kelly Axes. This rename to True Temper came about in So remember, anything Kelly you see with TT on it should be post I use this to gauge Kelly when looking at axes.
Now the fun starts because you will see axes marked TT Kelly Works on them - I take it this was to ensure that people knew that the True Temper name was associated with Kelly quality and name recognition. Couple examples - So Kelly was able to stay in business somewhat longer than most axe makers - they made it until when the HQ was moved to Cleveland and the Charleston operation shut down. This marked the end of a great run overall for this axe line that is widely known not only in the US, but also in Canada Wellland Vale , Australia, and I am sure to whatever degree in south america.
The rights to the names of the line were sold to Barco Industries in , and they still produce a couple lines of Kellys. They are in Reading, Pa. Obviously they made hatchets - Here are a couple examples from the 70s.
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Quality no where near the older lines. Kelly made many different hardware lines - Keen Kutter being one of the most popular. Most are familar with perhaps the 2 most widely known lines of axes out there - Flint Edge and Kelly Perfect. The Flint Edge line seems to be popular in numbers overall, while the Perfect line is also popular, and highly sought after. The Kelly Perfect line incorporated single bits, double bits, hatchets, hammers, and other varous tools besides axes. And let us not forget one of the most sought after Kellys - the Kelly Perfect Jersey.
And then the Flint Edge line -. As stated, Kelly made lines for all needs, including the RR. Here are a couple Flint Edge RR lines -. This axe, with its huge imprint on the axe head of the Raven, holds some mystique in the axe world today. When we look at it - we see the imprint, the fine work of the logo, and think, how could someone swing that into wood?
Yet it was a popular lline in its day - and usually highly sought after. The Black Ravens will have various wording on the imprint, which will help you to date them.
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- e-WV | Kelly Axe and Tool Company.
Also, sometimes it will say True Temper on the back - giving you a better feel for how old the piece is. This is one of the more unique lines in the axe history world - Kelly had a line where each axe got its own registered number. This was seen on double bits and single bits.
Kelly Axe Mfg. Co.
I have been searching trying to find a link between registered number, and year of manufacturer. None has been found that I know of, and I have no idea if it even exists. I wonder if a true axeman really even cared about the number LOL. WellI hope this helped to shed a little light on the largest axe maker the world has ever seen. It is a fascinating company, one with a long timeline, twists, turns, bumps and bruises.
If I did please let me know. Ok Ok I know, lets see some pics. Here is an example of the Kelly Mfg Co name - And then here is an example of the Kelly Axe and Tool Co name being used - So, continuing on, hopefully someone has said to themself - "Hey were are in the early s here, what about the big boy on the block, the American Axe and Tool Co? So now that the timeline is over, lets look back at some of their products. Older hatchets - They also made products for hardware companies as most of the axe manufacturers did - Kelly made many different hardware lines - Keen Kutter being one of the most popular.
Kellys own lines - Most are familar with perhaps the 2 most widely known lines of axes out there - Flint Edge and Kelly Perfect. Here are a couple Flint Edge RR lines - Let us not forget some of the other Kelly Lines - Black Raven - This axe, with its huge imprint on the axe head of the Raven, holds some mystique in the axe world today.
Of course, a couple pics! The Registered Line - This is one of the more unique lines in the axe history world - Kelly had a line where each axe got its own registered number. Apparently Kelly was not the only one conducting similar experiments around that time. Although he later proved he was the first to discover the process of sending blasts of air through molten iron, the initial credit for discovering the process went to Henry Bessemer of England.
That was in but he never profited to the degree that the Bessemer Converter profited. In William got involved with a syndicate that organized a corporation for controlling Kelly's patents but indications are Kelly was not overly involved in the actual business. Instead he concentrated his efforts on another business, the manufacture of steel. City and Business Directory listings of the s indicate that William C. Kelly was located in Louisville, Kentucky and that he was in the steel business in At that time William C. Kelly is listed in conjunction with the word "steelworks" with no mention of any other specialty or any address.
Indications are that William C. In the Louisville City Directory indicates that W.
Kelly was located at Portland Street and that he was a "Mfg. Kelly later moved to W. Main with the same reference; Mfg. Records indicate that William Kelly died on February 11, Kelly of Louisville, Kentucky. One would expect that the patents in question may have been issued to the executor of William Kelly's estate or some other appointee considering William Kelly had already died, but in reality the patents were issued to one of Kelly's sons, named William C. William Kelly, the father, had sired a number of children and his second son, born December 1, , was also named William C.
By James P. Kelly, the third son of William C. The company by then was listed as being a manufacturer of axes and hatchets. It is believed that James became the general manager of the business in That would coincide with the year his father William C.
Kelly Axe Dating
Kelly had been issued a patent on September 29, for an "AX" pattern. The patent was issued as No. Some subsequent advertising printed in publications in the s included the date on axes and apparently some axes also included the date. However, the vast majority of advertising and markings on actual Perfect Axes included two dates and possibly applied to patents by both William C.
Kelly and James P. Kelly who were brothers involved in the Kelly Axe Mfg. The earliest markings include only the date May 7, The date is believed to have referred to Patent No. It could also have applied to a patent issued the same day to James P. Kelly that was designated as Patent No. The other marks have May 7, along with September 23, The second date is incorrect as it is not a Tuesday and by that time US patents were only issued on Tuesdays.
That practice had been in effect since More information on Kelly and the Perfect Axe is included in the booklet on Kelly offered on the Home Page of this website. In the company built a factory in Alexandria, Indiana and in all the operations relocated to that city. One of the major reasons for relocating was the supposedly abundant supply of natural gas.
kelly perfect axe
The management had such faith in the continuance of the company that they even relocated most of their experienced work force to Alexandria. They soon to learned that the information related to the supply of natural gas was erroneous. The company remained in Alexandria until when they again relocated; that time to Charleston, West Virginia. Part of the justification for the move was a more promising supply of natural gas which had become the company's major fuel used in the axe making factories.
As mentioned, it was discovered that the reserves thought to be available in Alexandria were insufficient for their long range purposes. The Charleston move was to a tract of land that initially involved 25 acres along the edge of the Elk River not far from where it joins the Kanawha River. Shortly after the business relocated to Charleston they opened an office in New York City.
New York was a much more prestigious center of commerce and the New York office aided in expanding the company into international markets. Kelly was still listed as the president of the Kelly Axe Mfg. The company was then listed as being located on the corner of Patrick and 4th Ave. Two years later, , W.
Kelly is still listed as the president with George T. Price as the V. Kelly as the secretary. Some opinions suggest that the Kelly Axe Mfg. Perhaps Kelly was solicited in regard to joining but declined. During the next three decades the Kelly Axe Mfg. That acquisition resulted in the takeover of all the plants owned by the A. A considerable amount of equipment was relocated to Charleston which in turn resulted in a major expansion of Kelly's manufacturing facilities in that city.
What had occupied approximately 25 acres in had grown to 41 acres in the late teens and then expanded to encompass approximately 60 acres after they bought the A. Manufacturing operations ran continuously around the clock and the or so employees of was soon increased to around 1, workers. The purchase of the A. The company headquarters initially remained in Charleston, West Virginia and was continued there until when they moved the headquarters to Cleveland, Ohio. During their history, the Kelly Axe Mfg. As the etching process became more expensive, the use of paper labels increased to the point that Kelly furnished axes identified with scores of different labels.
Many of the labels included the name of the distributor rather than the Kelly name. Eventually the application of etchings was reduced to practically nil and they converted to the Kelly Axe Mfg.