A Brief Guide to Identifying Counterfeit Etched Axes and Their Sellers- New Book for Sale

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A Brief Guide to Identifying Counterfeit Etched Axes and Their Sellers- New Book For Sale

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A Brief Guide to Identifying Counterfeit Etched Axes and Their Sellers- New Book:
$999.99

This sale is for the first printing of an author\'s new book. This is a home printed edition, soon to be followed with a more economical paperback version!

Ever wondered which of those axe vintage etched axe heads you\'ve seen for sale online are real, and which are fake? Though there are many faked heads out there, recent rises in fraudulent activity have increased the number of faked axes on the market! More and more honest collectors are being “Petroned” (A term being used currently that means “taken advantaged of” or “Burned”, as in burned by gasoline or “Petrol”, hence the slang use of the term) and losing their hard earned money. This modest text by historian and author Michael McBride (author of “A Brief History of the True Temper\"3 Line Stamps\" of the Kelly Works” (possibly the most comprehensive history of the Black Raven Axe) and “WoodSlasher: The Evolution of an Iconic American Axe”, uses actual examples of notably fake axes to help the reader better identify modern counterfeit axe heads. The book also offers suggestions on how to identify a scam, both in social media forums and on resale application like . Included are also ways to report counterfeit activity to local, state, and federal authorities, as well as avenues to assist in recuperating lost funds. Education is always the best way of protecting yourself, and this short work will get you headed in the right direction. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to resources to help discourage counterfeiting and prosecute known fraudsters.

Please note that this sale if for a digitally printed copy of the text printed in the authors home (hence the greater cost). A more cheaply available version will be available as a true paperback at a later date!!!Examples from the Text:

Excerpt from Chapter 2: Identifying possible fraudsters or “Petroners”

nIt’s always wise to think about the words of the seller. Do they claim to be a “collector” or simply a reseller? If they claim to be a collector, do their axes look like someone collecting rather than simply hustling? Collectors take pride in their collections, so axes should be clean, free of rust, and either free of cut handles or hung nicely. Someone who claims to have a collection should have well cared for axes. If they are selling cut handled, rusty, or dirty axes, caution should be taken, as they are likely not a collector.

nA person with a collection of high dollar axes for sale will likely present them on a nice background, with clean furnishings. Axes presented on dirt furniture or old, filthy blanket and towels indicate a person who likely wouldn’t have the funs to amass a collection of axes worth thousands of dollars.

Does the seller mention having numerous other items: other tools, hammers, etc, but never seems to post anything other than the same axes? This should be a red flag!

nSellers defending themselves in their listings:If a seller is constantly defending themselves from others claiming them to bea fraud, it’s wise to steer clear. There’s something that has brought aboutthat distrust. Check the background of the seller, response, reviews, andpersonal notes on the seller before casting caution aside. Rumors start somewhere,and fraudsters claiming that people are accusing them of falsehoods oftenforget that they are not the only ones selling such items. If people areaccusing them, why aren’t they accusing the others selling similar items?

Excerpt from Chapter 3: Ways of fabrication-- Laser Engraving or CNC:An example from :

Item #305634027248

“RARE Antique Kelly Black Raven Axe True Temper DoubleBit 2.5 Lb 9 X 4 1/2”

Listed as Original/Reproduction: Antique Original(Certified Fake)

Description:

“RARE Antique Kelly Black Raven Axe True Temper DoubleBit 2.5 Lb 9 X 4 1/2” this axe had been semi restored when it was purchased

This axe / hatchet is from my personal collection that Ihave decided to get rid of. I have over 270 axe heads,, hatchets, blacksmith,tools, hammers, etc. etc.. that I will be listing over the next couple ofmonths. Everything I am selling is 100 % authentic. If anyone tells you anydifferent they are lying to you . 99.75% of my collection has been alreadyverified authenti”

SEE IMAGE A, B, C, and D

For this item, the “Etch” on the axe head is of the “KellyBlack Raven”. The Black Raven was firstadvertised by the Kelly Axe Manufacturing Company in 1912 and was discontinuedin 1943 due to War Limitation Order L-157 set by the War Production board underDonald Marr Nelson. Due to the increased cost of acid etching, the process usedto form the image on ALL Black Ravens, and the full polished finish, the linewas not revived after the end of World War II. (See “A Brief History of theTrue Temper \"3 Line Stamps\" of the Kelly Works” by Michael McBride)

The Black Raven was etched using an acid solution that lefta heterogenous texture to the exposed metal due to inconsistencies in the steelof the axe head. Areas that were not to be altered by the acid solution werecoated in a wax, whereas the areas to be etched were left exposed and wouldhave a “pocked” texture along the cavity surface. Modern etching is done with lasers and “CNC”technology, which leaves an obvious homogenous surface with grid lines or“crosshatching”. In the images below (images 3 and 13 from the listingspecified), the crosshatching can be clearly noted.

Counterfeit sellers often claim there is no way they couldfabricate a fake axe without “a forging facility, and or a chemical facilitywith forging stamps, acid molds, and a steel plant”, all the while using moderncomputers, CNC machines, and laser engravers to “fake” a product.

Excerpt from Chapter 4: Historical Inaccuracies

Item #305634012769

Antique Rare MANN RED WARRIOR AXE DOUBLE BIT Mann EdgeTool, 3.5 Lb 9 X 4 1/2”

Listed as Original/Reproduction: Antique Original(Certified Rare MANN RED WARRIOR AXE DOUBLE BIT Mann Edge Tool, 3.5 Lb 9 X 4 1/2”

This axe / hatchet is from my personal collection that Ihave decided to get rid of. I have over 270 axe heads,, hatchets, blacksmith, tools, hammers, etc. etc.. that I will be listing over the next couple of months. Everything I am selling is 100 % authentic. If anyone tells you any different they are lying to you . 99.75% of my collection has been already verified authenti”

SEE IMAGE Q and R

The axe represented in listing #305634012769 is obviously fraudulent as it contains the etch of one company placed on an axe produced by one of that company’s main competitors. Due to similar names for those companies and lines, the mistake is amateur and obvious. The main etch placed on the face of this axe is one of an early “Red Warrior” axe. This type of axe, when authentic, can fetch prices into the thousands depending on the wear and condition of the axe. The Red Warrior line was originally produced and marketed by William Mann and Company of Reedsville, Pennsylvania, in the 1860s and the image itself was patented by James H. Mann (William Mann’s eldest son) in 1868, prior to the modern trademark system that was established in 1870. The image included on item #305634012769 is the version of etch used by the successor of William Mann and Company, the American Axe and Tool Company, in 1890. However, on the opposite side of the same axe from listing #305634012769 an observer will note the stamp of “Mann” over “Lewistown, PA”. This is the stamp of the Mann Edge Tool Company of Lewistown, Pennsylvania. The Mann Edge Tool Company was founded by Joseph R. Mann, a nephew of William Mann, in 1892 after he was fired from the American Axe and Tool Company. It is widely known that the development ofthe Mann Edge Tool Company was done in part as retaliation to the American Axe and Tool Company, and that the two companies, due to the inherent animosity ,never worked together. There is no authentic way that the two sides of this one axe would appear together. (See “Historic Axe Related Trademarks of Interest(1870-1998)”, “A Brief History of the Mann Family and their Involvement in the Axe Manufacturing Industry”, and “A Brief History of the True Temper \"3Line Stamps\" of the Kelly Works”, all by Michael McBride.)