Vintage Kelly Axe & Tool Co. True Temper FLINT EDGE Double Bit Axe – Hand-Forged Charleston, WV Logging Axe

This fine vintage double-bit logging axe features the celebrated "FLINT EDGE" stamp from the Kelly Axe & Tool Co. line under the True Temper brand. Forged from high-carbon steel with a classic double-bit timber geometry, this heavy-duty axe offers two distinct cutting edges—traditionally profiled with one thin bit for felling and one thicker bit for limbing near soil.

• Head & Stamping: Features a bold, legibly stamped cheek reading "FLINT EDGE" alongside the iconic "TRUE TEMPER" and "KELLY AXE & TOOL CO." branding. The forged steel exhibits an authentic charcoal-gray patina with clean metal geometry and light surface character.

• Bits & Geometry: Symmetrical double-bit configuration with deep cheek bevels. Both cutting bits retain solid steel mass with clean profiles free from major cracks, deep chips, or torch cuts.

• Condition: Excellent vintage condition. Free from weld repairs, mushroomed polls, or structural stress fractures. Retains crisp factory stamping and sharp bit profiles suitable for collection or re-hafting.

History

The Kelly Axe Manufacturing Company was founded by William C. Kelly in 1874 in Louisville, Kentucky, before relocating to Alexandria, Indiana, and ultimately establishing the world's largest axe foundry in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1904. Renowned for their "Flint Edge" line—a name chosen to signify steel so hard and tough it mirrored flint stone—Kelly produced some of the highest-quality edge tools in American history.

In 1930, the American Fork & Hoe Company acquired Kelly Axe & Tool Co., merging the operation under the legendary True Temper brand name. Double-bit axes were the ultimate workhorses of 20th-century American foresters and loggers, allowing woodsmen to work all day without stopping to sharpen in the field. Authentic Kelly Flint Edge double-bit axes remain among the most sought-after mid-century logging tools by vintage axe collectors and bushcraft traditionalists.

Dimensions

• Head Length (Bit-to-Bit Span): ~9.5 – 10.5 inches

• Cutting Edge Width (Each Bit): ~4.25 – 4.75 inches

• Eye Dimensions: ~2.25 x 0.75 inches

• Head Weight: ~3.5 lbs (Standard full-size double bit)

• Total Weight (with Haft, if handled): ~4.5 – 5.5 lbs