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Just getting into woodworking as a hobby. Bought my first vintage socket chisels today at a very reasonable price with the idea of restoring them. Scraping off some black paint, I found the manufacturer's name stamp: Campbell and Fowler Ltd., St John NB. So I decided to do some research on them. Any manufacturer and restoration insights you may have, or advice on how to make a handle are welcome. This is what I found out about the manufacturer so far.
Manufacturer: Campbell & Fowler Ltd.
Manufacturer Location: St. John, New Brunswick, Canada
Manufactured Date: Circa 1863 - 1879
(Reference: http://www.thetoolgroupofcanada.com/..._1820-1914.pdf)
Campbell & Fowler Saint John, N.B., 1863-1926 shipwrights axes and other tools. Workers: 10 (1878), 12 (1884), 10 (1891). Bcame W. Campbell in 1879; became Campbell Bros. in 1891; liquidated in 1926
Apparently tools such as these were used in restoring the parlaiment buldings. (Reference: https://ingeniumcanada.org/ingenium/...=2004.2003.001)
Campbell & Fowler of St. John, NB manufactured shipwrights' axes and other tools. In 1879 the company became known as "W. Campbell"; in 1891 the name was changed to Campbell Bros. The company was liquidated in 1926 ...
Allen Klenman states in his article about Josiah Fowler on page 25 in the March, 1998, The Chronicle:
Josiah Fowler Co., Ltd., Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
(Reference https://www.davistownmuseum.org/bioFowler.html)
Just over the Maine border is the Canadian area of New Brunswick. In the nineteenth century it was supported by the huge ship building trade. Upwards of five hundred wooden ships, including some world renown sailing ships were made there. Among the workmen in the area were a number of top quality blacksmith families.
These master iron workers and edge toolmakers came to Canada as United Empire Loyalists, American colonists who remained loyal to the British crown after the United States War of Independence. Josiah Fowler was a third generation U.E.L. He opened his first shop in 1860 and in a number of partnerships, was active in St. John as late as 1922. Good specimens of his axes are still located by sharp-eyed collectors.
There was a large trade of edge tools between the United States and Canada over eight decades at least, up until World War I.
Steel Quality: Likely from Sheffield England. The Maritimes took advantage of shipping to get materials from abroad. (I lost the reference to this idea, but it seems very logical).
Manufacturer: Campbell & Fowler Ltd.
Manufacturer Location: St. John, New Brunswick, Canada
Manufactured Date: Circa 1863 - 1879
(Reference: http://www.thetoolgroupofcanada.com/..._1820-1914.pdf)
Campbell & Fowler Saint John, N.B., 1863-1926 shipwrights axes and other tools. Workers: 10 (1878), 12 (1884), 10 (1891). Bcame W. Campbell in 1879; became Campbell Bros. in 1891; liquidated in 1926
Apparently tools such as these were used in restoring the parlaiment buldings. (Reference: https://ingeniumcanada.org/ingenium/...=2004.2003.001)
Campbell & Fowler of St. John, NB manufactured shipwrights' axes and other tools. In 1879 the company became known as "W. Campbell"; in 1891 the name was changed to Campbell Bros. The company was liquidated in 1926 ...
Allen Klenman states in his article about Josiah Fowler on page 25 in the March, 1998, The Chronicle:
Josiah Fowler Co., Ltd., Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
(Reference https://www.davistownmuseum.org/bioFowler.html)
Just over the Maine border is the Canadian area of New Brunswick. In the nineteenth century it was supported by the huge ship building trade. Upwards of five hundred wooden ships, including some world renown sailing ships were made there. Among the workmen in the area were a number of top quality blacksmith families.
These master iron workers and edge toolmakers came to Canada as United Empire Loyalists, American colonists who remained loyal to the British crown after the United States War of Independence. Josiah Fowler was a third generation U.E.L. He opened his first shop in 1860 and in a number of partnerships, was active in St. John as late as 1922. Good specimens of his axes are still located by sharp-eyed collectors.
There was a large trade of edge tools between the United States and Canada over eight decades at least, up until World War I.
Steel Quality: Likely from Sheffield England. The Maritimes took advantage of shipping to get materials from abroad. (I lost the reference to this idea, but it seems very logical).
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