According to the LAFD Drill Manual, the pickhead axe is one of the most functional tools carried on fire apparatus. Its multiple uses have long proved valuable, and the pride in which members care for them is unparalleled. Whether ventilating a Victorian or breaching a wall, the pickhead axe has become a firefighter’s best friend. Unfortunately, the most cherished of all LAFD axes is also the rarest: The Seagrave Axe.
Although LAFD axe heads historically came in different shapes and weights, they are now standardized, and so too are the handles, which are made of synthetic material instead of traditional wood. As irreverent as this may sound to firefighters of old, today’s firefighters prefer a synthetic handle as opposed to the feel and elegance of hickory or ash.
As for my taste, the most enjoyable aspect of cleaning up after a fire was sipping on a cup-o-joe while scraping, sanding, and rubbing boiled linseed oil onto my 36-inch hickory axe handle. Be that as it may, one pickhead axe stands out amongst all others in LAFD folklore: the incomparable Seagrave Axe. While the allure of this distinctive axe may have faded in the minds of our youthful Department, the history behind the Seagrave Axe should forever be internalized as part of LAFD culture.
Aesthetically, the head of a Seagrave Axe is unlike any pickhead axe ever made. There are four distinct traits differentiating this axe from others: (1) the overall length is longer, (2) the breadth of the blade is thinner, (3) the pick angle is cast slightly downward, and (4) the “axe-lip” (where the handle enters the head) is diamond-shaped.
In 1826, blacksmiths Samuel and David Collins, along with a wealthy cousin of theirs, founded an axe manufacturing business on the banks of the Farmington River in South Canton, CT. Despite the Industrial Revolution having commenced seventy-five years earlier, blacksmiths took an entire day to produce a single unsharpened axe. The three men believed their business would flourish if they could create a way to mass-produce high-quality sharpened axes at wholesale prices. They went on to name their new venture, Collins & Co.
The three owners were diverse innovators with backgrounds in metallurgy, fabrication, and finance. They commenced their manufacturing enterprise by bringing in several blacksmiths from neighboring areas and making each a specialist in a single aspect of the fabrication process. This specialization enabled Collins & Co. to mass-produce quality axes that were sharpened, less costly, and ready for immediate use.
Collins & Co. would soon go on to introduce various other edge tools, steel plows, military swords, and bayonets. As sales increased, newer machines and innovative manufacturing techniques were introduced to meet said demand. America’s expansionist philosophy of that era triggered an upsurge in demand, and the innovative Collins & Co. did not disappoint.
As business surged and the workforce increased, Collins & Co. built dwellings and various other infrastructures to accommodate employees and their families. The company eventually added grocery stores, a bank, a school, a theater, and a rail line to ensure the overall contentment of their “family-like” workforce. In 1830, the township of South Canton, CT. renamed their city “Collinsville” in appreciation of the goodwill expressed by Collins & Co.
Collins & Co. ultimately entered the international market primarily to service the harvesting demands of Central and South America, the West Indies, and Cuba. During its heyday (about 1919), the company made nearly 90% of all axes and machetes used in those countries and in the United States. The Collins & Co. became a legitimate global competitor and, in time, was the world’s leading axe manufacturer.
This global prominence, however, resulted in competitors counterfeiting their axes and marketing labels. Although several US patents were obtained to curtail such practices, none proved as valuable as stamping the company emblem on their axes. The stamped “Crown, Arm & Hammer” insignia above the word “Legitimus,” along with the names “Collins & Co.” and “Hartford,” were thereafter etched into the axes.
Coinciding with the company’s growth and area development, the Collinsville Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1846. Shortly thereafter, the Collins Co. fabricated a unique-looking axe (the Seagrave Axe) for the Collinsville fire engine, which they aptly named the “Fireman Axe.” Years later, Fredric Seagrave, founder of the Seagrave Corporation, commissioned the Collins Co. to provide a similar axe as a standard complement on all new Seagrave fire engines.
It is alleged the Fireman Axe commissioned by Fredric Seagrave was later nicknamed the “Seagrave Axe” because of its association with the Seagrave Corporation. In addition to the standard insignia stamped on all quality axes, those made exclusively for Seagrave also included the wording: “Manufactured by Collins & Co Expressly for the Seagrave Corp.” Although no definitive proof has been found as to when the production of the Seagrave Axe was discontinued, it is believed to be circa 1921, as low production numbers ceased to justify the cost.
Aside from the Collins brothers, a machinist named Elisha K. Root became the company’s most notable employee. In 1830, Root invented “die casting,” which was critical in the production of their high-quality axes. Unlike “mold casting,” die casting involves injecting metal into a mold under high pressure, thus creating a more uniform product with dimensional accuracy. Thanks to Root’s ingenuity, the costly post-machining of axes had now been eliminated.
Elisha K. Root went on to create several more patents, including an automated machine that shaved the blade of axes in an effort to reduce the cost of grindstone finishing. More than anything, however, Root re-conceptualized the making of axes that catapulted Collins Co. into the world’s leading axe manufacturer. Elisha K. Root’s inventiveness soon became widely acclaimed and, within time, captured the attention of another famous industrialist.
In 1849, gun maker Samuel Colt (Colt 45) recognized the industrialist nature of Elisha K. Root and hired him away from the Collins Company. Root went on to carry out his duties with great success, developing several more techniques and machinery related to the gun industry. Root’s contributions to the Colt industry were so noteworthy that after Samuel Colt’s death in 1862, Elisha K. Root was named President of Colt Firearms.
After 140 years of success and community pride, the Collins Company closed its doors for the final time in 1966. Today, the Canton Historical Museum (www.cantonmuseum.org) preserves about 26 of the original factory buildings and several hundred of their artifacts, including the Seagrave Axe.
Although the history and culture of the LAFD are vital to its very existence, they can sometimes be challenged by those indifferent to the greater good. As firefighters, everything we do is a product of a complex set of causes, ideas, and practices. Therefore, it’s imperative that those still wearing a badge remain inquisitive of the history of their vocation, as it can inspire an appreciation for what may otherwise appear insignificant.
By Jerry Bedoya