Whether it’s for cutting wood, hunting, or even just as a collector’s piece, axes have a multitude of uses. These days, it can be hard to find a good quality axe that wasn’t made in countries like China. So, in this article, I’ll be looking at some of the best axes made in the USA.
Which Brands Sell Axes Made In The USA? (The Short Answer)
After doing a little digging, I found 5 companies that manufacture axes in the USA. They are Estwing, Council Tool, Vaughan, Leatherhead Tools, and Snow & Nealley’s Fine Tools.
American Made Axe Manufacturers (What My Research Turned Up)
Now that we know which companies sell American-made axes, let’s take a look at each one in a little more detail.
Estwing
Estwing was founded in Rockford, Illinois in 1923. Originally, the company was known for its iconic leather grips, but that quickly changed as it started manufacturing more and more tool base products. It is now known for a variety of high-quality tools
Estwing’s manufacturing facility is located in Rockford, Illinois just 90 minutes northwest of Chicago. That said, not all of Estwing’s products are made in the USA, but it is easy to see which products are American-made as they are clearly labeled with a Made in the USA tag in each product photo.
Here are a few of Estwing’s American-made axes for you to check out.
- Camper’s Axe with Tent Stake Puller
- Black Eagle Tomahawk Axe Desert Camouflage
- Black Eagle Double Bit Axe – Leather
- Sportsman’s Axe Leather
Each of Estwing’s axes is made using the finest solid American steel. Not only is this good for the environment since it doesn’t need to import its metals from overseas but American steel is known for being an incredibly durable and reliable material. This ensures that your axe will last as long as possible.
Council Tool
Council Tool is a proud American axe manufacturer. Every one of its products is manufactured in the US, making it a purely US-based operation. The company has axes for a variety of different purposes, from firefighting axes to gardening axes, if it’s an axe you are after, then chances are, Council Tool will have it.
The company dates back to 1886 when a farmer, John Pickett Council, started making tools to sell to local people. Over the years, the company grew and is now an internationally recognized business with countless happy customers.
As mentioned, it is a proud American manufacturer. Each one of its axes is made at its facility located in Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina. Since the very beginning, the company has been manufacturing its products in the US and it has no plans on changing that any time soon.
As you can imagine, with it being a company that mainly manufactures axes, it has plenty of options to choose from. So, instead of putting a link to a few of its products, here is a link to each of the company’s axe category pages.
Vaughan
Founded in 1869, Vaughan is a well-known American tool company. It sells a variety of hammers, pry bars, saws, and axes. While it does manufacture lots of its products at its facilities in America, it does conduct some of its manufacturing overseas.
The company is very open and honest regarding where its products are manufactured. If you take a look at Vaughan’s axe collection, it clearly states where each product is made. While some of Vaughan’s axes are made in the USA, some of them are only assembled in the USA. For the ones that are assembled in the US, the axe heads are actually made in China. There are also a few axes that Vaughan manufactures in India.
Here are a few of Vaughan’s axes that are manufactured at its American facility.
Leatherhead Tools
Leatherhead Tools was founded in 1922. It is primarily known for manufacturing high-quality tools for firefighters, rescue teams, and law enforcement officers. That said, these tools aren’t just limited to those who work in emergency services, anyone can buy a Leatherhead Tools axe.
From what I was able to find, it looks like Leatherhead tools’ axes are manufactured at its facility located in Rockford, Illinois. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find out much more than that. So, I am unsure where Leatherhead Tools gets its materials from.
As for purchasing an axe from Leatherhead Tools, you can’t buy directly from its website. Instead, you’ll have to purchase one of its products through one of its trusted partners. Here’s a link to all of Leatherhead Tools’ sales partners.
While you can’t purchase an axe directly from its website, you can browse through its products and get all the relevant information regarding each of its axes. Here are a few for you to take a look at.
Snow & Nealley’s Fine Tools
Unfortunately, Snow & Nealley’s Fine Tools does not have an official website. However, The Working Axes website is an official Snow & Nealley source, so that’s the website I’ll be using for this entry.
Snow & Nealley used to get its axe heads from a factory in China. However, after a number of complaints regarding a decline in product quality, Snow & Nealley moved its head production back to the US. It is worth being careful though since some of its older models were partially made in China.
Getting your hands on a Snow & Nealley axe isn’t all that easy. The company manufactures its products in small batches to ensure each axe is made to the highest possible standard. While this is a good thing, it means that its products sell out fast. Here are some links to some of its axes, but please note that some of the products linked below may not be in stock by the time you are reading this.
