A History of the Kelly Dandenong Axe

This video is a follow up to one I did ages ago where I compared some of the Kelly Dandenong axes I had in my collection at that time. Because people seemed to be interested in that video, and because I wanted to correct some points and also go into more detail, I decided to have a go at making a video discussing the history of the Dandenong pattern. A lot of research has gone into this one. I hope someone enjoys it!

[@kurts64]

Thanks for putting this together mate, much appreciated! They are great tools. Ive got a Canadian and an Aussie, and a Wax3. The Canadian is a short, thick beast, the Aussie a bit thinner and to my mind a bit more elegant. Ive come to think of the thinner flatter tassie patterns like Cyclone and Helko as an Australian pattern. Thanks also for being crystal clear in your text at 1:42, clearing up the incorrect though oft-quoted notion that Plumb USA "invented" the Tassie, which they did not. Btw, that 3.5 is incredible! Cheers mate!👍👍🪓🇦🇺

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers Kurt! Yeah the Canadian Dandies are real units! I thought it was interesting to see how the 60s Aussie Dandies not only have more thickness to them but even the outline in profile was changed into the 70s (the toe was more flared). As you say maybe we should call them Australian patterns rather than Tassies! And yeah, I have been doing some research on the true Australian origins of the Tassie design and will do a video on this at some point. A really interesting story of what happened in Latrobe back in the early 1890s!

[@kurts64]

@@axesofoz717 awesome, looking forward to it! 👍🇦🇺🪓

[@Joey-L]

Great video. I love learning about the history behind axe companies.

[@axesofoz717]

Thanks mate, me too.

[@litewatefitr]

Indiana, United States here. VERY cool video...glad to have stumbled across your channel. Thanks, and be well!

[@axesofoz717]

Thanks mate!

[@brettbrown9814]

A real treat of a follow-up video Neil. Thanks for unraveling a complicated story for us. I had not previously heard of the WAX series. We mostly see Canadian made Dandenong's here in NZ and they often sell for crazy $.

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers mate glad you enjoyed it. Certainly a complicated story! The WAX series seem to be the favourite with collectors here in Oz.

[@emmanuel.belanger]

Wow, I hope to see more content like this. I love the history around axes and tools! Great stuff mate! Thanks Kurt S for sharing 🪓

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers mate! Next up I am intending to do a deep dive into the whole story behind Hytest!

[@emmanuel.belanger]

@@axesofoz717 Ohh sweet, can't wait I know nothing about their history but I think they made my favorite Tassies with the Canadian Dandy!

[@kurts64]

@@axesofoz717 HYTEST!! 💪💪🇦🇺🪓

[@Murls]

Thank you for the great follow-up video of the Kelly Dandenong , love seeing the different types, you have a great collection, thanks for showing them,

[@axesofoz717]

Thanks mate!

[@Brian2bears]

Mr. Oz....very enjoyable and well constructed video. Having used the tool and experienced the effectiveness of it, to know its history is wonderful. That was a monster of a tree @12:25, and the collar on the blue WAX I found interesting as well. Very professional video, I think your book will be of great interest as well. Thank you, sir, for assembling and presenting this information....

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers Brian! Hopefully the book will see the light of day at some point.

[@axesofoz717]

That tree you mentioned was blown down in a storm. A lot of the timber is still sitting there now...one day I would like to make something out of the trunk section but the wood is incredibly hard to cut. A really old trer.

[@Brian2bears]

@axesofoz717 That tree looks really big from here...much wood to work with and to work on...

[@mrpoopypants9586]

Thanks for putting this all together. Really interesting. I've got a Kelly I bought new in the 70s, which is quite wedged and only painted in the oval logo. Came with a hickory handle. No wax insignia. I do love that axe, lots of happy memories being taught to strip bark, split slabs etc to patch up some old huts. It clearly chops better than I do. Nice to hear the history laid out. Cheers PP

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers mate. these axes do seem to vary quite a bit in how thick the bit was made, I suppose every forged axe like this is different to some extent. The old Kelly axes are great tools!

[@mikewasowski1411]

Awesome! I’ve been looking forward to this one

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers mate!

[@marcleblanc1994]

So interesting Thank you for this !!

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers mate!

[@ronaldwoodhouse7262]

My grandfather gave me his 5lb Kelly about 40 years ago. They are a great axe.

[@axesofoz717]

That would be a beauty. They are one of the best ever. Cheers.

[@ronaldwoodhouse7262]

It is. Thank you for the video.

[@Balonishell]

Awesome. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers mate no worries!

[@Frontline-K9]

Incredible video. What a great source of knowledge you are.

[@axesofoz717]

Thanks mate!

[@brettbrown9814]

Timely story: Today a Trade Me auction closed for an axe stamped Kelly Axe and Tool Co., St.Catherines, Ont. Canada on one side. Rather than the usual oval logo this one simply said DANDENONG on the other side. It received 50 bids and sold for $521. I enjoyed watching the auction and was careful to keep my hand well away from the "place bid button".

[@axesofoz717]

Wow maybe one of the really early Canadian ones! I have seen a pic of one like that but not in real life. Cheers.

[@Roqjoru]

Outstanding presentation passed it on.

[@axesofoz717]

Thanks mate!

[@Кренгауз]

Thanks for the video. Very interesting!

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers mate!

[@_BigLife_]

Great video and information. Thank you

[@axesofoz717]

Thanks mate.

[@simjai1000]

Thank you for making & sharing this video. Amazing collection that helped to show the timeline as well. The profile of a brand new Cyclone 2.5kg looks very similar to the Kelly you showed that was made in the Melbourne factory. Another video for another day maybe 🤔

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers thanks for watching. You can see the way they changed the profiles on these axes as the market became more suburban users and less professional wood cutters.

[@simjai1000]

Times changed & going after a target market. Will you be doing a video on Hytest? The difference in the stamps & the company would be good to see

[@axesofoz717]

Yes I will be doing a detailed video on Hytest soon @@simjai1000

[@user-oh4bu4ww5h]

thanks for the video.as a fellow axe collector from over the the ditch it was great to view. I have a heap of Kelly and hytest heads and axes myself including some real early ones .I also have a few plumbs and others .650 at the last count and always looking for more.the hytests are getting harder to find but there are heaps of Kelly's and plumbs floating around nz.. keep up the good work.

[@axesofoz717]

Thanks mate glad you enjoyed it, sounds like you have a great collection!

[@user-oh4bu4ww5h]

@@axesofoz717 hi mate if you have a email address I can send you some photos

[@woodcutter4481]

Interesting and informative video. Nicely done, thank you.👍

[@axesofoz717]

Thanks.

[@woodcutter4481]

@axesofoz717 I'm pretty sure I got a comment from you sometime back about a maroon-ish colored Tassie I bought (from Australia) with a stamping "MADE IN AUSTRALIA - 4 1/2 LBS." It was advertised as " Unmarked Kelly Cyclone." I believe you thought that was correct.I haven't hafted it yet, but I also purchased 2 CattleDog Spotted Gum handles to go with it. I'm excited to do it someday. Thank you.

[@axesofoz717]

Yeah mate I recall that comment. I have seen a few of those maroon Cyclones but they are rare. Should be a nice axe!@@woodcutter4481

[@Ivan-fb6lt]

thanks for the video!!! very interesting!!

[@axesofoz717]

No worries mate.

[@NoNameNomad1]

Nice informative video.👍 I literally found a Dandenong axe in hard rubbish on the side of the road just last week! And thats what led me to this video. It has got the red paint and hickory handle as mentioned and It's in pretty good nick. Later in the day I split some dry Redgum but found it would stick like a bugger and hard to dislodge. The next day I found some surfboard wax which I rubbed on and it dislodged a lot easier till the wax wore off. I need to spend some time on it to get it working right. 👍

[@axesofoz717]

That's amazing! I am supposing that it is an Australian-made one? Great find, they are a really fine quality tool.

[@NoNameNomad1]

@@axesofoz717 How can I tell if it's an Aussie (e.g. stampings)?

[@theechoinggreen6175]

@@NoNameNomad1 If it is an Aussie one it will probably have "Made in Australia" stamped on one side high up near the poll. But some late ones were occasionally unstamped so I have been told. Also sometimes the stamp can be hard to read.

[@NoNameNomad1]

@@theechoinggreen6175 Thanks mate, I will check after cleaning a bit more dirt off. 👍

[@NoNameNomad1]

@@axesofoz717 It is actually stamped 'Made In Australia' albeit stamped lightly. Also stamped '41/2 lb'. What year would you assume it was made? What would it be worth?

[@MarkHage-hi4wt]

Hello, Great history right there. I have restored an axe stamped. TRUE TEMPER (KELLY stamped within a diamond) RACING AXE. MADE IN CANADA stamped on the other side. So frome your video it it could be 1950-65 era.

[@axesofoz717]

The Canadian axes of this racing style with that mark that I have seen were made in the 1930s. They were popular with competitive axemen in Australia during the pre WW2 era. After being bought out by the American Fork and Hoe Company, Kelly took over the Canadian Welland Vale factory around 1930 and immediately started making Kelly-branded Tassie axes there. Even before that, there were Tassie axes being made in that factory for export to Australia. So in short, your axe is probably 1930s and very desirable if it is in good condition.

[@aussiehardwood6196]

Great video, the only Kelly ax I have is a basically unused wax003.

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers mate! I have one too but I have never used it, always end up grabbing my Stihl splitters.

[@scottwilson4396]

Great video thank you Sir 😊

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers mate.

[@williefick]

Thanks. Dont have a Dandy yet, but I on the lookout. How about a vidoe on the whole history of Tasmanians and who makes Tassies today. Thanks from Cape Town, South Africa.

[@axesofoz717]

I am planning to do a video on how the Tassie was designed, so stay tuned!

[@Murls]

to add to your list, on ebay now ,there is a world finest dandenong cyclone version

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers, that is one I don't have!

[@tanm96]

Great informative video...thanks. I have a NOS Kelly still with original price sticker and another sticker says handle is American Hickory ,...I'm a bit confused because it only has KELLY in the oval stamped on the front and is stamped MADE IN AUSTRALIA 2KG on the back ,..no WORLDS FINEST DANDENONG stampings ? So do I have a KELLY but not a DANDENONG ? Thanks .

[@axesofoz717]

Thanks mate. Your axe will be a Kelly Dandenong just with a different stamping. Could be something to do with who owned the rights to use the Dandenong branding at the time or some such thing. The ones they sold in New Zealand had practically no stamps at all on them.

[@benjaminzedrine]

I could never read a mark on mine. I just call it big red. But it's definitely that pattern!

[@axesofoz717]

There are a lot of good unmarked Tassies and Australian patterns. Cheers.

[@benjaminzedrine]

The...more knife like shape has served to split some of the hardest wood and most interlocked grain. Grey and yellow box. Edge still holds up, although admittedly I'd strop it to the point a lot of people would consider it round.

[@philiprogers8620]

Is any modern manufacturer (or custom small shop) that you are aware of making axes in this pattern today? Particular copying the geometry of those earlier versions?

[@axesofoz717]

I think other than Helko and Cyclone, there are not many makers producing Tassies now other than racing axes which are hotrodded Tassies...but I know there are independent blacksmiths making them. As for geometry I don't think there are many makers now doing axes with convex cheeks like the old Plumb and Hytest Tassies, but I could be wrong.

[@CrimeVid]

I look at that axe and I see a Basque axe that one of the KZbinrs had and was showing off over ten years ago, someone had sent this person a set of them. I can’t remember who (either Wranglerstar or Billy Ray Smith) but these were supposed to be a traditional Basque pattern. I found them, I was wrong, the basque axe does not have a square poll.

[@axesofoz717]

Yes the resemblance is there. There are two reasons for this. One is the fact that the Tassie and the Basque axes were both developed for competitive wood chopping against hardwood (in Australia eucalyptus and in Spain beech). They have similar features because they were both designed to do a similar thing. The second reason is that the Basque axes were influenced by the Tassie design. In the early 20th century Australian axemen toured in Europe doing exhibition chops and people there saw Australian axes and made ones which were influenced by the design.

[@br71]

Great vid. Wax001 were painted red in the kelly oval only. Wax002 were red all over

[@axesofoz717]

Cheers mate. Thanks for that info I didn't realise that about the WAX001!

[@ShelleyRaskin]

I have just been given a rust hunk with a nice original still varnished handle as I removed the rust I discovered on one side worlds finest then Kelly Then Dandenong On the other side it says true temper and underneath, closer to the edge it says made in Canada. Most of the red is gone but the inlay is still red. Currently removing varnish and rust, then will sharpen it, theeege is pretty chipped and no bevel. Trying to guess vintage.

[@andreashoiby4333]

Would you know anything about the less famous tassie makers? The swedish and german ones etc? And the unmarked ones, what could they be? Paper labels I assume

[@axesofoz717]

So far I have mainly focused on American and Australian makers but I know of the Tassies made by Arvika, Sater Banko, Helko Werk etc. Hopefully I will get to researching these in the future! As for the unmarked Tassies, these are often paper-label Trojans. Trojan made them after they took over Hytest in 1965 and these continued to be made later under Cyclone.

[@andreashoiby4333]

Thanks

[@Sager-fs9bv]

I think the first Kelly Dandenong axes would have been earlier then the late 1920s as i think the first Tassie Pattern was plump in 1909 and i have 2 Black Raven Tasmanian Pattern axes and 1 has The New Tasmanian Pattern stamped on the back. The Raven etchings are both early made between 1904-1930 so i don’t think Kelly would have waited 20 years after plumb first tassie to release one and stamp The New Tasmanian Axe.

[@tomi391]

how much does this ax weigh?

[@theechoinggreen6175]

They were made in a few different weights. Most common ones are 4.5 pounds (2 kgs) like nearly all of the Tassie-style axes. But you also see them in 4 pounds from time to time. Rarest ones are the 3.5 pound and 5 pound heads.

[@emmanuel.belanger]

You got some links or references to share, I’ll love to put my hands on this 🤓

[@axesofoz717]

I am currently finishing a book on this general subject which I hope to get published soon. But a couple of places to look are axeandtool.com go to the history and facts section. Also yesteryearstools.com go to the section on Welland Vale....there is next to nothing on the net about the history of the Kelly Dandenong, I had to scrape a lot of this info up over a long time from clues here and there. Cheers.

[@brettbrown9814]

Exciting to hear about your book!📗 Please keep us posted on the publishing.

[@axesofoz717]

@@brettbrown9814 Cheers mate will do! It's a bit of a long process.

[@Chitching]

Hello mate, Good on ya! I am looking for a contact down under that can source me a decent supply of good quality Axe heads shipped to the USA. Would you be interested or know anyone who would be? Thanks mate

[@axesofoz717]

G'day mate, no I can't supply Tassies. Good luck!