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AFH Co. M1943 Etool question


phantomfixer
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phantomfixer

I have one AFH M43 E tool but it is welded open...but clearly marked AFH

 

What I noticed is the AFH has no seam on the metal sleeve where the wood goes into the shovel, whereas the others do have a seam..Ames and Woods all 44 or 45 dated

The metal sleeve on the AFH is original to the tool...

 

 

The Question is..... Is this lack of a seam a distinct feature on the AFH, that I can easily Identify an AFH from an Ames or Woods M43 tool? Or maybe a feature on early, 1943 production E tools?

 

My goal is to be able to identify AFH or early E tools without using the stamp on the shovel...the local AN has many with layers of paint, covering the stamp...

 

Thanks for any input/guidance

post-155518-0-55334900-1523409405_thumb.jpg

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phantomfixer

I took the wood handle off, and there is a mold casting line on the inside of the sleeve, not welded..

No inputs from other AFH owners?

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A surplus AFH-made blade with a commercial sleeve? It's not only welded open but also lacks the thread to tighten or loosen the collar nut that would have been still on it if this sleeve ever had a collar nut, as it would have had if original military?

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phantomfixer

Sorry for the confusion.

It is a USGI issue handle, the nut was locked onto the thread ring, I used oil, heat, vice, BFH, everything in my bag of tricks that worked in the past to free up seized lock nuts...in the end, the tip of the shaft sheared off.

I had to cut the lock ring and thread ring from the handle, I had a few option on what to do with the blade...I chose to weld it back to the handle in a fixed position..

You can see where the thread ring was attached to the shaft via 3 or 4 tack welds...

It was sad to lose a 43 AFH, but it was in bad shape, but saved it for practical use ...

The wood handle rivet was also replaced ...the handle, sleeve, and blade are a matched set

 

I did some online research and grabbed pics of 43 dated AFH...and so far I can say none have a visible seam..

So not sure if I can say for certain if all 43 dated AFHs are cast with a seamless sleeve...

 

I am sure many of us have stumbled on to M43s in the wild, and could not say for sure what the date is....this manufacturing detail, might help identify a maker and year

post-155518-0-05573700-1523534531.jpg

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