The Davistown Museum

Center for the Study of Early Tools

Scattered throughout The Davistown Museum are tools by important manufacturers who are also the subject of

information files compiled by the museum. This is a listing of our holdings for:

Josiah Fowler Co.

Status

Location

Historic Maritime IV (1840-1865): The Early Industrial Revolution

Axes

41203T13

Broad ax

bio

photo

DTM

Forged iron and weld steel, 9" wide blade, signed with the distinctive touchmark of J Fowler of St. Johns, New Brunswick.

An excellent example of a forged ax with a weld steel cutting edge. Did Fowler use cast steel as his weld steel? Probably,

Edge Tools - American Made Cast Steel

TCS1003

Socket chisel

bio

BDTM

Cast steel, 7 1/4" long, signed "J Fowler St John NB".

This is the only edge tool we have ever seen with the full signature of this most important St. John, New Brunswick, maker

of ship's carpenter's adzes, which are usually only signed with his touchmark. This mundane appearing tool is among the

most important edge tools in the Museum collection: the only signed Fowler tool we have located.

Edge Tools - Forged

040103T12

Block poll adz

bio

photo

DTM

Forged steel, 8" long, 4 3/8" wide blade, signed with what appears to be a touchmark of J Fowler.

Josiah Fowler was a St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, edge toolmaker. A hefty and finely made block adz, this tool seems

to be 100% cast steel with no evidence of a weld steel lap.

The Industrial Revolution (1865f.): Other Factory Made Tools

Edge Tools - American Made Cast Steel

31908PC4

Adz

bio

photo

DTM

Steel and wood, 30" long, 5" wide blade, signed "JOSIAH FOWLER CO. LT." and "ST. JOHN N.B.".

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