Looking for info on an antique Broad Axe

[Sarrahlynn]

I am helping an 80-year-old man clear out his mother's estate. We found a letter from the President of US that deeded his family the land before Washington became an estate. There are boxes and boxes of stuff in the attic wrapped in newspaper from pre-1900. The shop is full of old tools and I am having a difficult time finding information about some of them. I'm not an estate dealer or anything like that, just trying to help this old man out. I came across an area full of old ax's. Most I have cleaned up enough to find the names and can identify them, but I am having a difficult time finding anything on the one that is marked "Sowers & Smith Cast Steel." Does anybody know anything about this company? The ax appears to be in pretty good shape and the blades on all of them are super sharp with no knicks. Can anybody tell me the approximate value? 

[SLAG]

It is a broad axe. But you are already aware of that.

Check out Mr. Eric Sloan's series of books on antique tools for a lot of information. Also the Shelborn(e?) Museum's book showing their tools.

I suggest that you do not discard anything until you have it checked out by a knowledgeable person(s) from a local, historical society, or school history department, or a local museum etc. 

Even the newspaper wrappings may be invaluable. They are old.

Let me cite a recent example I read on the net. A man bought an antique photograph for $10.00, a little while ago. He had the photo checked out by an expert and was told that it an uber rare of Jesse James taken during the civil war. It is estimated that it probably is worth a million dollars.

I should have such luck.

Good luck,

SLAG.

[ThomasPowers]

Value depends on LOCATION, you imply it is Washington State in the USA.  Is this true?  (We have people from over 150 countries participating here.)

[Sarrahlynn]

Oh sorry, yes it is Washington State, USA