Geoff Keyes 494 Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 The Lady Wife and I were out in the local junk stores yesterday and I found this. There was no story with it, so I can only guess. the weight is strange, it's more of a hammer with a sharp peen. It may be that the edge has been ground way back. The handle is ash, maybe, or hickory? And it shows some real hand wear, a lot of it way up near the head, like someone choked way up on the handle quite a bit. The thing that caught me though was the weld seam. The head was made from a thick piece of stock that was fullered out for the eye, then wrapped and welded. The head has this wonderful crufty surface all over it. I'll have to find a good display spot in my shop for it. It looks a bit like a Fort Meigs axe Preserving history, one rusty piece of junk at a time Geoff Link to post Share on other sites
Fox Creek 3 Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 (edited) Well, that worked. Isaac Shelby KY belt axe Edited September 29, 2013 by Fox Creek Link to post Share on other sites
Fox Creek 3 Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Isaac Shelby KY belt axe Link to post Share on other sites
Hoy's Forge 27 Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 I admit that I'm attracted to rust. A antique shack with rusty junk out front can bring me to a screeching halt. It's gems like the one youve shown us that cause this . Who knows what where and who this ax has seen. Very Cool! Link to post Share on other sites
GEzell 136 Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Nice find! It looks like the hammer might have the face welded on, but I'm not spotting an insert bit for the ax side... Link to post Share on other sites
Geoff Keyes 494 Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 I see what you're saying about the hammer face, but I don't think it has an insert for the bit. I don't want to clean it up enough to see, it's fine just as it is. Geoff Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,633 Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 I saw that too. There probably is/was an insert on the blade side, but in my own experience that joint is easy to make disappear completely. The welded poll is not easy to blend seamlessly at all. I like old axe-thingys. Were you surprised by how narrow the eye is compared to modern ones? I once saw a full-sized felling axe with an eye that measured about 1.5 inches long by just over 1/4 inch wide... Link to post Share on other sites
Geoff Keyes 494 Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 I have an old sledge head that weighs about 15 lbs and the eye is so small that I can't get my finger into it. I had noticed the small eye, but hadn't really considered it, in my admiration of the rest of the piece. I don't think it's 200 years old, but some odd small stuff does wash up on this coast from time to time. The Russians were here by the middle 1750's. The HBC were here by about 1820. It's a cool find in any case. Geoff Link to post Share on other sites
Geoff Keyes 494 Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 On closer inspection you can just see a weld line at the front edge. The last picture shows it faintly. It looks like it's made up of 4 pieces: 2 sides (which might be wrought) a steel insert for the bit, and a steel slab welded to the poll. Are there other axes that show this kind of construction? Geoff Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,633 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Yup. Pretty common on 18th-early 19th century examples. Link to post Share on other sites
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