1700s belt axe or hatchet

[lenmac65]

I dug this axe head about a week ago by a pre-1850 cellar hole and posted it on the “what is it” forum. I got some good feedback that confirms my thinking that this is possibly a 1700s belt axe or hatchet/tomahawk. It is about six inches long, has no back edge poll to speak of, and appears to have a seam, perhaps formed when the iron was folded over in the forging process. I also see a small vertical indentation, which I think might be the remains of a blacksmith maker’s mark, similar to the one in the non-dug photo of a 1700s trade axe. The axe shape looks very similar to this Kentucky Style axe I found posted online, which also claims to be 1700s. I have not dug many other items to help date it, though I did find (and post) a 1700s coin spill about 100 feet from this hole back in January (two Fugios, 1754 2-reale, and a 1797 LC). I am pretty excited about this axe, and will hang it in my shed with some other axes, horseshoes, and locks. If anyone on this forum has any thoughts about the age or axe type, I’d love to hear them. Thanks and happy hunting.

 

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[Almy]

lenmac85, I see what looks like a "touch mark" on the middle of the flat of the blade. If you could read that, it might tell you a lot. I have applied white or yellow water-thinned paint and wiped the surface off with a rag so the paint remains in the indented letters or rubbed carpenter's chalk across it and wiped the surface.
Brianco, your middle head is a shingling hatchet. Hard to tell how old, but they are still available. The others look like well-worn felling axeheads, probably handmade. Nice!

 

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