ax?

[jrwill56]

found this at the same old site(1700s) its iron 4" wide x2" 3/8" thick at wide end tapers to sharpe edge does not look broken

 

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[johnnyi]

jrwill, are you sure it isn't broken off at one end? This is just a guess, but if it is broken off it might be the type of heavy iron cleaver you sometimes find at old farm sites which were used with a hammer to break through bone. Often there is a deep curve where the hammer strikes. Purely a guess, and based on a longer part being broken off.

 

[digging wv]

Looks like a brake pad to me

 

[jrwill56]

jrwill, are you sure it isn't broken off at one end? This is just a guess, but if it is broken off it might be the type of heavy iron cleaver you sometimes find at old farm sites which were used with a hammer to break through bone. Often there is a deep curve where the hammer strikes. Purely a guess, and based on a longer part being broken off.

maybe: i showed it to a guy at work he said his grandfather used something like this to skin deer? the edge is very sharp,and tappered on both sides.