WHAT TYPE OF AX HEAD IS THIS???

[SPiperato]

I found this ax head while on a dig. It's unusual in the way it's made. Instead of being manufactured as one piece, it wraps around and stops at the handle. Any input would be appreciated.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[taz42o]

Thats a felling axe. There are couple different ways to make axeheads but I dont think any leave a seam in that spot ,I think its just broke there.

Agricultural engineering in development

 

[mical66]

i agree with Taz,, we have seen them cracked and even split in 2 on this site .
there is a member that posted a sheet showing all the shapes and what they were called even where some originated from , should be in the forums some where ,

 

[taz42o]

 

[kuger]

Not sure,but I do beleive they were hammer welded/forged like that,because I have,and have seen several split at the exact same spot

 

[taz42o]

They were folded and forged together but the seam went from the eye straight up towards the cutting edge. I think that is just the thinnest weakest area to break ,From the seam to the outside. The link I posted shows what Im talking about.
Unless there is a forging method I dont know about.

 

[kuger]

They were folded and forged together but the seam went from the eye straight up towards the cutting edge. I think that is just the thinnest weakest area to break ,From the seam to the outside. The link I posted shows what Im talking about.
Unless there is a forging method I dont know about.

....as with the shape....each blacksmith likely had their own style/method,to some degree.I know I have seen it in remote sites tools where a blacksmith had to improvise,ie. had to utilize a crude forge etc

 

[dozer dan]

I have split ax heads in the same spot trying to use the the back of the head as a sledge when splitting firewood with a wedge when I was a kid. It only takes a couple good licks to do this. I thought I had found a foolproof way to get out of splitting firewood after breaking a few until my parents caught on and made me start buying the new axes.

 

[mical66]

Dan hit it square on the head,, people using it as a wedge , on either side would be the weakest point to break .

 

[kuger]

I can show you some that were smashed and didnt break...I see not enough evidence of hitting this one from the back to cause it to do that and how many breaks in iron break in a straight line?

 

[SPiperato]

Thank You very much for all the info. Would the break be that clean? also, any idea of age?

 

[mical66]

Kuger ,, you have been dead on with alot of things bud , and you may have more experience then i do on this and i mean no disrespect , but i have never seen a hammer forged wield seem come apart in a straight line and its true i cant say i have ever seen iron sheer in a straight line either,, but looking at the end i see the edges are mushroomed where its been hit with a hammer plus the top view shows the jagged line starting from the center working out .. again i can be wrong ,, just explaining why i agree with the hammered breaking theory .

 

[kuger]

...doesnt matter either way my friend

 

[dozer dan]

Like I said, it only takes a few licks to do this when you use an ax for a sledge hammer on a wedge and they tend to break on the cutting side for reasons unknown to me.




Think about this, everyone says they have seen ax heads split like this. Now I gotta ask, how many people have seen a double bitted ax which has no flat surface to strike on the back side split like this?


also, in the top right picture it looks as though the flat side is mushroomed a bit.

 

[kuger]

I guess I will have to post some true smashed from the back ax heads(I have a whole pile of em from guys splitting rock with em)that are not split....as said,It doesnt matter either way.Just wish I could break iron in a straight line like that!!