Photos A French Axe

E

Ernest DuBois

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Mar 2, 2013
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The axe is not one of my choosing but it has landed on my workbench. For one thing, lefty that I am, I'd be not so inclined to take a right-hander like this one. But OK I kind of like it and also the kindness attached to its arrival from France's Southern regions.
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Now I'm left to make some sense of it and I invite anyone to help out, but for one thing consider this, the angle of the cutting edge in relation to its eye and by extension what we can only imagine, as plausible handling options, notice I say plausible because when it comes to handling we know practically all those wacky ideas are possible but these are so uninteresting. Regarding use and geometry of such an axe the D stamp is interesting not only as a mark of identification. The question has to arise why the skewed angle of the D and particular placement? Completely arbitrary? Or is it an indicator? I understand it's a tall order on the basis of pictures to come to sensible conclusions and so I have the advantage when claiming it's the axe of the cooper.


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After all such an edge would make efficient work of preparing staves.
 
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Thank you AH every contribution contributes, you know. Really, take also this G there, it conforms to my theory exactly which is if we make a y axis and an x axis intersecting at the center of the figure, G,D,W and so on & so on, whatever it might be, at right angles and corresponding to the upright orientation of the letter then one extension of either axis will indicate the sweet spot on the edge.
The thought of the klompenmaker struck me already, how could it be otherwise, but the sweep of the blade heel to toe of the axe in question has no application in that work.
These extra photos sent today by the one who'd sent the axe itself showing similar ones and some indication of reasonable handling options
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Worth noting on each example that the apex of the sweep,(photo #3), as opposed to the arch, appears to be below the center line and that also corresponded to the odd placement of the D, the G corresponding with the central apex of the edge's arch. Coincidence?
 
not a weel maker's one, not a clogg maker' 's hatchet , what else, cooper tonnelier? but why a crooked edge? a finishing tool?
wich South does it come from? very southern shape is way different!
 
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