Anyone seen one of these before? Need Help IDing this axe.

[schmohawk]

Hi everyone, so I found this axe among my grandfather's old tools and can't seem to find anything like it. Half axe half brush axe. Only thing close that I've found is this old patent from the 1930's that looks like a similar idea. It looks like there used to be a label or sticker on it, but that is long gone. The only markings I've been able to find on it are the letters JAX and Seattle. The J might be a mis-stamped/worn D or O maybe? Either way I cant find anything about it. Havent even been able to find anything of a similar shape beside that patent. So yeah, anyone have any clue?

edit: more pictures

 

[Agent_H]

From first glance it looks like an older double bit with one bit removed and replaced with a lighter weight brush axe/hook attached. Initially I thought Pulaski but the upsweep on the toe seemed out of character.

If it was originally a tool designed like that then haven't seen one before. Interesting.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Never seen something like that! Cool find!

 

[phantomknives]

what tha what

 

[Steve Tall]

It looks like there's an A to the far left, making AJAX.

 

[Square_peg]

My guess is a blacksmith made swampers tool. It would be nice to see close ups of where the brush axe connects to the former double bit.

 

[jblyttle]

My first impression is that it is a Frankenstein project.

 

[brcromer]

My two cents... Imagine having two of those and using them to scale the outside of a tall building. Fire hooks normally would have been used but what if you were one man and your department was cheap as all get out?

 

[garry3]

I have to wonder what it weighs?
A cut down cruiser and a brush hook in a size light might be do able. Or its going to get heavy pretty fast.

 

[Lieblad]

Thats cool !
Ajax is probably first name to research.
A close might indicate if its a welded assembly, what I suspect it is.

 

[schmohawk]

Alright I took some more pictures and posted them full size here so you can zoom in. As for what it weighs, I'm not sure the exact weight, but it is considerably lighter than the 3 1/2 lb kelly its pictured next to. Any suggestions for what to do with it or how to clean it up? Think its worth anything?

 

[jblyttle]

Looks like a home-brew to me.

 

[300Six]

Scary looking implement to be sure. My personal guess is it is a commercial brush hook welded on to a commercial axe head. I don't think Mr. Pulaski took out a patent on his fire-fighting tool creation (and if he did those rights only lasted 20 years) and various enterprises might have tried to 're-invent the wheel' in the meantime.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I'm gonna' go out on a limb and say that it looks strongly like it could be original.