Can you stand yet another "how old is this?" thread?

[IowaHaze]

Hi, new poster here but after reading the thread awhile this seems like a knowledgeable group, so figured I'd ask. This axe head emerged from the ground near my old barn, which is (c) 1880-1900. I know it's in rough shape, but wondering if you have any thoughts on its construction. Appears rather primitive, but not sure if that's an indicator of what time period it's from (or is it equally likely that it was just a sloppy blacksmith from the 70's LOL. )
Pic 1
pic 2

 

[Agent_H]

 

[jblyttle]

Aren't there laws about digging up the dead?

 

[cityofthesouth]

The eye shape can be a good indicator and so can the overall pattern. It's possible that the head matches the time period of the barn but not much older if it's that old. The eye looks like your typical American Poll Axe eye, pattern kinda looks like a Michigan. Considering the way the eye cracked I'd bet it's a Plumb! Ha! Joke.

ETA: I'd bet the handle rotted away still in the axe and perhaps was the cause of the blown out eye - absorbed a bunch of moisture, froze, thawed, froze, expanded. Clean it up, weld it back together, back to work!

 

[IowaHaze]

Aren't there laws about digging up the dead?

HA! Trust me, when I noticed the bottom of an old shoe peeking out from the dirt out in the woods at this farm, I was really hoping that there wasn't a foot still in it!

Thanks to all for taking the time to look and respond.

 

[jake pogg]

I'd second what Cityofthesouth said ....that axe looks fairly modern,and the reason for that crack is likely the expansion of the wood(which is terrifically powerful,that's how they used to break stone...),PLUS,very likely a lousy HT,resulting in a excessively-large grain structure(a very common HT screw-up,the later in history-the more common).
The location of the crack is logical too,that's where the thin(possibly thinnest)part of an eye transitions to a much larger mass,=stress concentration...

 

[Square_peg]

I'd like to see it cleaned up with a wire cup brush. The form would be more clear.

My hunch is that it's an old axe - 19th century. The bulbous eye and narrow bit remind me of nothing commercially produced in the 20th century (US). I suspect it's hand forged. Could have been a one-off by a local smith or something out of a 19th century factory.

It would be nice to know if the bit is an insert or an overlay. I'm betting it's an insert (older).

 

[IowaHaze]

Thanks again for the interesting commentary.
So I took a wire cup brush and some naval jelly to my find, but the surface is still rough. I was really hoping to find a maker's mark, but not seeing any. One thing that's interesting to me is that the butt has a rolled edge. I had figured that was just a ridge of accumulated rust, but it's not.
Square_peg, can you tell me how would I tell insert vs. overlay bit?
Here are some pics of the (somewhat) cleaned up axe.
[url]http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/IAWindpower/library/Axe[/URL]

 

[Square_peg]

Square_peg, can you tell me how would I tell insert vs. overlay bit?

On these old axes they typically used a high carbon steel only for the bit. The body would have been made of medium carbon steel. The old method was split open the front of the axe and insert (forge weld) the carbon steel bit, then hammer the axe to shape. Later methods - when high carbon steel became more affordable - was to take a 'U' shaped piece of high carbon steel and forge weld it over the body steel.

You should see a different type of steel at the bit than that of the body of the axe. You might have to do a vinegar soak to bring it out. Look at the top or bottom of the axe at the transition between bit steel and body steel. You should see 3 layers there. Either the bit steel will lie bewteen layers of the body steel (insert) or the bit steel will overlap the body steel (overlay).

Here's an example of an insert forge weld. This is on an old railroad pick.

The insert method was more labor intensive but it gives the tool a longer life. After many sharpenings the point will still be of the high carbon steel. With the overlay method the body steel extends further toward the tip/bit.