Help - hatchet ID

M

Markoneli

Joined
Oct 24, 2018
Messages
16
Hi, everyone. I followed this forum for some time and it is awesome. It helped me with some of my little projects. And I need some help again - in identifying a hatchet I have got. I tried on the net but with no result. Please help.
It has an oval stamp on it with anchor inside and letters J and W on both side of the anchor. Also there are letters BP beneath the anchor.
I would like to post pics but I have some problems with it.
 
Maybe it's a Plumb. Here's an example to compare, with the script F possibly looking like a J, and maybe the script M has worn down to look like a W.
And the letters BP at the bottom of the anchor might be the letters BR, as shown:

vintage-plumb-anchor-boy-scout_1_769440afed9c5cb71a83e4e296d08560.jpg
 
Without a paid membership at Bladeforums, you'd have to first upload the photo to a free hosting site (like imgur, etc.) and then copy the URL link to the image and paste it here.
 
To get the photo to show here, I followed the imgur link then right-clicked on the photo and copied the image address, and then I inserted the image here:

r7mJjHR.jpg
 
Thanks for your help Steve.
Will it help if I say I am from Europe, Balkans, so maybe the hatchet maker is from this region.
 
As I am waiting for some good sole to help me ID my John Doe hatchet :) I`ve decided not to do any of grinding or sanding, but to keep the old (antique), wear out look of it and to hang it on a handle that has the same wear out look. I`ve found an old piece of oak with small crack in it which just might do the trick. I hand planed it and cut to rough shape.
0aFC1T7.jpg
 
Maybe instead of an anchor, it's a double fishhook, like this:

wuester_gebr_05.jpg

Brüder Wüster

Maybe instead of J.W. it actually says U.W. ?
Maybe one of the Wüster brothers has a first initial J. or U. ?

That's all I have time for today...
 
Could very well be.

I may be preaching to the choir, but: watch out, if your plans are to use the hatchet. I see some cracks in the head; now, hanging it on a piece of wood that may have a crack deep enough to still matter once it's shaped may be quite adventurous.
 
Markoneli said:
I`ve decided not to do any of grinding or sanding, but to keep the old (antique), wear out look of it and to hang it on a handle that has the same wear out look. I`ve found an old piece of oak with small crack in it which just might do the trick.
Click to expand...

I think that old checked oak is a good choice for you old hatchet. They will look great together.

Moonw said:
I may be preaching to the choir, but: watch out, if your plans are to use the hatchet. I see some cracks in the head; now, hanging it on a piece of wood that may have a crack deep enough to still matter once it's shaped may be quite adventurous.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's a tired old hatchet to use but it's beautiful to look at and that oak handle will make it even better.
 
Once again thank you Steve, but I don't think it's the one. Johann Hindrich Wüster is the name but the mark is different.
 
Moonw thanks for your concern and time you took to inspect the hatchet. I'll probably do what Square_peg suggested - hang it on a wall as decoration :)
 
To give you some kind of a "closure": I hail from the same parts like you and I haven't seen anything like that (pattern-wise), so what you have there may very well be the product of a small blacksmith shop, and that being the maker's mark (which wasn't notorious enough volume-wise to have been documented).

Back in the day almost every village had its own blacksmith. They are very rare today. (I have a very nice meat cleaver that came from Germany and that smith that obviously did a good job did not even bother to mark it.)

But I agree, it's very pretty to look at and I'd try to preserve it as well if I were you.
 
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