I've never seen an eye like this-

[screened porch]

In the front of the eye, for about half the eye's height, centered, is a depression with neat straight sides, about 1/4" wide and deep. There's also a vertical band of raised circles on each side of the eye toward the front. Circles maybe 3/8" across and 1" apart from top rim to top rim. There's probably a symbol inside the circles, but I can't make it out.
I'm speculating that the depression is a symptom of some cheap manufacturing process, or maybe they were saving one millionth of a cent in steel per axe. Does anybody know?
No marks on the outside of the axe, except for a very worn baby blue paint finish. 2 & 3/4 lbs.

 

[bjp]

never seen anything like that, either. no comment re: the depression, but I wonder if the raised circles might be some sort of "gripper" like the ridges sometimes found inside the eye of double bits?

Isn't it funny how many axes were painted that light blue color? I know that what we find today may not necessarily be the same color as it used to be (fading, repainted, etc.), but I seem to see a lot of axes from around the 40s up until the 70s that were painted a similar light blue color. Just an observation.


-ben

 

[willseeyalater]

Isn't it funny how many axes were painted that light blue color? I know that what we find today may not necessarily be the same color as it used to be (fading, repainted, etc.), but I seem to see a lot of axes from around the 40s up until the 70s that were painted a similar light blue color. Just an observation.


-ben

Look at factory paint jobs on American cars made during that time and you see a lot of light blue. Marketing geniuses at work.

 

[bjp]

aaah. very good point.

 

[screened porch]

I wonder if the raised circles might be some sort of "gripper" like the ridges sometimes found inside the eye of double bits?
-ben

That's a good thought. No sense putting an identifier on an axe that won't be seen until the axe is broken.

 

[M3mphis]

I'm wondering if the circles could just be marks left by the tooling that was used, but has no special purpose once it leaves the factory. For instance, if they drifted the eye and then put something into the eye to hold the shape while they drew out the bit. Maybe the tooling used to hold the eye had those circles to provide texture to keep the steel from "pulling" into the cheeks. Does that make sense? You know how the GB's and Wetterlings have the "crack" in the eye that worries people sometimes from when they draw out the cheeks during forging? Just a poorly articulated idea....I have no idea if I'm even in the right county...

 

[Square_peg]

I think you're on the right track, Matt.

 

[screened porch]

I'm wondering if the circles could just be marks left by the tooling that was used, but has no special purpose once it leaves the factory. For instance, if they drifted the eye and then put something into the eye to hold the shape while they drew out the bit. Maybe the tooling used to hold the eye had those circles to provide texture to keep the steel from "pulling" into the cheeks. Does that make sense? You know how the GB's and Wetterlings have the "crack" in the eye that worries people sometimes from when they draw out the cheeks during forging? Just a poorly articulated idea....I have no idea if I'm even in the right county...

No, you're making sense. I'd like the two things to be related by purpose. Funny thing is I think this is a bad axe, so I'm surprised by any kind of fancy-pantsery in its manufacture. Judging by the hammer dings, it's awfully soft right behind the edge- mushed from the heel and an inch back.

By the way, thank you all for not commenting on the quality of my photography. This was the best I could do in 8 or so tries.

 

[M3mphis]

By the way, thank you all for not commenting on the quality of my photography. This was the best I could do in 8 or so tries.

LOL...get the light to shine in the eye at the right angle, check...focus, check...hold still, check. I think you did pretty well!