Jersey Axe,Weld Line?

Huh... It does seem awful far back to be the temper line. Which I think I can kind of see about 2/3 of the way in from the bit, though that could definitely just be variation in the patina. I'm no blacksmith but it seems like a good surmise to me.

 

Do you mean in the axe on the left, the vertical line between the eye and where the bit starts to flare out? To me that looks like the edge of an over-coat method steeling (as opposed to the insert method). Square Peg will probably disagree with me on that, and I could certainly be wrong.
Or maybe it's the edge of the weld that formed the eye, if the sucker's really old?

 

I think it's the edge between the 2 steels in the overcoat method too.
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According to Kauffmann, the two-piece head lasted well into the 20th century. A lot of people probably thought it better than the new-fangled ones, and some makers couldn't afford to change their machinery. I think he says that the overcoat outlasted the insert method.

 

I think you're on the right track. I bet it's not a weld line and I'll tell you why. I have never seen a weld line come out perfectly straight like that. It has to be a marking from a power hammer left behind by the forging process. Probably a special shaped die used in creating those eye ridges.

 

It reminds me of a Kelly that we were talking about on these forums a little while back. Think they had it pattented. A pronounced step down well before the bit. I would guess that yours is just worn smooth over the years.

 

Yeah I was about to respond with the same. Hydraulic hammer marks for sure. I've seen them on GBs and wetterlings on a few occasions. Bit welding was a very rare occurence on production axes

 

I disagree. Overcoat method was the most common method prior to 1930 or so. It replaced the inserted bit 19th century method. It lowered steel costs, labor costs were cheap then.

 

double post

 

Some weld lines. Witherell and Peavey Axe Co. Sorry my camera isn't the best.

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Take a file to each side of the line.

 

That looks like a weld not like the bit weld of high quality steel looks more like where the eye was made by folding the steel rather then punching the eye of the eye was made the didn't used to punch out the eye if that makes sense

 

I've got something like that in a vise right now.

Have a wonderful day!

 

I've never seen one like that- almost a partial phantom-bevel?

 

The blade steel is very hard, my mill bastard file got it very sharp, eventually. The rest is softer than most. After I pounded the axe onto the handle I backed it off with a plastic coated hammer to get the shape for setting the head on the haft. A couple whacks and I was peening over the soft steel that I leveled off with my file that you can see bottom of axe head right behind the hard blade steel.
Best regards...

 

KKsalm, Thanks for posting that. First I have seen like that. Interesting for sure.
A follow up when you get it chopping would be much appreciated:thumbup:.

 

Could you post pics from a top and or bottom view? Please
For some reason it seems that I have seen one like that or similar, but I can't remember where.