Large broad/hewing axe head

P. McKinley

P. McKinley

Joined
Jan 27, 2008
Messages
2,010
This axe head arrived at my shop yesterday with the request to do some restoration. The man said he picked it up in Newfoundland from an old boat/home builder who, in turn, said it was his father's(believe what you will). With the significant delamination I advised against use, but the gentleman also wondered if I could get any info on what looks to be a fairly old piece. So, here I am.

The head is just shy of 13" tip to tip. It is slightly asymmetrical whale tail shaped with one "fluke" being bairly longer than the other. One face is almost perfectly flat and is stamped with "G. CORRY", above what looks to be "PFRTR or "PERTH", maybe. The opposing face is nicely contoured and holds the single bevel, and is stamped with what looks to be "PFRTR" or "PERTH" again(this stamp is basically unreadable). The eye is also asymmetrical.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,

Peter

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That might say 'G Cordy' and underneath looks very much like 'Perth' as in the maker's location.

Here we go: www.thetoolgroupofcanada Cdn Tool Manufacturers 1820-1914 lists a G. Corry with 3 employees in Perth, Ontario as having made axes from 1864 to 1888. Perth is a lovely little town 100 km SW of Ottawa with a rich history of manufacturing. Good find!

PS The fellow's name was George and besides making axes and edge tools as a blacksmith he was also a Sheriff's officer, according to Perth historical records
 
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Given the age and story it's likely a wrought iron body with an inserted steel bit. The forge weld that made the eye is delaminating - could be the result of being used as a wedge or more likely having a rotten haft soak up water and expand as it froze. The eye isn't badly deformed as you would expect from wedge use.

No harm in welding the cracks. Just open them up with a grinder as much as is convenient. Be sure to preheat the area to be welded. And clamp a damp rag to the bit to protect the temper during welding.
 
300Six said:
... G. Corry with 3 employees in Perth, Ontario as having made axes from 1864 to 1888. Perth is a lovely little town 100 km SW of Ottawa with a rich history of manufacturing. Good find!

PS The fellow's name was George and besides making axes and edge tools as a blacksmith he was also a Sheriff's officer, according to Perth historical records
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A tip of the hat to 300Six for that info, which lead to more details about the life of George Corry. He was born 14 January 1846 (in Bathurst, Lanark, Ontario, Canada), and reportedly died 16 November 1907, at Perth. He evidently touted his axes as "guaranteed to cut hemlock knots and hickory bark."

More details below, from this site:
http://corry-history.blogspot.com/


The fourth child of Isaac and Jean Ritchie Corry was George Corry... George was born 14 January 1846, in Bathurst, Lanark, Ontario, Canada. In a letter written by Father Isaac to his brother, George, in Utah, Isaac says of his son, George: “George has tried a good many things. He learned ax making and general blacksmithing with McAtheron of Perth. . . .he is very eager to make riches but has not accumulated a great deal. He was deputy sheriff for a while; went to California. . . .next to Colorado; made nothing. Now [he] keeps an ax factory. That is [his] trade now. He is town constable." After traveling around to several places, George returned to Perth where he had an ax factory and was also the town constable.

Perth Courier, December 23, 1870: "We regret to learn that the blacksmith shop belonging to our former townsman, George Corry, of Fallbrook was on the 17th December destroyed by fire together with all of Mr. Corry's tools. The loss is estimated at between $500 and $600 and no insurance. By vigorous efforts, Mr. Corry has already had his shop built again and is now ready to do all kinds of blacksmithing."

Perth Courier--The subscriber [George Corry] respectfully informs the inhabitants of Perth and the public generally that he has opened a shop where he is making all sorts of edged tools. Blacksmithing also done. Come up to Harvey's old stand near Mr. Haggart's mills where you can get an axe guaranteed to cut hemlock knots and hickory bark.
..
George was a trustee of the Baptist Church in Perth. He died 16 November 1907, at Perth. His wife, Mary, had died nearly seven years earlier, 27 March 1900.
 
phantomknives said:
gonna need to do something about that crack
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Never mind the crack. That old girl has seen a lifetime (or two) of use already and it's time she was put out to pasture. Perth Historical Society ought to have a keen interest in displaying this tool, if'n you can figure out a way to pry some financial reward out of relinquishing it. The last fatal duel (the combatants used flintlock pistols) in Canada took place in downtown Perth in 1833.
 
Ummmm, wow! A guy asks a simple question and.....

Thank you very much everyone, especially 300Six. The info you provided has made my client giddy, honestly. You have made his day. He will be passing all that along to the man who gave him the axe head in Newfoundland and asked me to pass along a big THANK YOU.

This is wonderful. Thank you folks.

-Peter
 
P. McKinley said:
Ummmm, wow! A guy asks a simple question and.....

Thank you very much everyone, especially 300Six. The info you provided has made my client giddy, honestly. You have made his day. He will be passing all that along to the man who gave him the axe head in Newfoundland and asked me to pass along a big THANK YOU.

This is wonderful. Thank you folks.

-Peter
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You are welcome but much of the credit should actually go to Steve Tall. I merely beat him to the draw because he wasn't online when you posted. He's inspired many of us via website references that he's freely divulged plus his amazing sleuthing abilities. I posted a puzzling old axe head about a year ago and he had it nailed in a few hours. That really impressed me as did it impress the staff at the Peterborough Museum (in the Ontario town where the head was forged in the 1860s) and where it now resides.
 
300Six said:
You are welcome but much of the credit should actually go to Steve Tall. I merely beat him to the draw because he wasn't online when you posted...
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You get full credit, and I'm glad that you "beat me to it". The online resources are available to us all, and we share what we learn.
 
put 'er back in service.
weld up the split,
poke a handle in her eye, sharpen the bit and get at it.
nice tool.
making a handle for this old girl will be a real chore but it can be done.
 
markv said:
put 'er back in service.
weld up the split,
poke a handle in her eye, sharpen the bit and get at it.
nice tool.
making a handle for this old girl will be a real chore but it can be done.
Click to expand...

Were someone to really 'get a hankering' to make squared timbers there are decent numbers of already serviceable broad axes out there looking for good homes. You can't use a broad axe for much else.
 
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