New hatchet head heading my way.

M

marbat

Joined
Aug 11, 2015
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107
Have no idea who made it but there is a marking on it. Seems slightly pitted but that is only for more character. Picture was email to me so not the best. Any ideas?
 
Thanks for the link Hacked. Bookmarked for reference once I get it. Now if that is actually one of them hatchets then it is most exciting. This one was painted silver I am told and does measure about 4 inches across. Wish I had more pictures.
 
The Jesuit cross stamp typical of Basque manufacture (referenced from the link provided by Hacked)certainly looks to be there, man! She's a golden oldie. Let's hope what you're supposed to receive, vs what you actually receive, are one and the same.
For an outlandish investment of $10 I think I'd want to take 'er for a spin.
 
Seems like there may be a change of plans. I may still get too see this head and re-haft it but after sharing all this info with the owner, plans have change.
Still...I offered to re-haft it/ restore it. I don't want to do more damage if I can help it. Thing was zing paint coated. Need advise from you all on how I should go about it.
We are talking hundred of years here in this piece, was found among some tree roots so must be the real thing.
 
Wanted to post new recent pictue of the eye but having issues at the moment but sure matches the pictures from that link from Hacked. WoW what a find from buddy.
 
Sorry to hear you won't get to keep it but certainly the right thing to do. You definitely need to get that aweful paint off if it. My guess is that some type of paint stripper. There are a lot of non toxic ones available currently that might not be as harsh. Someone else may have a better idea but I would try to avoid abrasives. You could test the stripper on another piece of carbon steel that is oxidized to see if it affects the patina first.

I have to wonder if I'm the only crazy person who would actually sharpen this thing up and put it to use just to see how it works?
 
I doubt the collector value on these is very high (although I could be very wrong!). Were all it to generate is $50-75 then maybe cleaning it up, putting an edge on it and making up a handle is well worth it. This would be quite the campfire conversation piece compared to the typical $100+ boutique jobbie.
The Basque stamp certainly indicates it's place of origin but for how many centuries did that forge produce such articles. For all we know they were still making these well into the 20th century! Keep digging for answers!
 
If it's to be treated as a genuine artifact, museums will tell you not to tamper with it even though someone else already gave it a coat of porch rail paint. I'm currently in the process of negotiating the sale of a fence line foundling (ie badly rust-pitted) stamped axe head from about 1870 and the curator emphasized not to 'innocently' try cleaning it up, whatsoever. I don't know what it is they do during a 'restoration' but the folks that typically do do this specifically went through a 2-3 year museum conservation college program.
 
Here's a similar one that sold on the bay for $50.

s-l500.jpg
 
Twindog said:
Here's a similar one that sold on the bay for $50.

s-l500.jpg
Click to expand...

Thank you. But the emboss on that one is much more distinct and crisp than on the other ones. Also the steel/wrought iron blade
'sandwich' is quite obvious. Doesn't mean this one is similarly old but it certainly is different from the others.

Wouldn't surprise me if the east Europeans, Italians, Spaniards or Orientals produced take-offs of the originals during the n. American 'cowboys and indians' era of 1950s and 60s. Pretty easy stamp to make, and no copyright or patent to infringe upon either. Just me being the devil's advocate in all this.
 
300Six said:
Thank you. But the emboss on that one is much more distinct and crisp than on the other ones. Also the steel/wrought iron blade
'sandwich' is quite obvious. Doesn't mean this one is similarly old but it certainly is different from the others.

Wouldn't surprise me if the east Europeans, Italians, Spaniards or Orientals produced take-offs of the originals during the n. American 'cowboys and indians' era of 1950s and 60s. Pretty easy stamp to make, and no copyright or patent to infringe upon either. Just me being the devil's advocate in all this.
Click to expand...

Yes, I saw the delaminating bit and wondered about that. There is another axe like this up for sale for something around $7,500.

That kind of axe was pretty common in the New World. From what I read, it looks like the French and English and others used Basque-made axes for trade.

There is also some thought that the early Basque whalers were in the New World before Columbus, and they had regular contact and trade with Indians.
 
Twindog said:
Yes, I saw the delaminating bit and wondered about that. There is another axe like this up for sale for something around $7,500.

That kind of axe was pretty common in the New World. From what I read, it looks like the French and English and others used Basque-made axes for trade.

There is also some thought that the early Basque whalers were in the New World before Columbus, and they had regular contact and trade with Indians.
Click to expand...

You are probably correct in this assumption. The town of Port Aux Basques in Newfoundland is named because the Basque fishing (or was it whaling?) fleet was already well established (at seasonal ports of landing) long before officially documented French and English explorers showed up. And anyone wielding steel implements would have been revered (or feared) by the Natives. As to how common these hatchets were for trade purposes, and for how long a period, is conjecture, as is how many of these might have survived into the year 2000.
 
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