Odd looking ax head

[BladeRunner2019]

Hello all.

I'm new here, so I hope this is the correct place for this type of post. I found this ax head today in some woods near a possible colonial home site. I don't ever recall seeing an ax that appears to be folded over like that with such an obvious seam. Do you think it was made by an "amateur" blacksmth?

Thanks for any information on this.

 

[FLINT77]

I'm not an expert by any means, but that axe doesn't look that old to me at all. Looks like a typical commercial production jersey.

Can you post some better pictures, so we can see the shape of the head better?

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Almost looks like an eye that cracked from overly tight wedging.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Hello all.

I'm new here, so I hope this is the correct place for this type of post. I found this ax head today in some woods near a possible colonial home site. I don't ever recall seeing an ax that appears to be folded over like that with such an obvious seam. Do you think it was made by an "amateur" blacksmth?

Thanks for any information on this.

It has merely broken.

This is a standard 20th centuy factory forged Jersey pattern axe head, I don't know how this happens but it's not too uncommon to see an axe that has been broken like this.

 

[BladeRunner2019]

Thanks for the help. Looking down through the hole you can tell it looks displaced. Sure is a clean break though. Oh Well.

 

[phantomknives]

that one would have been beautiful back in the day

 

[Square_peg]

Almost looks like an eye that cracked from overly tight wedging.

Or from being left outside for years until the handle became rotten, then wicked up some water and later froze, cracking the eye.

 

[FLINT77]

Or from being left outside for years until the handle became rotten, then wicked up some water and later froze, cracking the eye.

I was just reading through this thread again thinking about whether this could have happened while it was in the ground - and then I saw Square_peg's post, I think think that is totally possible. it is pitted pretty badly which has to weaken it.

thanks for the new pictures - it does look like a classic Jersey (or some variation of Jersey like Kentucky) style axe. Kelly seems to have made a ton of axes like this and it doesn't look dissimilar to a lot of Kelly's I've seen.

 

[FLINT77]

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/literally-dug-this-one-up.1594522/

Here is an axe head that I dug up near an old stone foundation, that is probably a similar age or older than the one you have, but is still probably a factory manufactured head. I don't show a picture of the other side of the head but its pitted and thinned out pretty bad.

you should clean it up, maybe there is a remnant of a stamp under there somewhere.

guys here are advocates of wire wheel cleaning, but since you clearly are not planning to use or restore it - if you were to soak that in evaporust for a couple days, it would be clean as a whistle and if there was a stamp under there anywhere, that would be the best way to reveal it. What I do is flip it over and scrub it with a toothbrush every few hours.

 

[FLINT77]

ok, last thing, haha.

looking at your pictures again, that thing looks like it must have been almost new when it went into the ground. zero damage to the bit or poll, which would be super uncommon on an old used axe head.

 

[Yankee Josh]

ok, last thing, haha.

looking at your pictures again, that thing looks like it must have been almost new when it went into the ground. zero damage to the bit or poll, which would be super uncommon on an old used axe head.

I had the same exact thought. Looking at it the poll looks virgin. Heel & toe are pristine. It does make one curious as to the circumstances though! Why did some darn fool lose track of a nice Jersey pattern axe?

 

[BladeRunner2019]

I'll soak it in something to see if I can find any markings. Thanks again for the information.

 

[A17]

Try vinegar. If it's not too rusted of destroyed you might try to have it welded up.