Okay...What do I have from Estwing

That's unusual - beats the heck outa me what it is. The back of the blade looks like it was intended to be struck by a mallet or something. If I had to take a WAG I'd say it's a kindling hatchet.

 

Either a kindling hatchet or a cleaver. Many cleavers have mushroomed spines from being hammered through bones and the like.

I want one, either way. That's damn sexy. Maybe we can convince them to bring it back since they're making new models these days.

 

Wow, never saw one of those before.

 

Interesting. It looks like the blade Is laminated.

 

Looks like a wood shingle hatchet

 

I bet you our resident research wizard, Steve Tall, can track down the patent.

 

http://www.datamp.org/patents/search/advance.php?pn=1578502&id=42977&set=1

Click on the link for the USPTO Classifications. The link reverts to 30/308.1 as a combination tool, used as a mincing cleaver, culinary implement, & combination tool. Those links also give more detail as to the look, and combinations used.

 

The link states Not known to be produced. Possibly a factory prototype. Maybe one of a kind. Awesome find.

 

Whatever it is, it looks bad ass.

 

Might well be an experimental. It's too bad Estwing didn't take an interest in this.

 

That patent that Kingsize found looks like a different design:



compared to:





However, that patent seems to be the most relevant, since it is the only patent awarded to Estwing on 3-30-26 (the patent date stamped on the handle).
My guess is non-production experimental prototype tweaking of the patented design.

I've happy to have been promoted from librarian!

 

I've seen a few of these. It is clearly a Frankenaxe M3. The others looked different but they were Frankenaxe M1 and M2. So far we have established the pommel is probably from an Estwing. I see a line that suggests a blade was welded to a handle. Maybe during the depression or perhaps WWII when steel was hard to come by. I doubt that Estwing had anything to do with it. Whomever created it did a good job.

 

Sounds entirely plausible to me. You've got a one-off modified hatchet. It's cool! Enjoy!

 

I believe it is due to it being a combination tool. It refers to these patents previously given, as a combination of each design, and you can definitely see the lineage from the previous versions wrapped up in this one design.

http://www.datamp.org/patents/search/xrefClass.php?class=30&subclass=308.1


Or as others have stated, it is a custom built piece. Entirely plausable once you consider the times. Either way, nice piece.

 

I'm still trying to figure out what's going on with the end of the combination tool handle???????

 

Looks like a clamp mount to be affixed to a table or thin flat plate for one reason or another