Spanish flea market finds & other stuff that might be of interest!

I'mSoSharp said:
They share pretty wide bits, but the Russian axes have normal eyes with wedged handles. Funnily I turned up this image using "Russian butcher's axe" as a search-

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Note how this has the small protrusion under the handle as well, can anyone tell me what it's for?
I know it's no good for overstrike on either axe as the edge comes back further than it.
Also the there is a gap between it & the handle, it'clearly not meant to fit against the bottom of the handle.
Only thing I can think of is something to hang it on a nail or peg by, anyone know?
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The funny thing about this search find is that it is a Billnäs axe....(that's what the cyrillic script says:"Factory Billnas":)...It's a rather a rare axe,that one,made to the russian standards back when Finland was a part of Russian Empire....That type is generally known as a Large Cavalry axe pattern....and is a carpenter's axe,in it's intended purpose.....

Fantastic job handling that Spanish axe...looks like it would be fun,and pleasant,to use...right on!:)
 
Thanks for the compliment Jake Pogg.
I posted the Russian axe because of the "spur", strange that it appears on axes in a lot of countries.
 
And you're quite right to wonder as to what the ...is it for.Unfortunately,nobody knows.I communicate with a plenty of russian axe-freaks,and even some makers,and none of them can figure it out....

One(more:) far-fetched theory is that it served as a proof of the quality of metal.Much of bloomery iron was so crapulous that it'd not lend itself easily to being drawn out so long and skinny...So that spur,pinched off the blade material,could've been a demonstration to the customer, as in look,we've actually bothered to refine the iron at least some....:)
 
Well,that's as cute(and as far-fetched as the rest of 'em...:).....except that it kinda-sorta predates nails(as we know them,wire-nails,so much per pennyweight et c....)

Back then it'd be a gimlet,and a ye olde wooden peg....:)

Another british friend,btw,has a cool term for that deal....The Sprogget,he calls it....:)
 
I think the spur was there to increase the impact area on the haft. Modern versions might not contact the haft - they may be like "phantom bevels" - no longer needed.
 
Square_peg said:
I think the spur was there to increase the impact area on the haft. Modern versions might not contact the haft - they may be like "phantom bevels" - no longer needed.
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This is the best theory IMHO so far. It may be a vestige transmitted by tradition, that at one time used to serve some function. Nobody knows for sure what the cho on the kukri is for, not even the Nepali.
 
Well,Sir...Like many other theories,this too does,or may have, something to it....For a number of centuries many tools,pole-arms in particular,had 2 to 4 langettes....Some had them extend many feet down the haft....

The last living example of that is(seems to be,to the best of my limited knowledge) a fire-fighting("sapper" type,during both World Wars) hatchet of a number of European countries.

I've an aquaintance,a blacksmith Konstantin Pirochinsky,who regularly uses that funky,arcane feature in his axes.Here's a link to a russian blacksmithing forum,where he moderates an armorer sorta theme,you can see axes typical for what comes out of his forge in Post # 1212....http://forum.ostmetal.info/threads/topory.217950/page-49
 
Square_peg said:
I think the spur was there to increase the impact area on the haft. Modern versions might not contact the haft - they may be like "phantom bevels" - no longer needed.
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That's what my intuition has told me, but all the ones that I've seen to date have had a pretty significant gap between the spur and the handle, to enough of an extent that it at least makes me question if that's right or not. If intended for that it would probably make the most sense to have the side of it in line with the eye and instead they're usually angled away from it. You could still fit a handle that sat flush to an angled spur but it'd be trickier.
 
Thats my thoughts also on that spur. Added bearing surface.
But I passed off the universally observed poor fit up against the haft. Its either a decorative holdover from prior times or just 'eastbloc quality control.
 
jake pogg said:
One(more:) far-fetched theory is that it served as a proof of the quality of metal. Much of bloomery iron was so crapulous that it'd not lend itself easily to being drawn out so long and skinny...So that spur,pinched off the blade material,could've been a demonstration to the customer, as in look,we've actually bothered to refine the iron at least some....:)
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I sense that there is considerable truth to this 'far-fetched theory' you've proffered. Trying to make an iron axe head show a decorative curl that isn't brittle and that was actually drawn/formed in place is probably not possible. That human appendix-like 'spur' we're all puzzling about may well have long ago been used as visual confirmation of materials and craftsmanship that could only be achieved by using steel.
 
Agent_H said:
Hacha.JPG

http://chozasdecordobaandalucia.blogspot.com/2011/12/la-madera.html

Not exactly the same but close?

This one is from Posadas, Spain.
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Thanks for that Agent H, interesting!

And strangely enough in the link the next photo below has a picture of a tool he calls a "Hocino" stating ". Used in Guadalcazr", the place my axe head was made, only a few miles down the road from " Posadas". :confused:

Those towns are a three hour drive away from where I live, I think a trip is in order taking the axe along for a ride.
 
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The Zieg said:
Love the hang you did! Impressive work!
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Thank you Zieg. :)


I've made a handle for the smaller one from wild olive, it didn't need curves in it but, well why not......... ;)

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It's a thin handle as the eye is very narrow, it's three times as deep as it's wide! ;)

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Needs oiling now.
 
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droohmakov said:
Square_peg, you are absolutely right. Such is its original purpose.
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So you think the decorative spur is based on older axes that used to have a haft over-strike protector?



On to the newer hatchet, I was going to leave the head alone but I couldn't :), so after a bit of disc work-

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Didn't spend too much time on it as it'll get used, below showing the handle that must slide through the narrow head.

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It actually feels alright despite being very narrow. The grain does turn up & follow through the head despite how it looks in the pic, it's just the way it's cut/sanded.
 
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