Strange tool found - maybe a carpenters tool

Humppa

Humppa

Joined
Jul 25, 2010
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Hi guys!

I found this one next to an old axe, I already posted here http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...xe-found-in-my-great-grandfathers-workingshag

It was also a pretty strange tool, which I found with rust alover and a wormy handle. Well I used Christmas Eve morning restoring it at home. See what it has become :D

So far, I removed the rust and added a new handle on the tool. I don´t know for what it was used to.

The complete tool

IMG_0992.jpg


The tool in size comparison to a Mora 711

IMG_0996.jpg


Here is the front side

IMG_0994.jpg


And the back side

IMG_0995.jpg


Here you can see the smitty´s mark, I don´t know who could have made it. What dou you think, is it hammer- or handforged?

IMG_0993.jpg


The tool could be about 150 years old. My great-great-granddad was a carpenter. Maybe it was one his tools.
Nevertheless, I´ll keep this beauty in a save place. I love it, it weights about 4 kilogramm.

What do you guys think?

Kind regards
Andi
 
Maybe a sugar cane knife? But the shape is a little odd.

SEMPER-FI TIL I DIE
 
I agree with Pipeman - looks like an old timber framer with goosewing pattern and extra rounded tip - nice looking no doubt. I wounder how functional it was - i would think someone would get tired pretty quick swing that thing, especially bent over.

Great looking piece though, and has the family history to it also, so you will be able to continue to hand that down, which is perhaps more important than the piece itself.

Thanks for sharing!
 
Thank you guys, for the replies.

I also thought, that it could have been a tool scoring timbers. Here in Germany it could be called a "Behaubeil".

This must have been a really hellish-heavy-job. That axe is really heavy, working with this monster the whole day would cause a bear-of-a-man to work with it the whole day. I don´t know its weight, but 4 kilogramm or more can be possible.

Kind regards
Andi
 
Operator1975 said:
I agree with Pipeman - looks like an old timber framer with goosewing pattern and extra rounded tip - nice looking no doubt. I wounder how functional it was - i would think someone would get tired pretty quick swing that thing, especially bent over.

Great looking piece though, and has the family history to it also, so you will be able to continue to hand that down, which is perhaps more important than the piece itself.


Thanks for sharing!
Click to expand...


I agree about the fatigue aspect of using one of these with such a short helve. I'm not sure how they were used exactly but maybe they were used horizontaly with the timber on horses. All the guys I know who still use broad axes for timber framing and log building have long helves on their axes and stand on the log to square it. I can't imagine swinging a 9 pound head on such a short handle and all of the goose wings seem to have them. Maybe it was used almost like a chisel or plane with one hand on the back of the blade. Maybe someone who knows could chime in.

Robin
 
Ok, there are you right, for sure. The short handle is an exact rebuild of what was on the axe before. I made the same on it, same length, same shape and so on.

Yeah, I´m also hoping someone can enlighten us with the knowledge about antique tools...

Kind regards
Andi
 
how did you make the handle? I have an axe head which needs a handle, and have not been able to find one to fit, so will have to make one
 
A friend of mine is a carpenter for furniture. He owns a wood lathe and a wood milling machine. With a little bit of experience in wood working, it´s no big thing creating your own handles. Fixing it on the tool is another story ;)

I also make my axe handles myself. That´s real fun, talking and drinking some beer together next to make new handles and all theese things on a foggy sunday afternoon :)

Kind regards
Andi
 
I've seen similar ones (though without the top hook) being called a "doloire" at online auctions. Looks like an axe for hewing, as others have noted.

I didn't find another example, but did find some interesting sites, such as this page about the making of wine barrels:

gravure_tonnelier.jpg

http://www.anciens-outils.com/tonnelier.htm

Which led me to this page showing hatchets used by makers of wooden shoes:

haches-paysdeloire.jpg

http://www.anciens-outils.com/page_haches-sabotiers.htm

And other cutting tools used by wine makers (some with curved tips):

haches-chais2.jpg

http://www.anciens-outils.com/page_hachesdechais2.htm
 
It should be noted that such an axe would not have been swung like you were chopping a tree.

This is an axe for rough shaping of timbers - so it would have been used in a more controlled manner, by a man atop the log or in a pit beneath it.
 
beauty of a goosewing-looks like a cavalry cleaver straight out of Sherrifmuir. You know, in case the Brits decide to depose another Stewart or something ;)
 
Well, "Breitbeil" means translated "Broad-hatchet". A carving-hatchet seems the most logical to me, as well as it is already said.

Have any of you guys seen such a hatchet already, once?

@payetteRucker: Thank you for the nice words ;)
 
Yeah, it's obviously a broadaxe.
It's used to square logs.
The "goose wind" style with handle socket is quite typically german, at least South/South West Germany/Switzerland.

"Doloire" is a French name for broad axe (maybe regional name).

I've never seen one in person but they spring pretty often on ebay Germany. If you're interested in value (or for information) I'd say they go for 30€-100€ depending on condition, although prices seem quite random.

The curled tip is unusual, but I think I've see others.
 
Last edited:
trailmaker said:
At 26 seconds into this video there is a very similar axe being used. I've seen axes of this pattern referred to as "Breitbeil". As a German speaker maybe you can confirm if that name makes any sense.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j506cXGvOPg
Click to expand...

looks like that is in fact a hewing axe. German style.:thumbup:

i've watched this utube video several times before and never even noticed the goosewing hewing axe being used

pretty cool

thanks for posting

buzz

nice tool, looks forge welded, i would not mind using it on a project.
you did a good job cleaning it up, if you plan to use it.
 
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