Posted 8 years ago
curtisfiore
(18 items)
I'm looking for information on this old axe. I found it in a barn (mid-70s) outside of Cleveland Ohio. It looks hand made, flat on one side. Is that pattern common? Any Idea of when or were it was made? Anything at all is appreciated?
It's a trade ax. That one has the hammer back preferred by settlers (they just have cable you know). Probably early 1800s as they were hand made.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/167180-antique-trade-axe-tomahawk-circa-early1
That one is mine. There are several links in the comments section with interesting information.
I thought the flat sided ones were for making wood shingles.
Thank you. I will take a look at trade axes to see if I can find anything similar.
Look up Fuchs hatchets, shingling hatchets & flat-back hatchets.
I do not believe it is a trade ax. I think this is a broad ax, or as blunder was saying, a hewing hatchet. These axes were only beveled on one side, like a chisel. They were used to cut square beams for barns or split rail fences. One side should be entirely flat.
So looks like yours is hand forged, Very nice ax, I am going to look at my tool book and see if I can ID the form, it is not like the typical broad axes we see on the east coast here. And the poll is rather large.
early 19th century.
compare to this ax head which was dug here in NJ.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/135650-early-american-hewing-hatchet-head-loo
Thanks again for all the comments. So possibly a hewing hatchet, early 1800s, imported or made in Ohio? At some point I would like to donate it to a museum if it has any significant historic value.
These were heavily used tools... I doubt the handle is original although old. Usually they had a curved handle so the user wouldn't slam his knuckles on the log. There were different shapes for different regions.