Hi Radleigh,
Nonoy Tan is one of the experts in this forum when it comes to Northern Luzon head axes and related stuff.
While waiting for his comments, you may want to check out the
Collectors' Guide page, as it has a good side by side comparison of a good head axe vs. an inferior one.
The write-up mentions that one of the distinguishing traits of a good head axe is the non-uniform thickness of the blade. In the case of my three head axes (pics attached), the blade thicknesses (all taken at the spine [i.e., top]) are as follows:
[a] Axe 1: front, 3 mm thick; middle, 2 mm; rear (spike), 5 mm;
[b] Axe 2: front, 1 mm thick; middle, 2 mm; rear (spike), 4 mm; and
[c] Axe 3: front, 2 mm thick; middle, 2 mm; rear (spike), 2 mm.
A head axe with uniform blade thickness does not necessarily mean it's tourist however.
Hope this helps
