Tim,
Those brass tacks don't look quite right to me. There appear to be none missing, which would be unusual for an otherwise older looking piece. Fearn has also commented on the "pristine" condition of those studs. I would have expected at least an occasional ding on at least one stud over the lifetime of an old axe.
Similarly, the haft and leather work look to be complete--nothing obviously missing. This just raises some red flags for me.
I sincerely hope you have lucked out here!
Cheers,
Ian.
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