My points exactly when it comes to these types of items. This is a tricky one and I just can't be sure one way or the other. The German fire ax is extremely close in design, but not an exact replica. The one displayed at the top of this thread appears to have more legitimate aging. Although the head is cast, this doesn't necessarily exclude it as a boarding tool. The spike is longer and four-sided. Frustrating to pin down for sure-
The pics by Billman are good, but need more clarification. Are we saying all of the ax headed pictured in that catalog are post-1920? In that case, the conclusion is that all earlier forms of axes were being reproduced into the 20th century and any collected pieces would have to be judged on an individual basis. After all, the catalog picture is showing us everything from shingling axes to tomahawks to hammer-pole axes, many of the patterns made in the earlier centuries...