Help and comments on an Axe head

CutlassCollector · 26th March 2021, 02:35 PM

Blacksmiths were amazingly skilled and ingenuous in making and fixing almost anything made of metal and were forge welding successfully everyday. So no disrespect intended but what I meant was if you combine the neat finish with a makers name then it probably means it was commercially made. Trip hammers greatly increased the production rate for commercial sales. Ten axes per man per day for Collins Axes in the 1820s and at the time Europe was well ahead of the US in industrial terms.

So especially in Europe - I think water driven trip hammers were earlier than Mark's suggested date and steam was coming into its own by the end of the 18th century. The Washington Navy Yard installed its first steam engine in the blacksmiths shop in 1808 driving hammers and grinding wheels.

Yes - I would hang on to it as it still seems an unusual shape and it may well have been made around 1800.
This is the closest match I could find in a book - "unknown origin or function but probably 18th century".
The line is not a crack but a scarf weld of a steel bit to the edge probably as a repair.

David R · 26th March 2021, 02:51 PM

Wow! More information than I expected, and thank you to everyone. I am also following some sources of my own, and showing it off to collector friends, but I doubt it will stray from the direction given here.

kronckew · 26th March 2021, 07:28 PM

reminds me of my Gallowglass (Irish) Sparth Axe, tho it has a round scket hole.

26th March 2021, 02:35 PM	#1
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 369	Blacksmiths were amazingly skilled and ingenuous in making and fixing almost anything made of metal and were forge welding successfully everyday. So no disrespect intended but what I meant was if you combine the neat finish with a makers name then it probably means it was commercially made. Trip hammers greatly increased the production rate for commercial sales. Ten axes per man per day for Collins Axes in the 1820s and at the time Europe was well ahead of the US in industrial terms. So especially in Europe - I think water driven trip hammers were earlier than Mark's suggested date and steam was coming into its own by the end of the 18th century. The Washington Navy Yard installed its first steam engine in the blacksmiths shop in 1808 driving hammers and grinding wheels. Yes - I would hang on to it as it still seems an unusual shape and it may well have been made around 1800. This is the closest match I could find in a book - "unknown origin or function but probably 18th century". The line is not a crack but a scarf weld of a steel bit to the edge probably as a repair. Attached Images

26th March 2021, 07:28 PM	#3
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,262	reminds me of my Gallowglass (Irish) Sparth Axe, tho it has a round scket hole. Attached Images

26th March 2021, 02:51 PM	#2
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,138	Wow! More information than I expected, and thank you to everyone. I am also following some sources of my own, and showing it off to collector friends, but I doubt it will stray from the direction given here.