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Jan 14, 2021, 07:49 AM
#16
 Chronic Patriot/Metal Detecting,it`s My Lifestyle !
Photo from the book " Swords&Blades of the American Revolution"
I`v been detecting for 52 years owned my own detector shop G.A.P. Metal Detectors here in N.Y.
See my old adds in Western & Eastern Treasures and Lost Treasure Magazines through the 90s
I hunt the Sullivan Trail here in N.Y.
"Success is just Rented, Never Owned and the Rent is due Daily"
"Its the Golden Rule who ever has the Gold Rules"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqdSl2jFjlE
WE THE PEOPLE
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Jan 14, 2021, 07:57 AM
#17
 ARC
 Originally Posted by G.A.P.metal
 Photo from the book " Swords&Blades of the American Revolution"
I rest my case. 
"pole" vs "squared shaft"
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Jan 14, 2021, 08:10 AM
#18
 ARC
Here are period "found and restored" examples.
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Jan 14, 2021, 08:19 AM
#19
 ARC
Paleo... the "seam" inside the eye ?... does yours have this ? ? ?
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Jan 14, 2021, 08:36 AM
#20
Interesting read on link, regarding some reproduction pieces.
https://www.furtradetomahawks.com/fa...pros---17.html
"If it was easy-It would have already been done-Life 101."
“I treat the outside world as one raw very warm wet chicken that has sitting out too long. wash and sterilize everything me touches.” — pepperj
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Jan 14, 2021, 11:35 AM
#21
 Max
Last edited by paleomaxx; Jan 14, 2021 at 11:38 AM.
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Jan 14, 2021, 11:55 AM
#22
 Max
This was brought to my attention... Paleo... Unfortunately I do not agree... sorry man... and which in the grand scheme of things... who cares right ? ? ?
There are a few "red flags" for this...
Although its a nice find...
1. The overall appearance screams modern to me.
2. No fold... which means it was cast... and that makes it modern.
3. Perfect cuts and angles also points modern.
4. Deterioration of metal "pock marks" for lack of the real term in my mind right now... is not indicative of other heads of this period. (NOW this could be due to an "element situation")
5. and..... most importantly... This "style"... IS NOT... a 16th century style hatchet... which is what it is... not an "axe".
Sorry... but... hey... "it is what it is".
LOve to be proven wrong.
You're welcome to disagree; doesn't bother me at all, just allow me to post a few rebuttals to your points. I did do a ton of research on this piece and would love to post up some more of it! 
For starters it does indeed have a fold inside the eye. It's devilishly tricky to get a good photo of because there's no real contrast with the treated surface, but the below photo turned out okay:

People may have to click on it to get the expanded view to really see the features, but it does have the classic seam from the butterfly of iron being folded over and hammered into the axe head shape. There's a neat diagram in Bouchard's book that shows the steps in the process:

On your point about it not having a 16th century hatchet style you are correct. Keep in mind that Biscayne trade axes are a very specific product produced for the fur trade with the Native Americans. European hatchets produced for use by the colonists or even local blacksmith-made colonial hatchets could have been produced with different styles, weights, and quality.
You mention "crude" as an overall look for other period pieces and I would agree that for a lot of locally blacksmithed iron pieces that's an easy way to distinguish older artifacts, but it's important to note that what was being manufactured for trade with the Native Americans may not have been crude. The furs that were being traded for were extremely valuable in Europe and continued trade was crucial for justifying repeated expeditions. Also it's easy to think of the indigenous tribes as being willing to trade for whatever they could get their hands on, but that may be a later bias as evidence suggests that indigenous tribes preferentially trade for quality items. Serpent muskets and trade silver were quality items were mass produced, but not cheaply made. The European traders wanted goods that were desirable so pieces like these trade axes would have been made to high quality standards at the time. Poorly made axes might have been rejected in favor of better ones and if word got around that your goods were junk, your supply of furs might dry up.
Last edited by paleomaxx; Jan 14, 2021 at 11:58 AM.
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Jan 14, 2021, 12:03 PM
#23
 Max
Last edited by paleomaxx; Jan 14, 2021 at 12:10 PM.
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Jan 14, 2021, 02:35 PM
#24
Thanks for the clarification on the head, and the added information on mine as well, this is much appreciated that you took the time. Mine would be classified as a belt axe as it's so small (still looking for big brother).
"If it was easy-It would have already been done-Life 101."
“I treat the outside world as one raw very warm wet chicken that has sitting out too long. wash and sterilize everything me touches.” — pepperj
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Jan 14, 2021, 07:50 PM
#25
 Kim
Neat axe, nice research and cleaning, and I’ve enjoyed the follow up posts..Lots of points to think about.
The detector is my stethoscope to the earth, discovering the heartbeat of the past, to breathe new life into artifacts for us and the future.....
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Jan 14, 2021, 11:27 PM
#26
 Nick
Great post and ensuing discussions...
Cleaning Up The Planet...One Pull Tab At A Time.
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Jan 15, 2021, 12:31 AM
#27
Neat find!!! Its awesome that you were able to find the mark and identify it!!!
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