gypsyheart said:
I said >>>>>>>>>I would take a wild stab at guessing the date at 1880
Most quality throwing axes are still hand forged ...not mass produced. The photo above in silverswedes post is taken from a hand forged axe website.
My wild stab also involved thinking about the places that Tinpan hunts....old mines....out in the boonies....and the older sites ,which also made me think it was of an older find.
Treasuretales......Just for curiousity sake....what made you feel that it was mass produced by looking at a photo of it ? From the logging camp museums here in Wisconsin we are seeing these same types since about 1836.
Well, at the risk of getting the axe (lol), I'll attempt to better explain my OPINIONS. Seems everyone else has one, but apparently I didn't post mine properly or with enough "respect" to veteran treasurenet members. I'll say right now that I don't think my post waranted such hostility. I'm learning the ropes and guess I tripped myself up on one of them. I meant no offense to tinpan or Gypsy. But I thought opinions where what was requested. So maybe you guys can cut me a little slack before you smack me around next time
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I've dug up a couple axeheads very similar to the one tinpan has pictured on this thread. The ones I dug up were from locations in California, USA which were at logging camps that appeared and disappeared in the 1930s. I've seen axeheads from the 1880s (again, in America, not Australia) and they had much more "sweep" (curve) to their heads which also added length to the curved bit portion (length from top of bit to bottom of bit). The photo Tinpan posted that shows the handle hole is interesting, IMO, because it shows the tips or bits as being tapered and re-tapered (for lack of a technical word). You'll notice that the throwing axes don't have a double tapered bit, but instead have a smooth and uniform taper from handle hole to bit blade. Making a uniform double taper by hand-forging would have been quite a feat in the 1880s, IMO. And the handle hole is quite uniform as well. If you go to the Tuatahi website and read about throwing axes, it states that the handle can be ordered AND TRIMMED TO FIT THE HOLE, because their axes are not completely uniform.
Here's a link for Tuatahi Throwing Axes (a New Zealand company).
http://www.tuatahiaxes.com/pics/trowingaxes.jpg I live near a logging supply store (Bailiey's) that stocks these axes, I've seen them first-hand. They don't have a double taper. So based on these things, I formed my OPINIONS. I never said I was an expert. Nor did I say anybody was wrong. I merely questioned how a certain "stab" at the date and type of axe were derived. Believe me, I will steer clear of certain posters in the future. And I will tippy-toe around the forum like Cinderfella.
Now I'm sure somebody will try very hard to shoot holes in my theory, so blast away. I'm interested in the ultimate answer and not the "glory."
![:-\](https://www.treasurenet.com/smilies/undecided.gif "Undecided :-\")
Based on what? 
I mean, this looks like a common doublebit that was used in logging operations. Here in Northern California an axe like that would have been mass-produced around 1930. I assume the same would be true for Australia.
)Too bad its not marked. The bits have more of an arch than the ones I've found in New England. What are the measurements Tinpan? It appears small (ish) by the photos.
