old ax head..how old?

castletonking · Oct 6, 2011

I found this ax head in a site thats producing late 18th century items,it was approx 8 inches deep.any idea of what kind of ax it is or an approx date on it?

RW · Oct 6, 2011

Can't tell from the picture but it looks like half of a woodsman's axe to me. No help on the age.

castletonking · Oct 6, 2011

RW said:
Can't tell from the picture but it looks like half of a woodsman's axe to me. No help on the age.

my thought as well,however it's not broken and is very crudely forged.

RW · Oct 6, 2011

That second pic really shows the shape. Someone should be able to get you close now. Pretty neat though.

castletonking · Oct 6, 2011

RW said:
That second pic really shows the shape. Someone should be able to get you close now. Pretty neat though.

thanx,i figure in the same age range as the other late 18th and early 19th century as the other items pulled from the same spot,however i know nothing about axes.

Edmundruffin · Oct 6, 2011

Neat find. You have a felling axe. Yours was used as hafted, as a wedge, or worn out. Notice the bulk of iron toward the back, as well as the mushrooming toward the end of the back. The cracks in the iron are usually from use as a wedge, hafted or not, or continuous use. The mushrooming on the back, and then cracks in the body indicate a hafted or unhafted use as a wedge.

castletonking · Oct 6, 2011

Edmundruffin said:
Neat find. You have a felling axe. Yours was used as hafted, as a wedge, or worn out. Notice the bulk of iron toward the back, as well as the mushrooming toward the end of the back. The cracks in the iron are usually from use as a wedge, hafted or not, or continuous use. The mushrooming on the back, and then cracks in the body indicate a hafted or unhafted use as a wedge.

awsome,thanks for the info

scratcher · Oct 8, 2011

castletonking said:
RW said:

That second pic really shows the shape. Someone should be able to get you close now. Pretty neat though.

Click to expand...

thanx,i figure in the same age range as the other late 18th and early 19th century as the other items pulled from the same spot,however i know nothing about axes.

I have found these types at early sites also. Good find!