axe head

[kramdua]

found this 6 inches deep. just by research it is in 1800's?? any input? i can't find any info on these chains.

 

[laplander]

Single bit axes must have been an essential tool in the day, they seem to be every where!
HH Jeff

 

[u2robert]

I think that axe belonged to that Lizzie Borden girl.
Your not around Fall Rivers, MA are you?

 

[carver]

I believe the chains are blacksmith made trace chains foe wagon.

 

[kramdua]

thanks for your input. i live in the chancellorsville va. area near the rapidan river.

 

[Elmy]

wow...can you imagine cutting logs and building a log cabin like our pioneers did with that kind of axe head? And we think we have it rough ! I have found a few of those axe heads in the old homesteads around here so they had to be an important tool.

 

[Ronstar]

I’ve found a couple of axe heads on old cabin or homestead sites. If you’re finding that you should probably find horse or mule shoes and maybe stove legs and parts. They end making good yard or garden art.

 

[kramdua]

can you imagine our next generation and if they had to pick up an axe. and deputy you better save some love for your wife. you might find your depth finder missing 1 day.
thanks for the input,
mark

 

[fwcrawford]

Like others have stated, they always turn up around old house sites.
One house site I searched around has given up 5 so far!!!
Another site two other guys and I searched gave up 7 of them.
I tell people two things you are almost guaranteed to find around old house sites are axeheads and harmonica reed plates.
As far as dating yours, it best to go by the age of the site itself as a guide.
To me they all look very similar to modern ones, although some look more crud than others... sometimes a little heavier too.
Near find!!

 

[Elmy]

Oh yes on the old mule shoes....I have also found a lot of those...and Crotal Bells..(which we old timers call Sleigh bells)

 

[carver]

One thing you seldom find are broad ax heads. Most places you search will only yield five or six good targets. Most of the old sites the people that used to live they were poor folks trying to make a living. They had very little cash. They did a barter system.

Carver

 

[Elmy]

I always thought they used a broad ax head to square logs for a cabin or structure...always thought most were like hatchets...shorter than an ax. And yes...I have hit spots with one or two ih's and that was it as far as coins....in fact we have a lot of single coin find spots.

 

[carver]

I have two broad head ax, that were in my family. They have 10 or 12" blades. Very sharp. They would use an ax to cut into the side of log, then use broad to square up. They also used adz between their feet. Only one side of broad ax is sharpened. Mine came from 1700's. They still are sharp.

 

[Elmy]

I have two broad head ax, that were in my family. They have 10 or 12" blades. Very sharp. They would use an ax to cut into the side of log, then use broad to square up. They also used adz between their feet. Only one side of broad ax is sharpened. Mine came from 1700's. They still are sharp.

good info....200 year old blades.....WOW ! Glad I never had to work them like the pioneers did.

 

[fwcrawford]

Here is an axehead a friend of mine found one day while we were detecting around an old house site.
I found the hammer head.
Only found one coin there which was an 1832 dime
I showed this axe to an antique collector and he said it was a hewing axe.. the blade is offset to allow left hand or right hand use with out hitting your hand on the log while using it.
This is the only one I have that is shaped like this.. all others I have are single bit and look much like modern axes.
Thought you all might enjoy seeing this one since we are on the subject of axes.

 

[Elmy]

Now that is an ax.....wonder how many pounds the complete ax setup was.....it would certainly build your arm muscles up...the hammer head doesn't have the collar that the handle goes into like today's hammers do.....
Cool finds !

 

[carver]

Now that is an ax.....wonder how many pounds the complete ax setup was.....it would certainly build your arm muscles up...the hammer head doesn't have the collar that the handle goes into like today's hammers do.....
Cool finds !

The handle was offset to right or left depending on you being left or right handed. It was offset to keep your knuckles from hitting the log. If not offset you had to have much longer handle and stood
on top of log to remove wood and bark. The offset handle most or the time was around 16 to 18 " long. The longer was what was comfort with according to your height.

 

[carver]

The handle was offset to right or left depending on you being left or right handed. It was offset to keep your knuckles from hitting the log. If not offset you had to have much longer handle and stood
on top of log to remove wood and bark. The offset handle most or the time was around 16 to 18 " long. The longer was what was comfortable with according to your height.

 

[Elmy]

that is really interesting...modified axes ...even back then ...we live and learn better ways to do things.

 

[carver]

Here is an axehead a friend of mine found one day while we were detecting around an old house site.
I found the hammer head.
Only found one coin there which was an 1832 dime
I showed this axe to an antique collector and he said it was a hewing axe.. the blade is offset to allow left hand or right hand use with out hitting your hand on the log while using it.
This is the only one I have that is shaped like this.. all others I have are single bit and look much like modern axes.
Thought you all might enjoy seeing this one since we are on the subject of axes.

View attachment 5395

Nice find. How wide is the blade? If about 5" it was probably used for making shingles

Carver