ESTATE SALE AX HEAD

[Ken W.]

I found this funky ax head at an estate sale.It's marked  W H . These could have been stamped by the owner as they are very light. How old would you think this is and what type of ax is this ?

[Ken W.]

Here are some more pics.

[Ken W.]

Here are few more.

[john k]

With the eye offset, that is a shaping axe for trimming beams.  There were right and left handed axes.   I can't tell from the photo, if it has age to it, may go back to the mid 19th century.   Blacksmiths also make them yet today. 

[Lewill2]

I'm not very good at axes but there are Cooper's Axes that I think usually have about a 9 inch cutting blade that is offset similar to yours and there are Broad Axes that are flat on one side but I think they are usually a little heavier duty then a Cooper's Axe. Cooper's Axe as the name implies is used in the barrel making process and a Broad Axe is used to square off logs, to be used for building whatever. The surface of the logs would then be cleaned up with an Adze. 

[Ken W.]

Here are 2 pics up close.

[scottg]

I think its a coopers ax. Huge one too, and never used.
   
 Worth a bit of money I think. 
   yours Scott

[Branson]

This is a classic British and American cooper's side ax.  It's used to rough out the tapers in barrel staves.  The catalog picture dates from 1816.   Your's is somewhat more recent with the distinctive tapers at the ends of the blades -- more recent than 1816.   Then continued to be made throughout the 19th Century.  Mine, made by D.R. Barton is essentially identical in size and shape, as is the unmarked example I purchased for Sutter's Fort.  It's appropriate for 1846, the Fort's interpretive period.

It is a type of broad ax, but far too light for shaping beams.  It's for trimming stock around an inch or inch and a quarter thick.  Very good find.

[rusty]

OK, not to sidetrack the thread too much,but, what is the strange looking thing on the bottom of the catalog cut?

[Branson]

OK, not to sidetrack the thread too much,but, what is the strange looking thing on the bottom of the catalog cut?

It's a flagging iron.  I'm a little uncertain why it's so commonly called a flagging iron -- the cooper for the company that builds barrels for Guinness just calls it a "dog."  Maybe it came to the name from people who flagged the ends of the staves (flagging is inserting a reed between boards, reeds are called flags),  but not all coopers flag the ends of the staves.  Many only flag the boards that make the heads, though the ends of the staves in rebuilt barrels are often flagged. 

It's a pry bar.  The feet or ears on the end of the Y shaped end do the prying.   With the top one or two hoops removed,  one foot is placed on the outside of one stave while the other foot is placed on the inside of the next stave, and force is applied to push that stave out of line from the staves next to it.

[Ken W.]

Where would I get a handle for this ?

[scottg]

I doubt you'll find one you can just drive on. You will have to fit one. But you can get handles to carve from househandle.com if you want.
 
 You can carve one from an old broken sledge or shovel or pick handle or baseball bat etc.
Or carve one from scratch. Its not the end of the world
 yours Scott

[Branson]

Where would I get a handle for this ?

You're going to have to make one.  I have an original and will try to get some photos of it for you.   I can tell you right now that it extends 11 1/4 inches from where it enters the eye.   At least you won't have to curve the handle since the eye itself is angled away from the blade.

[Ken W.]

If you guys had this,would you clean and paint it or leave it as is ? This is going to be a wall hanger. I think it would look better on the wall with a handle. Any wood suggestions ?

[scottg]

If you don't at least chop kindling, we are going to hunt you down like a dog Ken!
    An ax this fine and this capable demands to be used, at least some.
 
 There are about 27 million axes in the world that,........ who cares? Cut em up, sell em for scrap, sink em in the ocean. So what!
 
   But an ax like this only comes along every so often. They were hard to make, and expensive when new.   
            But they can carve wood like it was butter!
  You owe it to yourself.

 Oh just clean and oil it every so often. Steel wool will do. 
      yours Scott