Tool Tuesday; old axes

[johan_steele]

A lumberjack bought a replacement axe from me and put these two axe heads toward the price. There is a certain functionality and simplicity to these that is instantly notable. That they are also rather pleasant to look upon is a nice aside. I would wager my socks they came out of the old country and were old back there. The style of blade is common out of the Norse countries and points east. They certainly are not of the style made here today.

Axes like these are a splendid and necessary tool as well as an efficient weapon in times of desperate need. I think I will make up a handle for each and set one in the woodshed and the other in the firebox. They have much life left in them. They just aren't new.

 

[Dan Kohli]

They sure are pretty looking. Do you have any idea what they were used for? Or are they just fancy Norse felling axes?

 

[JOHN42768]

Very nice items

 

[EJ Zander]

They sure are pretty looking. Do you have any idea what they were used for? Or are they just fancy Norse felling axes?

Looks like hewing axes to me. If so handles would have been curved or socket would have been offset for either right or left hand work.

 

[johan_steele]

They sure are pretty looking. Do you have any idea what they were used for? Or are they just fancy Norse felling axes?

They are your standard northern European axe style. Similar styles are still manufactured today. These two came out of Western MN/Eastern SD IIRC and are probably circa 1840's +/-

 

[johan_steele]

Looks like hewing axes to me. If so handles would have been curved or socket would have been offset for either right or left hand work.

They're both felling axes, I have a Norse hewing axe not pictured here... not sure where I put it.

 

[UCVRelics]

They are a lot nicer looking than the regular old ugly ax we have today. Thanks for posting them.