Hello at "I Forge Iron." I don't forge anything, but recently found an "old" axehead while moose hunting in Northern Ontario. I live in Fort Albany First Nation, James Bay, and we were about 330kms upriver, on the Albany, then Kenogami River. At the site of an old trading post, Mammamatawa, I happened to find at the riverside an axe head. It is black, like cast iron, and entirely covered with bumpy craters. The back end of the axe (hammer end) showed a lot of wear, flaring at the edges, and the oval opening for the wooden handle, that is cracked. A trapper told me this axe was likely used lots as a wedge, splitting wood.

Anyway, I'm wondering if it is cast iron (or is this what a steel axe looks like after lengthy exposure to the elements), and how old it might be. See the attached photo.

Any feedback is appreciated,

James

Cool. Looks like wrought iron, probly had a higher carbon steel bit forge welded i. Though not necessarily. Can you take and post more pictures. Of the bit area, poll, and weld line where it split, along with an inside the eye view, please? See if you can see weld lines also. Like along the poll and the crease from the eye to the bit.

Might be a heavily corroded steel one also. It is hard for me to see details. At the Fort where I volunteer, there are wrought axe heads with pitting as opposed to visible striations, such as appear like wood grain. Can you see more detail?

11 hours ago, Rashelle said:

Cool. Looks like wrought iron, probly had a higher carbon steel bit forge welded i. Though not necessarily. Can you take and post more pictures. Of the bit area, poll, and weld line where it split, along with an inside the eye view, please? See if you can see weld lines also. Like along the poll and the crease from the eye to the bit.

Might be a heavily corroded steel one also. It is hard for me to see details. At the Fort where I volunteer, there are wrought axe heads with pitting as opposed to visible striations, such as appear like wood grain. Can you see more detail?

Hi Rashelle, thx for your reply. YES, i'll take more pics and investigate as you suggest. Not familiar with some vocabulary, so will research. The bit is the sharp end? The eye = the hole? The poll is between the two, i'm guessing. Will post again asap.

 

The bit is the sharp end, the eye the hole, the poll is the blunt end. Rather then me saying it looks like wrought iron I should of said looks like a wrought iron axe one of the rangers at the Fort I volunteer at has, where there is a rather large museum collection of Hudson Bay era artifacts.

Take a good tracing of it and a good smith can reproduce it as it originally was! (wither with real wrought iron and a steeled bit or out of modern steel(s).)

Welcome James!

If you have not already, google fur trade tomahawks, the first result should take you to the .com site of the same name ( I don't want to brake any rules by posting a link).  The site is full of examples of axes and tomahawks you can compare with yours.  Great find by the way!

 

Mitch

thx all.

MITCH, i've looked at the website, thx, very interesting. the axe head I have seems more recent/modern compared to those cool antiques. I keep talking to local bushmen, and retired trappers. Most seem to think it's not terribly old - perhaps 40 years, some say, or up to a century?

RASHELLE, i will still provide those extra pics and examine as requested. talk soon about that.

That poll makes it look more modern to me, back in the day the extra weight was not appreciated when you had to pack everything in...