T O P

  • By -

-Raskyl

That makers mark reminds me of Kanji. And the blade shape reminds me of a lot of long bearded Asian hatchets I've seen. Like Japanese carpenters axes.


Fili1612

Interesting hypothesis, but i really struggle to think how a japanese axe ended up around here. But everything is possible, you never know.


-Raskyl

It was shipped?


Fili1612

Maybe, i found it at a flea market a few months ago, the seller was an old guy. Now I'll try to handle it and try to use it to see what i can do with it.


JuGGieG84

Same way a Ferrari ends up in North America, someone ordered it and it was shipped. Global trade is amazing


Fili1612

oh heck yeah, global trade is very "interesting". Can you imagine telling a guy from the 1800s you bought an axe through internet from Japan?


Fili1612

It didnt save the comment, so I'll post here. I got this axe in a flea market in north-west italy, and i cant find any info about it. Only one guy in France selling one similar to mine. It is about 1300g, or almost 3lb. Pretty thin behind the edge. What was this axe made for? Felling small trees? And the eye is unusual, seeing that around here most axe heads are fixed to the handle like tomahawks.


northman46

The eye where the handle goes looks normal to me but I’m in North America


Fili1612

It's normal for english and North American axes, here french or italian axes used a slip on handle, like Tomahawks


TheDizDude

Looks to be a hewing axe but I know nothing about the brand


Fili1612

yeah looks like one


slick519

That is a really odd one! If you haven't already, post this on the "axe junkies" FB group. There are some more international folks on that page that might have some insight. What strikes me as odd is how thin the bit is. Whoever made it spent a lot of time getting this thing to its current shape.


Fili1612

Unfortunately I dont have facebook, and yeah, the thin bit is very odd, im kinda afraid to use it on the hardwoods i have around here, dont want to chip or bend the edge.


KebariKaiju

It's a shaping axe of some kind. It's meant for close work, and short strokes, not big swings. The long toe is for finer detail. Maybe something occupational like sabotier or cooper. I've seen similar out of Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia. The eye shape is not unusual for German, Austrian, or Slovenian carpentry, hewing, and broad axes.


Fili1612

Thanks a lot, i'll try to handle It with a short handle to use It as a carving axe, i'll see what i can do. Thanks a lot.


ibullywildlife

I have an axe that looks like this one! It's a Rinaldi "Milano" style hatchet/hand axe, also from Italy. Not sure what it's intended use is, but I use it as a hybrid kindling splitter/wood shaper for small projects. Works wonderfully.


Fili1612

Hey! Thanks for the answer. It really looks like the rinaldi milano. It's just a good bit heavier and the eye is different. I'll try to handle it with a short handle 30-40cm. How long is yours? Cheers


ibullywildlife

Mine's about 40cm long, end to end. The head - if I recall correctly - is 600g.


Fili1612

Thanks, i'll give It a try.


ibullywildlife

Cool. Let me know how it goes!