Trade Axe?

[Thimble Farm]

I am curious as to the age on this axe.  Came from the Detroit Michigan area.  Head weighs 2.2 pounds.  Head height is 7.75 inches.   Overall length is 13.25.

Thank you

[Elnathan]

It looks like someone installed the handle using Bondo or something of that nature....

Since no one else has responded: My gut instinct is that it is a very buggered-up - possible from being used as a wedge - commercial hatchet from the first half of the 20th century, just because the profile of the front edge and the poll seems "off" for an earlier piece and because I don't see a welding seam at the bit nor at the eye. All my knowledge on these things is derived from books, and mine are not with me at the moment, though.

[rich pierce]

I’ve been thinking about this one. I tend toward thinking it was forged by a blacksmith, not a factory job. I agree it’s been used as a wedge. Could be pre-1850 but not by much. The seam for a steel bit welded in can be hard to see sometimes and I go by the pitting. Usually the body will be more pitted than the edge area if it’s got a steel bit welded into a wrought iron body. But hand axes of this style are still made, so it’s age all depends on whether it’s got a steel bit in a wrought body.

[Elnathan]

I was pondering the lack of recent good books on axes when it occurred to me that it might be a European-made or a European-pattern axe. They stuck with the old traditional patterns long after we switched to the American pattern, I believe.

As an aside, I believe that a lot of Eastern European fokos/valaska/ciupaga/shepherd's axes are being sold these days as American tomahawks. Something for folks to bear in mind. This one seem to big to be a fokos, but scroll down to the last picture here and look at those flared polls: https://bushcraft.co.hu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=85:fokos1&catid=36&Itemid=107

Just thoughts...