Early French Hatchet

[gizamo]

Found this at a yardsale...



And rehafted....

[Dan Herda]

Very nice find!

[James Rogers]

How do you know it is French?

[gizamo]

The choil...is evident. Haven't seen a early British one in this form.

Another one found about 40 miles away. Maine Historical Society. The Penney Collection. French 18th century attribution.

https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/23446

[wattlebuster]

Cool find

[oldfox]

The choil...is evident. Haven't seen a early British one in this form.

Another one found about 40 miles away. Maine Historical Society. The Penney Collection. French 18th century attribution.

https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/23446

About 20 miles from me Giz...I will have to keep my eyes open 

[gizamo]

Old Fox....  you should join one of or Summer woodswalks. There is one in Livermore this morning.  Go to the Ancient Ones message board for more info.  We generally do one each month til Fall vous.

[Hungry Horse]

Giz;

  I'd lose the 20th century haft, in favor of one more in keeping with the axes age. It is in fine shape for its age, not over worn at all.

               Hungry Horse

[mr. no gold]

Nice find and pretty rare based on comparisons with other exsiting early hatchet heads. Thank you for posting the photos; I expect that we have all learned something. Well, most of us that is.
Dick

[oldfox]

Old Fox....  you should join one of or Summer woodswalks. There is one in Livermore this morning.  Go to the Ancient Ones message board for more info.  We generally do one each month til Fall vous.

Thanks for the invite Giz, but a bum leg pretty much limits my walking. 

[Mike R]

The choil...is evident. Haven't seen a early British one in this form.

Another one found about 40 miles away. Maine Historical Society. The Penney Collection. French 18th century attribution.

https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/23446

Odd...I would have guessed English.  Most early French hatchets I have seen do not have the "ears" at the handle.  Neat find, though...

[James Rogers]

The choil...is evident. Haven't seen a early British one in this form.

Another one found about 40 miles away. Maine Historical Society. The Penney Collection. French 18th century attribution.

https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/23446

Odd...I would have guessed English.  Most early French hatchets I have seen do not have the "ears" at the handle.  Neat find, though...

My thoughts as well.

[gizamo]

James...

Can you show me a exact match...About the British hatchet you a referring to?

Giz

[James Rogers]

Giz,
No. I don't know that much about them. That is why I asked how you knew for sure it was French as I was agreeing with Mike in just guessing it would be English based on a quick study of axes many years ago.

[roamer]

Not to rain on your parade,but it would seem a stretch that are hard used utilitarian tool such as a hatchet would last 250 yrs,in a rural area. My father grew up in Ohio Appalachia,born in 1922 and from that hardscrabble farm we still have 2 hatchets exactly like that.Sometimes we so,wish for a connection to the past ,but we have to put the reality checks on

[gizamo]

Roamer...Please post pics of your hatchets. I would really like to see them...especially if the are "exactly"like mine. It would be very helpful.  

[roamer]

I will try ,I'm definitely technology impaired

[gizamo]

If you can email the pics... I can post them for you.  Let me know if I can help...

[JTR]

Looks like a Bigelow & Dowse Ice Hatchet with the spike cut off.

Scroll about 1/3 of the way down the page in the following link to the 1911 catalog page from Bigelow & Dowse Co. Compare the No. 1, Solid Cast Steel, Polished Bit and Pick, 3" cut, priced at $10 per Dozen.

http://furtradetomahawks.tripod.com/id45.html

John

[gizamo]

If you scale the illustration.... it would be about a 5" blade length to the haft vs. The 3" cutting edge.

Mine measures 3.25".

[HAWKEN]

To me, lt resembles a Hudson Bay 3/4 axe.  Keep yer powder dry......Robin