Trade axe for comment

kronckew · 4th December 2014, 11:25 AM

from an estate sale, bought it from the owner's son. just under 20in. long. great patina, blade stamped with a capital M with a 5 pt. star over. banded in metal with square headed tacks on the end of the haft. haft looks like hickory to me. the spiral pattern was a technique employed on hafts and gunstocks as well, made by wrapping a slow match around it & lighting it and letting it burn down. a final finishing and you have a spiral pattern.

note the black cockapoo hairs in the photo

soon to be replaced with red fawn saluki hair. i was not charged extra for the hair. (well, i was, really, i added a donation to his dogs rescue centre when i paid him.)

VANDOO · 4th December 2014, 08:31 PM

I DON'T COLLECT IN THIS FIELD MUCH DUE TO LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE PREVALENCE OF THE MANY REPLICAS SAID TO BE OLD. HARD TO TELL MUCH FROM PICTURES BUT THIS LOOKS LIKE THE REAL ITEM TO ME JUST A GUT FEELING. PERHAPS SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE IN THE FIELD CAN TELL YOU MORE.

trenchwarfare · 4th December 2014, 09:51 PM

Nice looking 'hawk. Patina looks pretty good to me. If professionally done to deceive, the world may never know. I'd buy it anyway, if the price was right. The striping was also done by painting on a solution of sulfuric acid, and iron filings, then applying heat.

kronckew · 5th December 2014, 08:23 AM

according to the vendor, his dad paid about twice what i did a few decades back and loved it. i have been admonished by him not to abuse it by chopping wood. he was reluctant to part with it but wanted it to go to a good home. i assured him it would be part of my family. we shared pictures of our dogs and discussed dog rescues. like the axe, if he's a fake, he's a good one. they both give me a good feeling without any warning bells. any tomahawk with dog hairs on it can't be bad.

edited:

just arrived. nice heavy tomahawk, very sharp. head is 8 in. across, roughly 2.25 in. edge. fat tear-drop x-section haft. 1.4 lb. (647 grams).

Tim Simmons · 6th December 2014, 07:28 AM

Nice looking axe. In my opinion it is a very good quality replica. The
fire polish strip work is applied rather than being of the wood. I have not found information on exactly how to do this fire work which I find fascinating. Obviously the wood is formed to a the desired shape then wrapped in or a resist is applied and baked, roasted, or toasted in hot ashes for a period of time. Then finally polished. As can be seen on this rifle.

spiral · 6th December 2014, 09:43 AM

I think the fired braid work is to mimic the naturally occurring undulations of fiddleback pattern, usually found in American Maple or European Sycamore. Its often used on Kentucky rifle stocks & always for violin backs.

I think the rifle you show is probably such Tim?

Heres some examples..

linky

4th December 2014, 11:25 AM	#1
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,205	Trade axe for comment from an estate sale, bought it from the owner's son. just under 20in. long. great patina, blade stamped with a capital M with a 5 pt. star over. banded in metal with square headed tacks on the end of the haft. haft looks like hickory to me. the spiral pattern was a technique employed on hafts and gunstocks as well, made by wrapping a slow match around it & lighting it and letting it burn down. a final finishing and you have a spiral pattern. note the black cockapoo hairs in the photo soon to be replaced with red fawn saluki hair. i was not charged extra for the hair. (well, i was, really, i added a donation to his dogs rescue centre when i paid him.) Attached Images Last edited by kronckew; 4th December 2014 at 11:41 AM.

5th December 2014, 08:23 AM	#4
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,205	according to the vendor, his dad paid about twice what i did a few decades back and loved it. i have been admonished by him not to abuse it by chopping wood. he was reluctant to part with it but wanted it to go to a good home. i assured him it would be part of my family. we shared pictures of our dogs and discussed dog rescues. like the axe, if he's a fake, he's a good one. they both give me a good feeling without any warning bells. any tomahawk with dog hairs on it can't be bad. edited: just arrived. nice heavy tomahawk, very sharp. head is 8 in. across, roughly 2.25 in. edge. fat tear-drop x-section haft. 1.4 lb. (647 grams). Last edited by kronckew; 5th December 2014 at 11:00 AM.

6th December 2014, 07:28 AM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,824	Nice looking axe. In my opinion it is a very good quality replica. The fire polish strip work is applied rather than being of the wood. I have not found information on exactly how to do this fire work which I find fascinating. Obviously the wood is formed to a the desired shape then wrapped in or a resist is applied and baked, roasted, or toasted in hot ashes for a period of time. Then finally polished. As can be seen on this rifle. Attached Images

4th December 2014, 08:31 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I DON'T COLLECT IN THIS FIELD MUCH DUE TO LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE PREVALENCE OF THE MANY REPLICAS SAID TO BE OLD. HARD TO TELL MUCH FROM PICTURES BUT THIS LOOKS LIKE THE REAL ITEM TO ME JUST A GUT FEELING. PERHAPS SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE IN THE FIELD CAN TELL YOU MORE.

4th December 2014, 09:51 PM	#3
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	Nice looking 'hawk. Patina looks pretty good to me. If professionally done to deceive, the world may never know. I'd buy it anyway, if the price was right. The striping was also done by painting on a solution of sulfuric acid, and iron filings, then applying heat.

6th December 2014, 09:43 AM	#6
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	I think the fired braid work is to mimic the naturally occurring undulations of fiddleback pattern, usually found in American Maple or European Sycamore. Its often used on Kentucky rifle stocks & always for violin backs. I think the rifle you show is probably such Tim? Heres some examples.. linky