Mystery axe help

[slowworm]

I've found a little axe whilst clearing out an old workshop. Does anyone have any idea what sort of axe it is and who made it?

I've given it a light clean up and can't see any makers marks. It looks like a small rescue / firemans axe but not like any I've seen. The checkering on the handle seems fairly unique, I wonder if it was done by the owner but it looks very well done. The head is just over 6" long and the handle 15". There's a metal cap on the base of the handle.

 

[sunndog]

I would say fireman's axe too, with a broken/cut down spike poss trying to make a hammer?

Checkering looks very much like that of a rifle and I'd be very surprised if it was factory

 

[Janne]

Maybe a British proto bush crafter did what many of you guys do?
Checkering looks pro, but those skills were common in the old days ( before WW2 or so)
Most gunsmiths did checkering.

 

[snappingturtle]

Fireman's axe I had one, shame the spike's been cut down.

 

[slowworm]

I'm not convinced the spike has been broken off as it's a very neat end and the shape doesn't quite curve like a spike.

When I've looked at pictures of similar firemans axes they mostly seem to have makers marks and the edge of the axe is curved whereas the one I've found has a straight edge.

Just wondering if it is something different, although it could have been heavily modded.

 

[Seagull]

Style pre-1870 Alpine ice axe, chequering added and pick-point bobbed.
Ceeg

 

[MrEd]

That is of the same pattern as an Auxiliary Fire Service axe, used for rescue, dates from around the 1940’s - handles weren’t checkered originally so I would say that’s been done later, re-handled for some reason.

Google ‘ww2 arp axe’ or ‘auxiliary fire service axe’ and look at google images

 

[slowworm]

Thanks for the ideas. I'm still not sure it is a modded axe though as the cap / pommel on the base of the handle looks specifically made so appears to be part of the axe. I've not seen any examples with a pommel so I'm still looking. Perhaps it was made as one off/

 

[snappingturtle]

I'm not convinced the spike has been broken off as it's a very neat end and the shape doesn't quite curve like a spike.

When I've looked at pictures of similar firemans axes they mostly seem to have makers marks and the edge of the axe is curved whereas the one I've found has a straight edge.

Just wondering if it is something different, although it could have been heavily modded.

Mine was the same as yours, but with a broken handle and full rear spike, had it for years, reworked it as a tomahawk and now it's with my brother.