Mystery axe help

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slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
1,980
933
Devon
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.

mystery_axe.jpg
 

sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
477
derbyshire
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

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
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.
 

slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
1,980
933
Devon
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.
 

MrEd

Life Member
Feb 18, 2010
2,148
1,053
Surrey/Sussex
www.thetimechamber.co.uk
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

Full Member
May 8, 2008
1,980
933
Devon
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/
 
Jul 24, 2017
1,163
444
somerset
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.
 

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