Went to the farmer market today, and on the way, I saw the sign. I knew the
farm. It's old. Well over 100 years in the family, but older than that. I had to
look.

Aside from the Jubilee tractor (Ford) that I really don't need and can't touch
their asking price (though I may go back  tomorrow....), I found this:
https://postimg.cc/XZRhsC4G

The handle is rather a brute, unrefined and weathered. The mount is what you
would expect for a farmer--- get it working: https://postimg.cc/0M74Fyyt and
https://postimg.cc/ctZzSGKd

No maker mark, but the handle looks commercial. Any ideas? To make it usable, I
think a rehandle is needed. Any suggestions as to form? If I am reading it
right, setting is by the taper on the head, but what is the best way to drive it
to avoid destroying the edge?



*** This message was sent from a convenience email service, and the reply
address(es) may not match the originating address

Erik,
Cool adz!  Seems like tracing the original handle would provide a good
pattern for a new one.

Best,

Phil E.

Great find!  Me, I'd work with the existing handle for a while -- might
not need to be replaced. 

Mike in Woodland

I'm going to bet it's not commercial but hacked out of a plow handle or some
other farm implement. i spend too much time in the fleas and marts in Ohio Amish
country and that looks like something repurposed to me. Just like they do.
> 
> 
> No maker mark, but the handle looks commercial. 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
John Pesut
Boardman, Ohio

> Great find!  Me, I'd work with the existing handle for a while

I'm with Mike
Scrub it up, sharpen the adze and try it out for a while.

Even if you want a new cooler handle I don't know how you could know 
what you want yet.
Trying it will offer a lot more insight over what is working for you or 
not.

   I am badly jealous. I always wanted one of these things to try. But 
as far as I know not a single one ever made it to the (tools) worst coast.
   I wouldn't have any idea how to improve the handle geometry.
But I'd like to know haahhaah
   yours scott

-- 
*******************************
    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html

Erik and GGs:
  
  Scott said everything I'd've said, and much better than I'd've said it. I've
seen some Native adzes, like this:



   in museums, and some actually for sale, plus my BIL, being Makah, has one of
his own, passed down thru the centuries. I never could afford a D-handle that
was for sale, and I never have seen a stirrup adze in the wild, so yours, Erik,
is about as close as I've gotten!

I'd maybe replace the wedging stuff on that jewel of yours, but I'd definitely
try to make it work 'like new' with the original wood.

It has so much to teach us, so please share, even if it seems obvious to you,
OK?

Real OT content:  When the first Europeans came to the Northwest Americas, they
found the natives working with iron-bitted tools like this one.



How horrible it is to have so many people killed!---And what a blessing one
cares for none of them! 
Jane Austen 

    On Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 11:39:38 AM PDT, scottg  wrote:  
 
 > Great find!  Me, I'd work with the existing handle for a while

I'm with Mike
Scrub it up, sharpen the adze and try it out for a while.

Even if you want a new cooler handle I don't know how you could know 
what you want yet.
Trying it will offer a lot more insight over what is working for you or 
not.

   I am badly jealous. I always wanted one of these things to try. But 
as far as I know not a single one ever made it to the (tools) worst coast.
   I wouldn't have any idea how to improve the handle geometry.
But I'd like to know haahhaah
   yours scott

-- 
*******************************
    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html

HI EriK,

Google "Connecticut hand adze" and look at some of the images that pop up
for various handle forms that were common with this style of adze.

Best,
Paul

On Sat, Apr 20, 2024 at 7:06 PM Erik Levin via groups.io  wrote:

Hi, Erik,
I've got an alternate suggestion, one I've used with great satisfaction myself.
Don't mend it in any way. Copy it.
Copy it from scratch. Then compare your copy with the original.
Use it for a while. Then compare again. You are almost certain to notice things
about the original that you didn't notice when making your copy.

Have I read you rightly over time, that you have metalworking skills sufficient
to manage a copy of the blade? So keep the original as a storehouse of original
embodied craft wisdom, and copy it, and maybe in ren years copy it again with
better insight. And maybe the next fellow along will look at it and your copy
and think you got something wrong, and he can do his own copy and learn even
more. None of that will be possible if you "fix" it or "replace" parts.

A D-adze would count, I think, as a genuine cultural/historical piece of
heritage to be protected... well, if Scott says he has never been able to get
one, it must be pretty rare. So copy it.
Tom Conroy