Howdy folks, bought this little Marshall-Wells Zenith hand ax today, I showed it to a guy that seemed fairly knowledgeable and he thought was a sportsman ax or cruiser’s ax. I know there is not a better place to ask than here, so whatchathink?

I would say its a camp axe.

It's a boy's hatchet. It looks to be about 10".

A cruiser axe typically has a 28" length and a 2 1/2 pound head, double bit head.

A sportsmans axe is usually 14".

Keith

It's worthless. But because I'm nice I'll give you $10 if you cover shipping.

According to the feller I showed it to it’s not the original handle

Do you have a good picture of the eye?

The sportsman hatchets should weigh around 2 pounds. The name comes from the Estwing Sportsman hatchet, which is 1.86 pounds.

I have a few hundred axes and hatchets.

Keith

I will get one tomorrow, my day is nearly don.

I look forward to the picture Linejumper, but I'm pretty sure that Keith has it nailed down. I sure do appreciate a good old hatchet or axe. Thank you for posting.

I've read the term sounding axe for one that small. Supposedly, a timber cruiser could tap trees to see if they were doughty (hollow or rotten) and still big enough to do small blazes. I've got a craftsman around here somewhere that size or smaller, and that's what it's supposed to be. Doesn't really make sense to me since you can tap and blaze with most any size polled axe.

That’s exactly what the feller said, for sounding a tree. So it might be the cruisers ax in the catalog pic.

I bet someone trying a home invasion while you are home is a verrrrry bad idea.........

I likely wouldn't have to do anything in a home invasion. I have lots of very big dogs that are protective of me and Diane.

I did win the only hatchet throwing tournament I ever entered. I used to throw hatchets a lot in my teens and have trained with weapons for around 45 years. I've always been a weapons aficionado.

Diane's been a thrown weapons marshal and archery marshal. She has won a lot of archery tournaments. She makes her own bowstrings and arrows.

Keith

Here's an old post showing a little bit of my collection.

https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/8080202/1

I collect axes, hatchets, adzes, cleavers, scythes, old knives, swords, hammers and related, plus Native American artifacts.

Keith

Hauling off a house that was demolished last Thursday I saw an old axe with a broken wooden handle lying in the yard. No writing on it. Single bit pretty heavy. 4-5 pound head. I brought it home and could not get the handle out. Tossed it in a fire made of scrap pine. Same kind of fire that doesn't damage old cast iron. Cleaned up one side yesterday before it got dark. Ordered a fiberglass handle kit from amazon. Comes with the epoxy. I think it will be a good tool.

Old cast iron isn't the same as quenched and tempered carbon steel. I would never put an axe head in a fire with the possible exception of heating one to re-quench and temper the edge.

I think it will be fine. Never got hot enough to change color.

Did find some writing. Says diamond edge forged tool steel