Before the advent of mild steel (with the Bessemer process in 1860s) and Siemens-Martin Open-hearth process in 1870s, the body of edged tools was usually made of wrought iron. At the beginning of its fabrication, a strip of steel was welded where the cutting edge was going to be.
The pictures show the metal as laminated (and tending to delaminate). This is characteristic of wrought iron. Wrought iron was used because it was much cheaper (£16-20) than steel (£30-40, according to kind) in 18th century. It was also easier to work and probably more available. While a village blacksmith would probably have been able to make an axe, he would not have had the blade mill (at Sheffield called cutler's wheel) to enable him to sharpen it.
It is perhaps more likely that the axehead was made in an industrial centre, such as Sheffield, the Black Country, or near Newcastle. However, in the 18th century, it might have been made by Murdoch, Gillies & Co, the Glasgow Iron and Steel Co at Dalnotter; or the Smithfield Co, with works at Partick; or at Cramond near Edinburgh. All these continued in use into the 19th century.
Have I gathered that the find spot was in or near a wood? If so, I would suggest that it was an axe for felling trees, perhaps in a coppice, and was lost as a result of the head flying off the end of the haft, while in use.
Peter King
> On 26 April 2018 at 13:05 David Coyle <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Thanks peter do you know much about the process of this? Im failing to see how just the edge can have a high carbon content. I know you fold carbon into iron to produce carbon steel but would this be done separate from the forging of the axe head and welded on later?
>
> ________________________________
> From: mining-history <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Claughton, Peter <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: 22 April 2018 09:08
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Axe Head
>
> The form of the axe head is fairly standard, no necessarily from a mining context. As to the iron, the edge would be steeled by the smith to provide a good cutting edge.
>
> Peter
>
> Dr Peter Claughton +44(0)7831427599
>
> ________________________________
> From: mining-history <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of David Coyle <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2018 11:50:11 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [mining-history] Axe Head
>
> Is that the wood grain like pattern in it from the slag? Excuse my ignorance but Why would they use wrought iron as an axe head? Was that usual and did the guys just put up with it? Should I do a spark test to try determine how much carbon is in it?
>
> Is there any way to date the axe or is it safe to assume it came from the mining village?
>
> Sorry about the questions I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to history but very interested.
>
> ________________________________
> From: mining-history <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Rod Goslin <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: 21 April 2018 15:51
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Axe Head
>
> By the corrosion pattern on the blade, it does rather look like a
> wrought iron product of the local blacksmith. As wrought iron it would
> have little or no carbon content and would soon lose it's edge as an
> axe, or knife. Nicely made, though.
>
> Rod Goslin
>
> On Sat, 21 Apr 2018 15:59:52 +0100
> David C <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > I have found an axe head in the woodlands at Mavis valley in
> > Bishopbriggs. The area was a mining village in the 19th and early
> > 20th century. I had pushed a wooden peg into the ground and hit
> > something that moved the earth. When I pulled it out it was only four
> > inches under and was indistinguishable with the rust on it but my
> > thumb had sunk into the eye of the axe and I knew it was a tool.
> >
> > I have since used electrolysis to remove as much rust as I could. I
> > have pictures here
> >
> > http://bearsdenanglingclub.ipage.com/Axe/side.jpg
>
> [http://bearsdenanglingclub.ipage.com/Axe/side.jpg]
>
> [http://bearsdenanglingclub.ipage.com/Axe/side.jpg]
>
> > http://bearsdenanglingclub.ipage.com/Axe/top.jpg
> > http://bearsdenanglingclub.ipage.com/Axe/osmappos.jpg
> >
> > I would have liked to bring this back to life and put it to work
> > again, unfortunately, the metal between the poll and the eye has
> > thinned far too much. That being the case I would like to forge it
> > back into an axe head, knife or some kind of tool as I like the idea
> > that it may have been under the ground for over a century and now it
> > is back in working use.
> >
> > I wouldn't like to do this with any historically relevant relics so a
> > professor at Stirling University has directed me here.
> >
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