Thanks for the positive comments everyone.
FortyTwoBlades, yes it'd make more sense the handle curving the other way, but then it wouldn't be different
Surprisingly it doesn't feel bad in the hand.
Interesting tools.
That adze is definitely wrought, its steel laminate just a strip on the one side of its bit.
A cheap & easier manufacture, over a full insert steel bit, but lacks durability. Might explain such little steel remains on that bit.
Yes, thanks for that it does explain what I'm seeing. I haven't come across such a thin bit (1mm/40 thou ish) but that's certainly what is welder on this.
Square_peg you can see a tiny bit of the hardened area on the "inside" of the adze, this is indeed either how thick it was originally or what's left of the higher carbon bit/edge. The whole adze has evidence of " grain", I just used the pic of the side of the eye because that's where it's etched the most, so the whole thing is wrought with just a slither of a bit.
As an aside, it just goes to show how very old steel tools benefit from careful cleaning & why I prefer a weak acid such as vinegar or ferric, to show what you have to work with. The big drawback is it's very slow, as in days.
There is nothing wrong with a wire wheel in an angle grinder on some tools, but it needs to he a straight wire brush, sometimes I see things like this this cleaned with a knot brush capable of removing rust rapidly, & metal!
In this case there would be no way of knowing if it had a hardened edge or a bit, & if it had a thin bit like this it'd be easy to grind it away.
Even axes & hammers made of a single piece of steel show a different color where they are hardened, so it's a great way to know if an axe still has a hard edge & how much, a file test can tell it's hard but not how far.
Anyway, I haven't too much to go at on this adze, I intend to try & square it all up while still retaining the hard edge (no choice!), just for the hell of it I'll etch it again afterwards to see if I succeed or not..... wish me luck
Anyone recognise the stamp? Somehow I feel like I've seen it before but can't remember where, looks like crossed keys above a four legged animal?
