Is this a Older Wetterlings Hudson bay?

[CowCop]

I picked this up today from a estate sale for $6. It was spray painted and attached to a new hammer handle.

First Wetterlings for me, so I've been searching on the web tonite for some info.

The style of the makers mark looks different from all the other Wetterlings HB type heads I saw tonight. The font is a little different too and I didn't notice any other heads with "Dropped forged" under the Sweden. Maybe I'm not looking at the right places?

Also the weight is light by almost 1/2lb...33oz, just a hair over 2lbs, compared to the listed 40 oz (2 1/2 lbs) that I see listed at most sites for this style. I know the previous owner cleaned the head up a bunch, but I don't think he took off 7oz of steel.

Also, to my eye it looks like it has a little thinner profile compared to the recently sold ones.

What do you guys think? Can you date it by the mark? ...Thanks

 

[Steve Tall]

My guess is 1960s, consistent with this Instagram post from Wetterlings Swedish Axe Works:

"The last time #Wetterlingsmade Hudson Bay Axes, in the 1960's, they looked like the blue axe to the right and were mostly sold in Canada and the U.S. Today we are also forging Hudson Bay patterned axes, and to the left you can see a recently made one."

https://www.instagram.com/p/_mLGT2RAzJ/?taken-by=wetterlingsaxes

 

[CowCop]

Thanks..that's it

 

[David Martin]

Steve Tall just always comes forward with good information. The profile of your ax will be good for limb work on a 24-26" handle. A dandy pack ax. DM

 

[Square_peg]

It's a fine axe and will make for a dandy camp axe or bushcraft axe.

It likely has lost close to 7 oz. of steel at the bit and poll. Look at the axe Steve posted, the one on the right. Look at the angle between the eye and the bit and the notice the lengths of the 2 sides of that angle. On the axe Steve posted the sides of the angle are about equal length. The bit side is actually a tad longer. Compare that to your axe. Your bit side is notably shorter, about 70% the length of the eye side. Plus the poll has clearly been mushroomed and filed or ground. I think the steel missing from the bit and poll combined could account for the 7 oz. And it might have left the factory a little light.

All that said, I think it's still a terrific axe. I don't think the missing steel will make a significant difference in how that axe functions, provided it's profiled and sharpened well and given a decent haft.

And as for the question in the title of your thread, is it a Hudson Bay axe? It's certainly in the style of Hudson Bay axes. But the eye is a little deeper which is a distinct advantage over Hudson bay axes.
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the-drawback-in-the-hudson-bay-pattern.1152684/

It's more like a Montreal pattern or boy's axe. Hults Bruk used to sell a similar size/weight equivalent to a boys axe. I'd call it a boys axe. In any case it's an axe I'd be proud to own and happy to use. It's a great style and weight and will have excellent steel.