(2) American Goosewing Hewing Broad axes

Here are my two goosewing axes. The right handed axe is signed and decorated while the other is not. It was customary to have both left and right goosewing axes like the pair shown here. The canted socket that holds the handle makes it easier to hew the logs and makes it not necessary to have slanted handles, although several canted axes had slanted handles also.
I listed them as "American" Goosewing axes, the reason being, this type of axe was first made in Germany and many came over with the immigrants. The more desirable collector grade goosewings are made in America.
A common way to tell the American axes from the German axes is the socket and where the handle fits through the eye. German goosewings have a sizable eye where the handle protrudes through and American goosewing axes have a very small hole for the handle to fit through. This is not a definite trait, but, it readily falls true, especially when looking at a Pennsylvania made goose wing.
Both of my left and right goosewing axes are made by Pennsylvania tool makers.
Note the hardened steel edge inserted and welded into the main body. This give the axe a sharp and very hard edge, while maintaining a softer, but tougher axe body. These edges can not be cut with a file when sharpening, as were a lot of felling broad axes. The hardened edge of a goosewing axe has to be sharpened with a stone. A file wont cut it.