I found this little Nessmuk style belt axe at the flea-market for $5. It was dipped in thick black paint and I expected to find one of those stainless china made heads underneath. After removing all the black paint and the nails jammed into the wedge there was this nice little carbon steel bit. There are no identifying marks other than the 3 hole eye of the old Marbles brand. I know it asking a lot, but could this be a real Marbles axe??

__________________
Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

Any Marking at all ?
Most all Marbles were stamped.

Not a single mark on it anywhere, both the haft and the head are sterile. Looking on the net, all the vintage Marbles axes I saw were well marked. All the rust in the eye and the way the head has worked it's way down the haft leaving the haft proud of the eye leads me to believe it has some age.

__________________
Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

I have a modern reproduction Marbles axe that size. As you said the three dowel handle and eye were only found on Marbles brand axes as far as I know. The size of the axe signifies it is a timber cruisers model. A neat find and a seldom found style.

I should have mentioned the insides were not up to my standards, the metal wedge I pulled was just a piece of 1mm sheet stock with a chisel grind, I'm not a fan of metal wedges but it should at least be wedge shaped. Also the kerf was way off center, not much I could do there, went with an over sized wedge. The eye in the head is also canted, much like a S&W barrel. The haft wood was dry but still sound, I gave the whole haft a hot wax soaking. Without being able to find any examples of a Marble's axe without markings my best guess is 70s or 80s repro of some sort. No point in a copy any earlier.

__________________
Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

I'd have to wonder if someone ground/polished off all the markings years ago.

Marbles????? I lost mine a long time ago. At least that's what my wife says.