large primitive antique broad axe with 11-1/2'' blade, for hand hewing barn beams etc

Large primitive old broad axe. This axe from an old farm estate and has a newer replacement handle. The iron head measures about 11 1/2" long and 7 1/2" wide. This measures about 33 1/2" long over the handle. This axe head has been painted with black rustoleum at some time and there is a chip to the bottom corner of the axe blade.

This is a broad axe head, an important tool in any early farmer or pioneer's tool chest. Broad axes are different from ordinary felling or splitting axes, in that they are made to be sharpened from one side only, like a chisel or a smoothing plane iron.