OK- Here's a "thing" I've had for a long time. Never saw another one except for a passing reference to a similar item in one of Johnson's earlier volumes.

This tool is approx. 16" long and definitely heavy duty.

The pictures are pretty self explanatory as to what it looks like but, never having seen another, I've always wondered a little bit about its authenticity.

And, if authentic, I wonder about its exact purpose...if not for marking cut timber.

Comments welcomed (But, PLEASE don't try to declare it a fake ONLY because you've never seen one before either. )

Thanks.

Out of carrier

Stamp "face"

Makers imprint.

Now that's a pretty interesting tool. I have never seen one like it.

Mark

We had a similar one posted 5-6 years ago. I felt it was a cut timber ID stamp. It identified the source or the owner of cut logs. They would whack the log on the larger butt or use the small blade to clear a spot nearthe butt.

I have seen logs marked like that on the back of trucks and I think it was in France or Switzerland.

Dave

Mark, thanks for the comment.
Dave, thanks for the information.

I don't know but I would tend to think it is a Forest/Land border marker. You remove a slab of bark with the axe end and stamp the symbol with the other end. Hiking trails are also marked like this, it's called blazing. The Army owned land for training and for bases. The H could stand for Heer and the W ??? Warning? Warnen?

foxart,
Put it to the test. Hit a tree and lets see what the stamp does or doesn't do? I've seen tree markers before, but of course not like that one. Interesting.

Mikee,

Believe me the thought has crossed my mind.

But it would really be a bummer if 1) the thing broke in two or 2) I found that I didn't even have the strength to leave an impression .

I guess that I'll have to live with the faith that whatever it was meant to do, it will do.