↑ 501: Japanese

• Made in Japan.
• 850x265 mm.
• Weight: 855 g.
• Wood Shaft.
• Shaft: 31x24 mm.
• Fixed head.
• Straight adze with a straight edge and no arch.
• Adze: 75(l)x57(w)x0(arch) mm.
• Curved alpine pick with a pointed tip and with 15 ventral teeth.
• Pick: 130(l)x21(h)x7(t) mm.
• Square spike with integrated ferrule.
• Spike: 56(l)x8(w)x9(t) mm.
• A crude axe with short fingers on the head and an undersized shaft for the head and ferrule.
• Too lightly made for me to trust it fully.
• No markings on the head or ferrule.

↑ 506: Japanese

• Made in Japan.
• 895x270 mm.
• Weight: 915 g.
• Wood Shaft.
• Shaft: 31x24 mm. (Grip: 28x23 mm.)
• Fixed head.
• Straight adze with a straight edge and no arch.
• Adze: 75(l)x61(w)x0(arch) mm.
• Straight alpine pick with a pointed tip and with 6 ventral teeth.
• Pick: 140(l)x23(h)x8(t) mm.
• Square spike.
• Spike: 42(l)x11w)x11(t) mm.
• Brass glide ring with adjustable sewn cloth strap. Teardrop-shaped brass stop secured by two screws.
• Classical flat adze and pointed pick designed for step cutting.
• Glide ring, stop and ferrule resemble those on Tokyo T.U.S. #487, while the head and spike resembles those on some mid–1930s Kadota axes.
• Pick is stamped with "TAMAZAWA." I believe this is the name of a former owner. The font does not match the manufacturer's "SPECIAL STEEL" stamp on the other side.