Help identify this tool - hand adze? scraper?

[Cliff McNeill]

I would like a little help identifying this old tool. I got at a local auction/consignment shop a while back.

It looks to be a hand adze or scraper of some kind. It has a heavy metal blade/cutter that is marked "JAGUAR PORTUGAL". The wooden body/handle is hand carved and unmarked. It has a wedge like a moulding plane that holds the blade tight to the body.

Anyone have one? Seen one? Work on the draw or push?

Give me you thoughts. Thanks!

[Rod Sheridan]

Looks like a hand adze.........Rod.

[David Keller NC]

It's definitely a hand adze, and judging from the sweep (the curvature), it's designed for flattening out boards riven from a log. These tools are still in use in poorer countries of the world. I've a couple of logs of gabon ebony that show the distinctive marks of this tool, and as I undertand it, most of the ebony and rosewood from Africa is carried out on a human porter's back. Given that these logs weigh 90 lbs. each dry, I can't imagine doing it when fresh!

There are hand-adzes that have heavy sweeps to them, and are designed for hollowing treenware (wooden bowls and the like). The American ones are highly valued collector's items and the early ones from colonial days can go for over $600 each.

[Bill Houghton]

a Portuguese hand adze. The link below has a picture and refers to its use in boat building. I believe it's used for other woodworking too.

http://books.google.com/books?id=_XN7BYrCuekC&pg=PA34&lpg=PA34&dq=enxo+adze&source=bl&ots=qVGm4fXG0U&sig=zlAwF5afHnInLb_cKH0vwlX3o1A&hl=en&ei=P27CSYzMMZmMsQPk3Nn1Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA34,M1

Lee Valley still sells them, new: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=20111&cat=1,41131,41138

If that first link doesn't work, the search phrase I used was "enxo adze."

[harry strasil]

most commonly used as a Bowl Adze in this country, but with a more rounded cutting edge.

[Cliff McNeill]

Thanks for the info guys!