Paul Bunyan's Axe Ornament

From 1930 until 1943 the Golden Gophers and Badgers played for The Slab of Bacon Trophy; however, in the commotion that followed the 1943 contest, the slab was lost until 1994 when it was located in storage at Camp Randall Stadium. This was all well and good; however, the slab had been replaced with Paul Bunyan’s Axe in 1948. Created by the National W Club, the axe’s handle is 6 feet long, allowing a team that repeats from the season before to chop down a goalpost or two. Should a school not in possession win the trophy back, their players are expected to run to the other sideline and grab the axe. Either way, the post-game images from The Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe are some of the Big Ten’s most memorable.

Our mini axe stands 3 3/4 inches and weighs an ounce.