Damaged Boarding Axe?

[mgolab]

I just purchased this axe and am waiting for it to arrive. I am curious whether this is a damaged boarding axe, with the spike ground down.

Total length is slightly over 18 inches. Appears that someone made a homemade cover for it.

Thank you for any comments

[M ELEY]

Hi Mark. I'm not so sure about this one. The details of the overall shape isn't well-defined. Likewise, it appears the spike might have been added on, as there is a seam where it meets the body of the head. I suspect this might be more of a tool or fire implement. Of course, there were so-called 'private purchase' type boarding pieces made for the merchant class, but this piece, aside from the construction issues, doesn't appear to be 'Age of Fighting Sail', which faded by the mid-19th c. That's just my opinion, though-

[CutlassCollector]

I tend to agree with Mark.
It looks more like a butchered fire hatchet. The spike in its present state is not much use as a boarding axe. How wide is the the axe across the blade and spike?

[mgolab]

Thank you both for the responses. I received it yesterday. Definitely not a boarding axe, but fairly sure some type of weapon.

Hand forged steel. Handle is old, along with langets. Feels like a weapon in hand. Overall length is 18 inches. Length of head is 6 inches x 2.75. Overall weight is 1 pound, 3 oz. Blade is very thin.

The eye walls are too thin for a type of tool.

Found in Pennsylvania.

[mgolab]

I attempted to take a picture to show the thinnest of the blade.

[M ELEY]

The haft does indeed look very old. It could perhaps be a 'field piece', a primitive type spike axe/tomahawk. The langets not typical for -hawks, but there are so many variations based on the smith. It could still be a much earlier repurposed piece as well. I see what you mean about the thinning of the eye-

[mgolab]

Thanks again Mark for the comments. I found the attached image, No. 42, on the right, from the old book Armouries in the Tower of London. I though it bears some resemblance.

I gently cleaned the axe up a bit and, interestingly, the cutting edge and spike, appear to be forge welded in steel. The rest of the head what appears to be iron.

Curious piece, in my opinion.

[mgolab]

Also not sure whether this is a faded maker's mark. Hard to tell.

[CutlassCollector]

Yes, definitely looks more like a weapon with that thinness of blade, lightness helps with speed.
Fire axes/hatchets tend to be chunkier designed to break through doors or open up the roof to let smoke out. So, not a fire axe after all.

Normal, of course, to have a steel insert for the blade. Unusual that the spike maybe steel as well.

Sorry, can't help with the maker's mark.

[M ELEY]

Thanks, David, for coming in on this one. Although uncommon, there are spike tomahawks that will occasionally be found with both a steel bit AND a steel spike, like this early one from my own collection. This one dates pre-1800, has very thin 'walls' around the eye and possibly an original haft-

[M ELEY]

It makes sense that a piece of steel might be used for the spikes on some of these types. Just as the bit was inserted to make the cutting edge stronger, a steel spike would'nt blunt or bend as easily.

The axe under discussion is probably a spike axe, like the kind carried by frontiersmen, trappers and militia. I think the only difference between it and the one I possess is that the steel inserts were not 'blended' better and thus stick out a little more. It's also possible someone polished the heck out of this one, removing any natural patina that might have been there once!!

[mgolab]

Thanks Mark. I think that analysis makes a lot of sense.

What is throwing me off are the langets. Could this piece be a re-purposed British/American Colonial blacksmith made boarding axe that fell into Native American trade? I know that we have seen examples of early boarding axes where the spike was removed and repurposed as a belt axe.

I suspect the spike was much longer at one stage and in its current state, the head is already 6 inches.

Anyway just a thought.

[CutlassCollector]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Although uncommon, there are spike tomahawks that will occasionally be found with both a steel bit AND a steel spike, like this early one from my own collection. This one dates pre-1800, has very thin 'walls' around the eye and possibly an original haft-

Thanks Mark,
Interesting and I was not very aware of that, good to learn something new. I will look at my own collection with a new eye to see if there are any steel spikes.

[CutlassCollector]

Originally Posted by mgolab

What is throwing me off are the langets. Could this piece be a re-purposed British/American Colonial blacksmith made boarding axe that fell into Native American trade?

Mark G,
I agree, langets do seem to confuse the issue and perhaps a modified boarding axe for private purchase may be a possibility. Integral side langets much harder and time consuming for a local blacksmith to make.

[mgolab]

Thank you CC for the further comments.

Just to add, the haft is very old (my best guess would be late 18th Century) and seems to have a "blackening" to it.

Also, I could never support this statement with valid facts and supporting evidence, but this axe was found in the Delaware River Valley, where there was significant naval action on both sides in 1777 (the Delaware River Valley Campaign of 1777).