Damaged Boarding Axe?

mgolab · 12th June 2025, 01:36 PM

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

M ELEY · 12th June 2025, 11:35 PM

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 · 13th June 2025, 11:51 AM

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 · 13th June 2025, 01:28 PM

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

CutlassCollector · 13th June 2025, 04:23 PM

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 · Today, 02:20 AM

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 · Today, 02:28 AM

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!!

12th June 2025, 01:36 PM	#1
mgolab Member Join Date: Jun 2023 Posts: 64	I attempted to take a picture to show the thinnest of the blade. Attached Images

13th June 2025, 01:28 PM	#4
mgolab Member Join Date: Jun 2023 Posts: 64	Also not sure whether this is a faded maker's mark. Hard to tell. Attached Images

Today, 02:20 AM	#6
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,158	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- Attached Images

Today, 02:28 AM	#7
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,158	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!! Attached Images

12th June 2025, 11:35 PM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,158	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-

13th June 2025, 04:23 PM	#5
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 355	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.