A question about boarding pikes

M ELEY · 16th April 2009, 01:14 PM

I recently acquired what I hope to be a boarding pike. Yes, it was an ebay buy from several months ago and billed as an English pike. It has a nice wormy ash haft shaved smooth, which I understand was a common practice (the other being the black primer/coating). The head on it doesn't have langets as some did, but because I think this piece is either early American or Colonial Spanish, this lack of langet is typical. The head is diamond-shaped dark iron with a short neck marked with a spiral pattern and some "X's" to the base of the collar. Old museum number to haft. Here is my question and paranoid worry... This piece sort of reminds me of some African spears I have seen, especially with the X markings. There are certainly cononial decorations with this pattern as well, of course, but it did bother me to see the similarities. The problem is, once again as with many of these weapon patterns, pikes came in all manner of shapes, sizes. There are very primitive pieces and obviously nicer styles, sooooo...
How might one determine if this truly is a boarding pike? Does anyone have any examples of pikes from the Spanish colonies? Do African spears use wormy ash for hafts?? (I wouldn't think so). Mine measures approx 68-70". Is this the common length for any spears, Spanish lances or other weapons that could be construed as a pike? Just curious- thanks!
Mark

16th April 2009, 01:14 PM	#1
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,066	A question about boarding pikes I recently acquired what I hope to be a boarding pike. Yes, it was an ebay buy from several months ago and billed as an English pike. It has a nice wormy ash haft shaved smooth, which I understand was a common practice (the other being the black primer/coating). The head on it doesn't have langets as some did, but because I think this piece is either early American or Colonial Spanish, this lack of langet is typical. The head is diamond-shaped dark iron with a short neck marked with a spiral pattern and some "X's" to the base of the collar. Old museum number to haft. Here is my question and paranoid worry... This piece sort of reminds me of some African spears I have seen, especially with the X markings. There are certainly cononial decorations with this pattern as well, of course, but it did bother me to see the similarities. The problem is, once again as with many of these weapon patterns, pikes came in all manner of shapes, sizes. There are very primitive pieces and obviously nicer styles, sooooo... How might one determine if this truly is a boarding pike? Does anyone have any examples of pikes from the Spanish colonies? Do African spears use wormy ash for hafts?? (I wouldn't think so). Mine measures approx 68-70". Is this the common length for any spears, Spanish lances or other weapons that could be construed as a pike? Just curious- thanks! Mark