A proto-American boarding axe?

[M ELEY]

Well, I saw this in an online auction and had to pause. Listed as a 'Rare Ice Axe', I couldn't help but wonder if this could be a precursor to the American Type I boarding axe or even a 'private purchase' type one-off copy of said naval tool. The auction house ignored my request for dimensions, which would have helped greatly in ruling such a theory out!

After intensely searching the web for a month, I wasn't able to prove or disprove my theory. It is NOT an ice cutting axe, nor lathing axe, shingling axe, Masonic/fraternal, shingling/wood-chopping, etc! I guess it could be a mountaineering/climbing axe, but could find no comparisons with the 'teeth'. Maybe a type of fire axe, but agin, I could find no comparisons. I ended up passing on it in my uncertainty and hoped it would go for a big sum so I wouldn't kick myself, but it went for very minimal. Figures...

So, opinions? CC, are ya out there, buddy? Broadaxe? Jim McD? My curiosity is killing me!

[M ELEY]

Having trouble posting pics. Let me try again. Couldn't download the pics, so here's the auction-


https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item...1_rare-ice-axe

[M ELEY]

Here's a Type I and Type III, showing the spiked edge (Type III image from The Pirate's Lair website for comparison only)

[Interested Party]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Having trouble posting pics. Let me try again.

Is this the one? My gut says tool and that the spikes are a comb, but for what? I think the handle is a recent replacement. Too bad they didn't post a pic of the eye.

[Jim McDougall]

Capn, this one is a conundrum! While having the character of hafted axes for various uses by virtue of the shaft itself, there is nothing about the head which resembles an 'ice axe' nor any sort of boarding axe.
Personally I think it was wise to pass without having any sort of comparison to align this with.
I have no idea what was in the sellers 'detail' nor how they arrived at or supported the classification of this as an ice axe, presuming they mean the type used by mountaineers.
The 'pick' is anything but a spike and its rounded character seems to suggest it has become the 'adze' (=blade) ? while the part of the head supposed to be the actual adze is something akin to the head of a rake.

Clearly some sort of hafted tool or implement, not sure what maritime application would be at hand, but as we know, over the years we have seen bizarre items that had some arcane use in period, now long forgotten.

Hopefully somebody out there might recognize this curious item for future reference.

As point of reference for the 'ice axe' denomination, an 1872 illustration from Wiki.

[M ELEY]

Hello Interested Party and thanks for responding. No, this was another axe from the same grouping, but the one I was trying to post was auction #0200. For some reason, couldn't get the pics to post.

This one you posted was also losted as an ice axe. it's a weird one as well and have no clue what it was used for!

[M ELEY]

Hello Jim and thank you for coming in on this one! For once, I'm glad to hear this isn't what I thought it might be! Usually, I'll jump the gun and take a chance. If it had some maritime provenance, it would have been worth quite a bit.

Please note that the pic posted by Interested Party is NOT the piece in question, but still, if you can see the auction post, there are definately no solid answers. An adze or perhaps a 'climbing' mountaineer axe might be the best suggestion. I wish I could have gotten the pics to post for future reference, as more floks over time might be able to solidly pinpoint this odd fellow down!