Unidentified
 

Help required.

This axe resides in a museum but no-one knows what its use was. It is presumed marine so lives in that section. I have never seen anything like it before.
There is a light axe head opposed by a rounded holed section ending in a small projection. This section and the hole has rounded edges - for accepting a rope?
There are integral side langets and the butt of the haft is protected by a steel shoe.

It is approx 30" (76 cm) and blade edge to opposing point is approx 8" (20 cm).

Any information or thoughts appreciated.

Regards,
CC

Very interesting, David. Never seen one like that before! It doesn't look particularly 'naval' to me. The pointed end reminds me of some climbing axes I've seen, like those fokos (spelling?) you have seen. The loop end might have had a rope attached to aid in scaling precipices? The hammer end might have been used to secure the metal clip holder? Just a total guess... :shrug:

Probably not a mountaineering tool; the blade edge would have to be perpendicular, rather than parallel to the shaft, for cutting steps in the ice.

Hello,

I can't say i have seen other similar axe but i have seen many nonstandard designs of axes and 99% of them where axes related with firefighters, the blade on that one is very similar with vintage firefighers axes i have seen, the hole can as said ealier used to tie a rope or used to fit a object....

It will be interesting to discover another similar and really confirm or not my theory.

Regards,

BV

Cap'n Mark.......stay safe my friend, batten them hatches. Hoping all will be OK with that big'n looming off the coast.

Thank you, Jim, and very good to hear from you (I'll PM soon!). Yes, you would think a 1000' tidal wave was on the way (we are 4 hours inland, after all.) Buying batteries, emergency supplies for power outages, etc. I remember Hugo, though! 80 mph winds I could lean into like Buster Keaton!! :eek:

Good points. Bob and BV.

True that there are all manner of odd fire axes and tools out there. Here's a weird fire crowbar from Japan, one exactly like a 'weapon' I helped identify on this forum ages ago...

Good points. Bob and BV.

True that there are all manner of odd fire axes and tools out there. Here's a weird fire crowbar from Japan, one exactly like a 'weapon' I helped identify on this forum ages ago...

Mark, Bob, BV and Jim, thanks for the comments - all good suggestions, which certainly move it away from the naval theory.

At 30" it is probably slightly too short for a walking stick axe. Climbing axe another option with the rounded part forming a grip and being able to take a rope but this is discounted as Bob says - the blade is wrong for cutting ice steps or stopping a slide.

Fire axe is always a possiblity but this is a light axe. While hatchets are light - the two handed larger fire axes are usually heavy beasts for battering down doors etc - although that does not rule it out.
BV - that is an interesting thought, maybe it was designed to fit or operate something. Fire hydrant valve possibly.

Or, in current weather situation, hammer it into the ground and tie a rope around the house to stop it blowing away.
Back in my sea faring days I was on an old tanker which had not the most reliable of machinery - broke down in the middle of the night in a typhoon, blacked out no power. Interesting few hours and ones I would not care to repeat.

So I'm with Jim - stay safe.

Wow, David! That sounds both exciting and extremely terrifying! I didn't realize you were an 'old salt'! So without trying to stray away from this interesting ax, where where you at (what ocean or sea) when that ship broke down?

It is a bit off topic, but:
Big storms are not uncommon so every ocean going seafarer will have had their share of hurricanes and typhoons and normally ships avoid or stay as far away as possible and ride them out. A few days of uncomfortable heavy weather is usually the only consequence.
Many decades ago I was a junior engineer on a tanker built in the 1950’s – a steam turbine ship (sorry Mark no sails!). It was a hard working ship but on a good run - round trips taking fuel oil from Singapore or Brunei up to various ports in Japan. Good run ashore at each end!

We were slow steaming to stay behind a typhoon north of us and heading towards Japan. Unusually it turned back on itself and we became much deeper in than we expected. Wasn't a problem......until the main generator failed - no power, no steering - after a very scary time and a lot of sweary words we got everything running again.