Naga Axe Dao From A Hoe
 

Before I make any contribution, I have to say how wonderfully helpful and informative this site is. Thank you.

With your indulgence I’d like to share what seems to be a good example of a Naga axe dao fabricated from a plantation hoe.

I won this well used (and abused!) Naga axe dao in an ebay auction last month and, as advertised, the markings on it suggest an earlier incarnation as a plantation hoe. I can make out the remains of "Made in England" stamped below the remains of a maker's mark which looks like "...ATES". Maybe it’s not too big leap to guess that “..ATES” originally said “YATES”, apparently a company from Birmingham, England that made plantation hoes from the 1830s through to the 20th century?

The last picture is of an old “YATES” plantation hoe currently on ebay. It’s easy to see how cutting this down the middle would provide the basis for two daos with substantial tangs. I was wondering whether this recycling became the norm for axe daos once the tea plantations of Assam had been established?

An old friend of mine worked on a tea plantation in the 50's for a couple of years. He told me that there was quite a problem with tools going missing for "recycling".

Regards
Roy

Very nice and interesting piece! :)