Hi Gene
,
thanks for your comments....a quick search on the net suggets that not all fire axes have the spike. The 'spike-less' type used to break locks or 'batter' the hinges of doors etc.
Interestingly Victorian firemen tended to be recuited from ex-naval personnel ....perhaps that is why the design of axe is often mis-ID'ed as a boarding axe, as the design was more 'familiar' to the 'Tars' and I suppose adopted.
All the best
David
PS I've resigned myself to the fact that the axe is not a weapon
but it is nicely made
.....and it did cost me the princely sum of 30 pence.
...so a little disappointed
