Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

M ELEY · 3rd March 2016, 02:25 AM

I wouldn't say lack of interest, but some old relics are hard to pin down. I agree with Glenn that it doesn't appear to be a traditional boarding pike (and I see 'nautical/pirate' in everything!!). It has quite a bit of aging/corrosion to it, so dating is difficult. if you picked it up in Nova Scotia, I might have jumped at 'Viking', but as far as I know, Nordic spears didn't have langets.

I think Glenn had it when he said it was a pike head from Europe, probably very early (17th c.), likely brought over by the early settlers. Back in the early colonial times, the ships were packed with traditional items/weapons from the continent. Check out Harold Peterson's books on early American colonial weapons of the period. Nice find, BTW! Getting some provenance in writing that it was found here and not a bring-back would increase the value to collectors.

Would just like to add a reminder- The precursor to the boarding axe was the spike ax/trade 'tomnahawk', as the ship's manifests used to read. The precursor to the cutlass was the hanger. The precursor to the boarding pike was the pike, which came over in ship's holds to defend installations, forts, and ships of that earlier period. Not a boarding pike in sheer definition, but it could have easily seen sea service.
Mark

3rd March 2016, 02:25 AM	#6
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,076	I wouldn't say lack of interest, but some old relics are hard to pin down. I agree with Glenn that it doesn't appear to be a traditional boarding pike (and I see 'nautical/pirate' in everything!!). It has quite a bit of aging/corrosion to it, so dating is difficult. if you picked it up in Nova Scotia, I might have jumped at 'Viking', but as far as I know, Nordic spears didn't have langets. I think Glenn had it when he said it was a pike head from Europe, probably very early (17th c.), likely brought over by the early settlers. Back in the early colonial times, the ships were packed with traditional items/weapons from the continent. Check out Harold Peterson's books on early American colonial weapons of the period. Nice find, BTW! Getting some provenance in writing that it was found here and not a bring-back would increase the value to collectors. Would just like to add a reminder- The precursor to the boarding axe was the spike ax/trade 'tomnahawk', as the ship's manifests used to read. The precursor to the cutlass was the hanger. The precursor to the boarding pike was the pike, which came over in ship's holds to defend installations, forts, and ships of that earlier period. Not a boarding pike in sheer definition, but it could have easily seen sea service. Mark Last edited by M ELEY; 3rd March 2016 at 02:47 AM.