Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Napoleonic Sapper's Ax, Boarding Ax or just a Fireman's Ax ?

drac2k · 20th March 2017, 08:58 PM

Once again I ask the eternal question of which of the 3 above-named possibilities is this item? I just purchased this in Baltimore and I was told that it was a Napoleonic Sapper's Ax.It certainly could be as it is the heaviest ax that I have ever held.It feels more like a maul as I would guess the weight of the head to be 12 to 14 lbs.The head is approx. 14" long and the haft is approximately 35" long.
Could it be a boarding ax? I saw an almost identically shaped one, only much smaller, with a belt hook that was identified as such.The problem with this one is that it is so heavy, that it would be impossible to fight with it over a prolonged period.
Could it be a fire ax; it could, but once again, it is very heavy, and under the strain of fighting a fire, combined with the heat, it would be quite taxing.
I do think that it may be French.

20th March 2017, 08:58 PM	#1
drac2k Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,174	Napoleonic Sapper's Ax, Boarding Ax or just a Fireman's Ax ? Once again I ask the eternal question of which of the 3 above-named possibilities is this item? I just purchased this in Baltimore and I was told that it was a Napoleonic Sapper's Ax.It certainly could be as it is the heaviest ax that I have ever held.It feels more like a maul as I would guess the weight of the head to be 12 to 14 lbs.The head is approx. 14" long and the haft is approximately 35" long. Could it be a boarding ax? I saw an almost identically shaped one, only much smaller, with a belt hook that was identified as such.The problem with this one is that it is so heavy, that it would be impossible to fight with it over a prolonged period. Could it be a fire ax; it could, but once again, it is very heavy, and under the strain of fighting a fire, combined with the heat, it would be quite taxing. I do think that it may be French. Attached Images