Repurposed Spontoon?

mgolab · 17th January 2026, 08:57 PM

This piece just arrived. Reminds me of a pike/spontoon repurposed for a short sword. Nice lion head pommel.

My guess is late 18th century. Found in Massachusetts

20 inches overall with a 15 inch blade.

M ELEY · Yesterday, 04:39 PM

Hello Mark. The hilt on this piece is amazing! It certainly dates 18th or earlier. It resembles the early 'English lion' types, but it could also be Dutch. The blade is interesting. While it could be a European or American pike head, it also resembles both Indonesian and East Indian spear heads. The ribbed collar makes me wonder if it might be more Asian (Chinese? Malay?) That's always the problem with these types, as all countries used them and they were always the plainest of the plain weapons. I'll let others chime in on their opinion.

mgolab · Yesterday, 07:19 PM

Thanks Mark. Very good to hear from you. Yes, the blade has me scratching my head. Here is another picture with indentations on the blade.

Also, the blade is peened and runs through the hilt.

Thanks

Jim McDougall · Yesterday, 10:47 PM

As Mark has well noted, the lion head was an affectation not only used by England, but by the Dutch. Often I wonder if the Dutch influenced the British in these hilt features, there was a great deal of such diffusion.

Whatever the case this ersatz weapon does seem to be the kind of assembly which seems to have occurred in remote or colonial circumstances, and the use of various hafted weapon blades would no be unusual. Actually Im always amazed by the numbers of such weapons which seem to come up from time to time, and are typically of course avoided by most collectors.

Time to hit the books and find comparisons for this lion head form and the spontoon.....I must excavate my copy of Neumann!

M ELEY · Yesterday, 11:01 PM

Possibly a tombak? Note the ferrule-

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12310

Jim McDougall · Today, 12:31 AM

I think you're onto something Capn.....the ferruling does resemble certain weaponry in Indonesia, Ceylon etc. and the tombak image is compelling.
Note the curious lion head compared to the Sinhalese example hanger you had posted in 2010...note the distinctively 'toothey' mouth.

Spontoons seem typically to have 'winged' appendages added to the blade, and were of course typically socketed for the haft rather than tanged, though of course there were likely variations.

The compelling sense of Dutch and East Indies potential for this unusual combination would seem a quite possible case and with the Massachusetts provenance recalls the notable 'China trade' in these ports in 18th c.
Interesting potential!

17th January 2026, 08:57 PM	#1
mgolab Member Join Date: Jun 2023 Posts: 132	Repurposed Spontoon? This piece just arrived. Reminds me of a pike/spontoon repurposed for a short sword. Nice lion head pommel. My guess is late 18th century. Found in Massachusetts 20 inches overall with a 15 inch blade. Attached Images

Yesterday, 07:19 PM	#3
mgolab Member Join Date: Jun 2023 Posts: 132	Thanks Mark. Very good to hear from you. Yes, the blade has me scratching my head. Here is another picture with indentations on the blade. Also, the blade is peened and runs through the hilt. Thanks Attached Images

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Yesterday, 04:39 PM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,218	Hello Mark. The hilt on this piece is amazing! It certainly dates 18th or earlier. It resembles the early 'English lion' types, but it could also be Dutch. The blade is interesting. While it could be a European or American pike head, it also resembles both Indonesian and East Indian spear heads. The ribbed collar makes me wonder if it might be more Asian (Chinese? Malay?) That's always the problem with these types, as all countries used them and they were always the plainest of the plain weapons. I'll let others chime in on their opinion.

Yesterday, 10:47 PM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,774	As Mark has well noted, the lion head was an affectation not only used by England, but by the Dutch. Often I wonder if the Dutch influenced the British in these hilt features, there was a great deal of such diffusion. Whatever the case this ersatz weapon does seem to be the kind of assembly which seems to have occurred in remote or colonial circumstances, and the use of various hafted weapon blades would no be unusual. Actually Im always amazed by the numbers of such weapons which seem to come up from time to time, and are typically of course avoided by most collectors. Time to hit the books and find comparisons for this lion head form and the spontoon.....I must excavate my copy of Neumann!

Yesterday, 11:01 PM	#5
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,218	Possibly a tombak? Note the ferrule- http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12310

Today, 12:31 AM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,774	I think you're onto something Capn.....the ferruling does resemble certain weaponry in Indonesia, Ceylon etc. and the tombak image is compelling. Note the curious lion head compared to the Sinhalese example hanger you had posted in 2010...note the distinctively 'toothey' mouth. Spontoons seem typically to have 'winged' appendages added to the blade, and were of course typically socketed for the haft rather than tanged, though of course there were likely variations. The compelling sense of Dutch and East Indies potential for this unusual combination would seem a quite possible case and with the Massachusetts provenance recalls the notable 'China trade' in these ports in 18th c. Interesting potential!