Axe Question

CutlassCollector · 4th June 2024, 07:20 PM

Terminology is always interesting!

Essentially a Poll Axe is a meaningless term as all axes have them.

The Poll of an axe, as A. G. Maisey has already said, is the opposite end of the head to the blade also called the Butt. The word poll comes from an old word for head, still used in the context of voting/elections, polling - counting heads, poll tax etc. Yes, head and butt seem opposite - no idea why.

If Poll is linked with square, round, hammer, spike etc which describes the shape then, it is valid as a means of classifying a type.

I accept that terminology changes with time and locality and I have no problem with that but I think we should respect the old terminology when talking about the items of that period.

Neumann in 'Swords and Blades of the American Revolution' classifies many axes from 1600 to 1800 as round, square, hammer, or spiked polls. Kaufmann's 'American Axes' traces the development of axes from much earlier and also uses the term. This axe would be classed as a square poll axe.

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4th June 2024, 07:20 PM	#12
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 343	Terminology is always interesting! Essentially a Poll Axe is a meaningless term as all axes have them. The Poll of an axe, as A. G. Maisey has already said, is the opposite end of the head to the blade also called the Butt. The word poll comes from an old word for head, still used in the context of voting/elections, polling - counting heads, poll tax etc. Yes, head and butt seem opposite - no idea why. If Poll is linked with square, round, hammer, spike etc which describes the shape then, it is valid as a means of classifying a type. I accept that terminology changes with time and locality and I have no problem with that but I think we should respect the old terminology when talking about the items of that period. Neumann in 'Swords and Blades of the American Revolution' classifies many axes from 1600 to 1800 as round, square, hammer, or spiked polls. Kaufmann's 'American Axes' traces the development of axes from much earlier and also uses the term. This axe would be classed as a square poll axe.