Native American spike tomahawk, fur trade pole axes and skinning knives

[M ELEY]

Here we have the classic spike-tomahawk type. This one was purchased from a fellow Forumite, Mark Golab (thanks, my friend!). The head is hand-forged, with an old steel bit fitted into the bearded edge. Forging flaws present on this piece, the elongated eye fitted with a later haft of cherry? The head measures 9" from spike tip to blade edge, with the cutting edge measuring 2 1/8" width. It is fairly well balanced, very sharp and I would hope to never get hit by it!

In Robert Kuck's "Tomahawks Illustrated", page 76, plate 208B , we see a very similar example. Much of Kuck's examples in his guide came from around the Ohio Valley, so I suspect this might be a Great Lakes pattern. Who knows? Maybe it saw action at the Battle of Falling Timbers?!