A question about boarding pikes

Gonzalo G · 27th April 2009, 05:47 AM

Thank you very much, Jim. As ever, you are very indulgent and motivating with the modest participations of other forumites. I feel that the spear also have many advantages over the saber, and when you spent your only shooth from a gun difficult to reload during a cavalry charge, it is the better option. Mainly if your enemy does not have guns, or have them in small quantities.

Aiontay, before the use of the modern cartridge, the one shot cavalry carabines or similar weapons were not accurate. I agree with you about the use of hunting practices in the battlefield. The sniper and its camouflage is one of this derivations.

M ELEY · 30th September 2009, 04:58 AM

Finally...
Not the greatest pics, but...
My question is, is this a colonial Spanish lance, a Rev War spear or a small boarding pike sans langets (I'm not too concerned with this, as many of the American pikes didn't have side straps). The head is classic diamond shaped, the wood wormy ash (used for lances and pikes) shaved down to bare wood, the neck around this piece has the traditional spiraling pattern and the small "X's" decorations associated with colonial Span pieces. Old museum numbers in white paint. The butt of the shaft is flat, no metal cap. Head is 9", total with shaft 65". I'm told that boarding pike hafts were either painted black/brown or "shaved" down to bare wood as this piece is.

M ELEY · 30th September 2009, 05:34 AM

Try again...

M ELEY · 1st October 2009, 04:35 AM

Any takers?

Gonzalo G · 1st October 2009, 05:22 AM

You are very young!
Not spanish colonial, I think, but it does seems a boarding spear. Well, it COULD be spanish navy, but not specifically colonial. There are many colonial spears and lances, made in Spain or in America and used by the colonial army and auxiliaries, but they are more longer, heavy and with the shafts more thick. Sorry if I am not more useful. There are others in the forum with more knowledge about this kind of weapons.
Regards

Gonzalo

M ELEY · 1st October 2009, 08:44 AM

Gonzalo, you are my new favorite forumite-

Actually, I just celebrated my 42nd birthday, so not so young as I used to be.

Thank you so much for responding to this grey area of collecting. I found several listings of Spanish spear, pike and lance heads, but none with the shaft (which would have helped narrow mine down). Likewise, even these seem to contradict their classifications. I'm hoping to find out if the wormy ash wood was used strictly for pikes and not on spears/lances, as mine is complete with the tiny bore holes. When I purchased this piece, I was told it was a British boarding pike, but the X designs made me think of those markings I've seen on Span lance heads and on my Brazilian espada/cutlass.

Here is one similar listed as a pike head (6 down)
http://www.autrynationalcenter.org/a...h_colonial.php

Here is a spear head, similar, but not as diamond-shaped as mine
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...00-lance-spear

M ELEY · 1st October 2009, 09:59 AM

So no one thinks I'm crazy about the "X" decorations-

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=spanish

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=spanish

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=spanish

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=spanish

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=spanish

The one above worries me. African X designs on weapons? Could my piece be an African spear (not my area, but I've never seen one with diamond blade or wormy ash shaft, so???)

Here's a similar pattern on cutlass-
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...zilian+cutlass

30th September 2009, 04:58 AM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,229	Finally... Not the greatest pics, but... My question is, is this a colonial Spanish lance, a Rev War spear or a small boarding pike sans langets (I'm not too concerned with this, as many of the American pikes didn't have side straps). The head is classic diamond shaped, the wood wormy ash (used for lances and pikes) shaved down to bare wood, the neck around this piece has the traditional spiraling pattern and the small "X's" decorations associated with colonial Span pieces. Old museum numbers in white paint. The butt of the shaft is flat, no metal cap. Head is 9", total with shaft 65". I'm told that boarding pike hafts were either painted black/brown or "shaved" down to bare wood as this piece is. Attached Images Last edited by M ELEY; 1st October 2009 at 04:33 AM.

30th September 2009, 05:34 AM	#3
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,229	Try again... Attached Images

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

27th April 2009, 05:47 AM	#1
Gonzalo G Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nothern Mexico Posts: 458	Thank you very much, Jim. As ever, you are very indulgent and motivating with the modest participations of other forumites. I feel that the spear also have many advantages over the saber, and when you spent your only shooth from a gun difficult to reload during a cavalry charge, it is the better option. Mainly if your enemy does not have guns, or have them in small quantities. Aiontay, before the use of the modern cartridge, the one shot cavalry carabines or similar weapons were not accurate. I agree with you about the use of hunting practices in the battlefield. The sniper and its camouflage is one of this derivations.

1st October 2009, 04:35 AM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,229	Any takers?

1st October 2009, 05:22 AM	#5
Gonzalo G Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nothern Mexico Posts: 458	You are very young! Not spanish colonial, I think, but it does seems a boarding spear. Well, it COULD be spanish navy, but not specifically colonial. There are many colonial spears and lances, made in Spain or in America and used by the colonial army and auxiliaries, but they are more longer, heavy and with the shafts more thick. Sorry if I am not more useful. There are others in the forum with more knowledge about this kind of weapons. Regards Gonzalo

1st October 2009, 08:44 AM	#6
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,229	Gonzalo, you are my new favorite forumite- Actually, I just celebrated my 42nd birthday, so not so young as I used to be. Thank you so much for responding to this grey area of collecting. I found several listings of Spanish spear, pike and lance heads, but none with the shaft (which would have helped narrow mine down). Likewise, even these seem to contradict their classifications. I'm hoping to find out if the wormy ash wood was used strictly for pikes and not on spears/lances, as mine is complete with the tiny bore holes. When I purchased this piece, I was told it was a British boarding pike, but the X designs made me think of those markings I've seen on Span lance heads and on my Brazilian espada/cutlass. Here is one similar listed as a pike head (6 down) http://www.autrynationalcenter.org/a...h_colonial.php Here is a spear head, similar, but not as diamond-shaped as mine http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...00-lance-spear

1st October 2009, 09:59 AM	#7
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,229	So no one thinks I'm crazy about the "X" decorations- http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=spanish http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=spanish http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=spanish http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=spanish http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=spanish The one above worries me. African X designs on weapons? Could my piece be an African spear (not my area, but I've never seen one with diamond blade or wormy ash shaft, so???) Here's a similar pattern on cutlass- http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...zilian+cutlass