A group of axes

M ELEY · 2nd March 2013, 09:32 PM

Hello, Junker. Was hoping you might pop up on this one. So now, apart from all the confusion of what is a boarding ax and what is a fire ax, we can now throw in that early fire implements were carried into war! I would imagine that boarding axes from the early era were used as early fire axes and they might have been put to use in modern warfare as well. Sigh-

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Goes back to what I deduced earlier. Unless it is the classic boarding pattern with govt markings, it could be a private purchase maritime boarding piece or it could be fire. No clearer answer has come to me in the last decade I've been studying these...

CutlassCollector · 3rd March 2013, 04:28 PM

Hi Dirk, thanks for your answer to my question and yes that explains the pictures on the web of the fire axes being used in WWI. It all makes a lot more sense now - many thanks. I wonder if you have an approximate date of when these axes were first made?
Kronckew - you have some great pieces, many types I had not even heard of - I am thinking that although some may be forged today they may well become classics tomorrow.
I have heard it said that almost all cultures had swords of some description and the same must be true of axes but with many 'outdoor' trades having their own variation from roofer to trapper. And amazing to think that they have been a viable weapon from stoneage flint axe to vietnam hawk.

kronckew · 4th March 2013, 07:38 AM

one of the lesser known roman weapons, the axe was probably more responsible for roman victories than the gladius. while not normally used for direct combat, it could, and was, so used. i have read accounts of legionaries who, when they ran out of arrows, slingshot, and pilum, threw their dolabra with great effect. one legionary retrieving his on the advance after the morale of the enemy broke which had replaced the head of a celt, noting others that had broken shields or arms. it was a bit cumbersome for the more direct close combat favoured by the legion, requiring a lot of room to swing.

the dolabra, a largish pick-axe, was however mostly used for engineering, which was a real winner of battles, entrenching, construction of roads, bridges, fortifications, siege works, and - the god of all battles - artillery.

2nd March 2013, 09:32 PM	#1
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,165	Hello, Junker. Was hoping you might pop up on this one. So now, apart from all the confusion of what is a boarding ax and what is a fire ax, we can now throw in that early fire implements were carried into war! I would imagine that boarding axes from the early era were used as early fire axes and they might have been put to use in modern warfare as well. Sigh- . Goes back to what I deduced earlier. Unless it is the classic boarding pattern with govt markings, it could be a private purchase maritime boarding piece or it could be fire. No clearer answer has come to me in the last decade I've been studying these...

3rd March 2013, 04:28 PM	#2
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 357	Hi Dirk, thanks for your answer to my question and yes that explains the pictures on the web of the fire axes being used in WWI. It all makes a lot more sense now - many thanks. I wonder if you have an approximate date of when these axes were first made? Kronckew - you have some great pieces, many types I had not even heard of - I am thinking that although some may be forged today they may well become classics tomorrow. I have heard it said that almost all cultures had swords of some description and the same must be true of axes but with many 'outdoor' trades having their own variation from roofer to trapper. And amazing to think that they have been a viable weapon from stoneage flint axe to vietnam hawk.

4th March 2013, 07:38 AM	#3
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,224	one of the lesser known roman weapons, the axe was probably more responsible for roman victories than the gladius. while not normally used for direct combat, it could, and was, so used. i have read accounts of legionaries who, when they ran out of arrows, slingshot, and pilum, threw their dolabra with great effect. one legionary retrieving his on the advance after the morale of the enemy broke which had replaced the head of a celt, noting others that had broken shields or arms. it was a bit cumbersome for the more direct close combat favoured by the legion, requiring a lot of room to swing. the dolabra, a largish pick-axe, was however mostly used for engineering, which was a real winner of battles, entrenching, construction of roads, bridges, fortifications, siege works, and - the god of all battles - artillery.