Viking/Norman small axe?

[kronckew]

i remember seeing (and bidding on) them. had some brass inlays if i recall. i did not win them either.

i heard a similar story from an american. the locals didn't take them serious until the command to 'fix bayonets'. he mentioned taking out a large bowie to clean his fingernails always made the locals more cooperative.

..and last century, the sultan of brunei went away on holiday, the local marxists decided it was a good time to be more revolting than usual, so they started their normal method of polite democratic persuasion - rioting, arson, murder, looting, rape, etc.

the sultan called his guard, two helicopters of gurkhas arrived, a few hours later. revolution over. the gurkhas had lined up if front of the rioters, drew their khukuris, and most of the commies suddenly decided they were really loyal subjects of his majesty the sultan and had other appointments to attend. those few remaining hard core soon got the point tho - or maybe the edge.

there was, of course, more to it than that, and a bit more combat in other places, but it was all over in short order.


...and the bean counters say that edged weapons have no place in modern combat. they, of course, have never been somewhere you needed one.

[kronckew]

just had a reply from an email i sent the vendor suggesting the axe was likely afghani. he has replied that that may be correct, he got the batch from south asia.

p.s. - he had a sort of bearded/goose wing poll axe also for sale that i bid on and also got for the minimum price. will see if it too has a cartouche when it gets here. this one has a more western haft with the blade set to the top & secured with a wedge.

[Gavin Nugent]

A friend has been bought to my attention that these are from the Maldives and the script is the native Dhivehi language.
They are being sold in volumes in the UK and he has quite a few different ones.

Gavin

[kronckew]

good thing they're quite cheap then. i won't mind throwing them about. still nice looking axes. my collection is a bit eclectic. i like users as well as antiques.

might strip the gunk off the wood hafts tho. wonder what kind of wood it is.

the vendor did have a fairly assorted batch of them. besides old tools, he also sells casting nets. hadn't seen them on epray b4.

edited:

the vendor just sent me another email. he says simply that "the language is urdu"

this makes the 'afghani' description more likely. urdu is of course spoken in no. pakistan where a lot of arms are made for the afghanis.

hard to pin these down as they have a lot of wiggle room.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by kronckew

good thing they're quite cheap then. i won't mind throwing them about. still nice looking axes. my collection is a bit eclectic. i like users as well as antiques.

might strip the gunk off the wood hafts tho. wonder what kind of wood it is.

the vendor did have a fairly assorted batch of them. besides old tools, he also sells casting nets. hadn't seen them on epray b4.

edited:

the vendor just sent me another email. he says simply that "the language is urdu"

this makes the 'afghani' description more likely. urdu is of course spoken in no. pakistan where a lot of arms are made for the afghanis.

hard to pin these down as they have a lot of wiggle room.

Salaams kronckew,

This is Punjabi ...Not Urdu ... It says Asif Iqbal(the maker) and Kujera Waala ( a district of Punjab.)

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[kronckew]

ah, i've been hoping you'd comment!

شكرا لك يا سيدي
which hopefully says 'thank you, sir'

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by kronckew

ah, i've been hoping you'd comment!

شكرا لك يا سيدي
which hopefully says 'thank you, sir'

Salaams kronckew My chief accountant who is from that region and is sitting opposite says "thank you very much" !

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.