Indian axe

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Richard G

Colin,
The configuration of the head of your axe is very similar to that of the traditional farrier's axe, altho' your one does seem rather small to be used on a horse! Perhaps it is associated with some other form of animal husbandry.
Just an idea.
Regards
Richard

Thank you Richard for adding this!
I would not have thought of an axe like this as a utilitarian implement, but your entry certainly adds new dimension to this topic......not to mention returning to Colin's axe, the original topic .

It is often amazing when things we perceive as weapons actually are more utilitarian, though obviously tools, weapons and implements are often cross utililized. Case in point was a recent post on a lance head which turned out being an oxen goad.
When thinking of utilitarian implements as expected to be austere in appearance, I think of the ankus, which of course were remarkably decorated and made.

[kronckew]

there is a tale of robert the bruce, leading his troops into a set piece battle against the english on ground of his choosing and preperation (bannockburn, 1314), getting seperated from his infantry shiltroon while scouting a portion of king edward II's cavalry (500 men) he had cut off including a new knight,Henry De Bohun.

the knight noted the bruce's apparent vulnerability, robert being ahorse armed with his spiked horseman's axe rather than a lance. the knight charged the bruce who on seeing him also advanced to him, both sides cheering their man.

ultimately they met in between the two opposing forces. robert parried the lance and struck the knight in the helmet with the spike on the axe, thru the eye holes, breaking the haft in the process and leaving the spike embedded in the now dead henry. robert the bruce drew his sword and rode back to his men. immensly heartened, the shiltroon did the most unthinkable thing possible. they charged the english cavalry.

the english were so disheartened they easily lost the battle and fled the field.

robert retrieved his favourite axe after the battle and had it re-hafted. the spike had gone thru the helmet, the knight's eye, brain and was stopped ultimately by the other side of the helmet. bit messy.

p.s. - i have a few spike axes, i love them. my latest is however likely a bit newer than yours.

[estcrh]

Boarding axes can have the sames shape as well, this is an English boarding axe from the 1800s.

[kronckew]

the axe & spike on boarding axes was mainly for clearing wooden wreckage from battle damage, the spike being used like a logger's picaroon... also a handy weapon if you were being boarded, or boarding the enemy and needing to break thru doors and barricades. the french used a similar boarding axe, but the langets were not integral, and were mounted fore and aft instead of side to side like the english one shown. the cutlass and pike were preferred weapons tho as the axe took a big man to weild effectively.

these are the forerunners of the fireman's axe, initially very much like these boarding axes, and still used today, but developing into the more mundain fire axe used by most fire crews and found behind glass in public places. the spike used again for hooking debris and breaking thru barriers. UK use a smaller hand axe, more of a hatchet or tomahawk, which leads us back to the americas, where the spike tomahawk was a favoured weapon.

1. french boarding axe. (not mine - yet.
2. maine style picaroon.
3. std. red fire axe.
4. UK fireman's axe (hatchet) - mine.
5. same as 4 in hand for scale.
6. my spike tomahawk made from a railroad spike. the ultimate spike axe.