Pirate's Axe

kronckew · 8th September 2017, 08:03 AM

thought i'd seen similar shaped ones before....when in doubt, search the site. while these look a bit lighter looking, they are the only similar shaped axes i've found. bullova axes, as posted by our esteemed vanadoo, sadly gone over the bridge. a progenitor?

p.s. - he probably ate garlic to make his breath smell better

broadaxe · 8th September 2017, 10:49 AM

To my eye it looks like an old Scandinavian hewing axe (not a 'goosewing' which is different form) - something with the shadows in the photo tells me it is single-beveled , mounted on a later haft. The elaborated work looks almost 'too good' , so it may be a Victorian-era put-together piece.

kronckew · 8th September 2017, 11:27 AM

cutlass, can we get a photo of the eye from above?

CutlassCollector · 8th September 2017, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

cutlass, can we get a photo of the eye from above?

That is a good idea and may give a bit more information. I don't know if they can get a shot of the top without taking it out of the case again. They have been really good at sending me photos of their boarding axe collection so I don't want to annoy them.

Thanks for the straight edge bullova as well. That was my initial thought but there are so many different styles and not many straight edge ones at that. The shape of the head where it passes through the handle seems unlike most bullova fittings.

The shape of the eye may help with that. I'll ask politely.

kronckew · 8th September 2017, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CutlassCollector

That is a good idea and may give a bit more information. I don't know if they can get a shot of the top without taking it out of the case again. They have been really good at sending me photos of their boarding axe collection so I don't want to annoy them.

Thanks for the straight edge bullova as well. That was my initial thought but there are so many different styles and not many straight edge ones at that. The shape of the head where it passes through the handle seems unlike most bullova fittings.

The shape of the eye may help with that. I'll ask politely.

that rear view looks like the blade is centred rather than offset as would have been for a carpenters plank trimming broad axe. indeed is NOT a bullova, and better for it as they are a rather light axe (except for my sikh nihang one)

CNK1 · 8th September 2017, 06:58 PM

Hello everyone,

I'm clearly not an expert and this not in my (little) knowledge area but to me this axe looks to be german like the first of this page:

https://fr.pinterest.com/pin/68046644344684758/

So maybe this assumption could be a way to explore?

Best regards,
Clement

kronckew · 8th September 2017, 07:07 PM

i guess if you cut or broke the pointy ends off it you could make one like the subject axe, but that would hold for a lot of axe variants. german, scandi, russian is of course likely sources, but that covers a lot of ground too. i'm starting with an assumption the head was made like that and not salvaged from a broken head.

CutlassCollector · 8th September 2017, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadaxe

To my eye it looks like an old Scandinavian hewing axe (not a 'goosewing' which is different form) - something with the shadows in the photo tells me it is single-beveled , mounted on a later haft. The elaborated work looks almost 'too good' , so it may be a Victorian-era put-together piece.

Hi Broadaxe,
Thanks for your input, I suspect your knowledge of axes is much broader than mine!

A Victorian piece is a possibility - plenty of battle axe examples - but the belt hook and langets argue against it. Also - and I realise that where/when an item was purchased is of only limited use - this axe was purchased in 1935 in NE United States and has been in the museum ever since. I'm assuming that there was much less cross Atlantic collector traffic back then.

Scandinavian keeps cropping up. I have a photo of the other side and the back - see what you think.

I still favour the notion that this was someone's personal weapon, put together and decorated with loving care! Could be wrong though.

CC

8th September 2017, 08:03 AM	#1
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,215	thought i'd seen similar shaped ones before....when in doubt, search the site. while these look a bit lighter looking, they are the only similar shaped axes i've found. bullova axes, as posted by our esteemed vanadoo, sadly gone over the bridge. a progenitor? p.s. - he probably ate garlic to make his breath smell better Attached Images

8th September 2017, 10:49 AM	#2
broadaxe Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 334	To my eye it looks like an old Scandinavian hewing axe (not a 'goosewing' which is different form) - something with the shadows in the photo tells me it is single-beveled , mounted on a later haft. The elaborated work looks almost 'too good' , so it may be a Victorian-era put-together piece.

8th September 2017, 11:27 AM	#3
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,215	cutlass, can we get a photo of the eye from above?

8th September 2017, 06:58 PM	#6
CNK1 Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: France Posts: 43	Hello everyone, I'm clearly not an expert and this not in my (little) knowledge area but to me this axe looks to be german like the first of this page: https://fr.pinterest.com/pin/68046644344684758/ So maybe this assumption could be a way to explore? Best regards, Clement

8th September 2017, 07:07 PM	#7
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,215	i guess if you cut or broke the pointy ends off it you could make one like the subject axe, but that would hold for a lot of axe variants. german, scandi, russian is of course likely sources, but that covers a lot of ground too. i'm starting with an assumption the head was made like that and not salvaged from a broken head.