Damaged Boarding Axe?

mgolab · 9th June 2025, 02:26 PM

I just purchased this axe and am waiting for it to arrive. I am curious whether this is a damaged boarding axe, with the spike ground down.

Total length is slightly over 18 inches. Appears that someone made a homemade cover for it.

Thank you for any comments

M ELEY · 10th June 2025, 04:51 PM

Hi Mark. I'm not so sure about this one. The details of the overall shape isn't well-defined. Likewise, it appears the spike might have been added on, as there is a seam where it meets the body of the head. I suspect this might be more of a tool or fire implement. Of course, there were so-called 'private purchase' type boarding pieces made for the merchant class, but this piece, aside from the construction issues, doesn't appear to be 'Age of Fighting Sail', which faded by the mid-19th c. That's just my opinion, though-

CutlassCollector · Yesterday, 10:34 AM

I tend to agree with Mark.
It looks more like a butchered fire hatchet. The spike in its present state is not much use as a boarding axe. How wide is the the axe across the blade and spike?

mgolab · Yesterday, 12:07 PM

Thank you both for the responses. I received it yesterday. Definitely not a boarding axe, but fairly sure some type of weapon.

Hand forged steel. Handle is old, along with langets. Feels like a weapon in hand. Overall length is 18 inches. Length of head is 6 inches x 2.75. Overall weight is 1 pound, 3 oz. Blade is very thin.

The eye walls are too thin for a type of tool.

Found in Pennsylvania.

mgolab · Yesterday, 01:36 PM

I attempted to take a picture to show the thinnest of the blade.

M ELEY · Yesterday, 11:35 PM

The haft does indeed look very old. It could perhaps be a 'field piece', a primitive type spike axe/tomahawk. The langets not typical for -hawks, but there are so many variations based on the smith. It could still be a much earlier repurposed piece as well. I see what you mean about the thinning of the eye-

mgolab · Today, 11:51 AM

Thanks again Mark for the comments. I found the attached image, No. 42, on the right, from the old book Armouries in the Tower of London. I though it bears some resemblance.

I gently cleaned the axe up a bit and, interestingly, the cutting edge and spike, appear to be forge welded in steel. The rest of the head what appears to be iron.

Curious piece, in my opinion.

mgolab · Today, 01:28 PM

Also not sure whether this is a faded maker's mark. Hard to tell.

CutlassCollector · Today, 04:23 PM

Yes, definitely looks more like a weapon with that thinness of blade, lightness helps with speed.
Fire axes/hatchets tend to be chunkier designed to break through doors or open up the roof to let smoke out. So, not a fire axe after all.

Normal, of course, to have a steel insert for the blade. Unusual that the spike maybe steel as well.

Sorry, can't help with the maker's mark.

9th June 2025, 02:26 PM	#1
mgolab Member Join Date: Jun 2023 Posts: 64	Damaged Boarding Axe? I just purchased this axe and am waiting for it to arrive. I am curious whether this is a damaged boarding axe, with the spike ground down. Total length is slightly over 18 inches. Appears that someone made a homemade cover for it. Thank you for any comments Attached Images

Yesterday, 12:07 PM	#4
mgolab Member Join Date: Jun 2023 Posts: 64	Thank you both for the responses. I received it yesterday. Definitely not a boarding axe, but fairly sure some type of weapon. Hand forged steel. Handle is old, along with langets. Feels like a weapon in hand. Overall length is 18 inches. Length of head is 6 inches x 2.75. Overall weight is 1 pound, 3 oz. Blade is very thin. The eye walls are too thin for a type of tool. Found in Pennsylvania. Attached Images

Yesterday, 01:36 PM	#5
mgolab Member Join Date: Jun 2023 Posts: 64	I attempted to take a picture to show the thinnest of the blade. Attached Images

Today, 01:28 PM	#8
mgolab Member Join Date: Jun 2023 Posts: 64	Also not sure whether this is a faded maker's mark. Hard to tell. Attached Images

10th June 2025, 04:51 PM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,156	Hi Mark. I'm not so sure about this one. The details of the overall shape isn't well-defined. Likewise, it appears the spike might have been added on, as there is a seam where it meets the body of the head. I suspect this might be more of a tool or fire implement. Of course, there were so-called 'private purchase' type boarding pieces made for the merchant class, but this piece, aside from the construction issues, doesn't appear to be 'Age of Fighting Sail', which faded by the mid-19th c. That's just my opinion, though-

Yesterday, 10:34 AM	#3
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 355	I tend to agree with Mark. It looks more like a butchered fire hatchet. The spike in its present state is not much use as a boarding axe. How wide is the the axe across the blade and spike?

Yesterday, 11:35 PM	#6
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,156	The haft does indeed look very old. It could perhaps be a 'field piece', a primitive type spike axe/tomahawk. The langets not typical for -hawks, but there are so many variations based on the smith. It could still be a much earlier repurposed piece as well. I see what you mean about the thinning of the eye-

Today, 04:23 PM	#9
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 355	Yes, definitely looks more like a weapon with that thinness of blade, lightness helps with speed. Fire axes/hatchets tend to be chunkier designed to break through doors or open up the roof to let smoke out. So, not a fire axe after all. Normal, of course, to have a steel insert for the blade. Unusual that the spike maybe steel as well. Sorry, can't help with the maker's mark.