My boarding axe...

broadaxe · 27th February 2010, 10:40 PM

Here are some photos. Pleae note I included a pair of poll-axes, because they share marine details and I believe they are boarding axes, too - well, one is obviously of the French type.
Feel free to refer to any of them (yes I know, within the three hanging axes, the central one is a common British fire axe, I was too lazy to take them off the wall).

M ELEY · 28th February 2010, 04:21 AM

Very nice examples, BroadAxe. It is nice to see positive proof that there are, in fact, private purchase boarding axes loosly based on the known naval patterns out there. I would like to call attention to the french piece with fancy blade, brass butt cap and forward/rear-facing langets! Very nice piece and green with envy! Note the classic diamond-shaped downward spike of classic French style. The blade style reminds me of some of the native-American tomahawks. It is a well-known fact that some of the well-known types of boarding axes ended up in tribal hands and were decorated accordingly (I've seen some in fur-trapper museums with the brass tacks, burned wire spiral decoration, etc).
The hammer pole axes show the direction that some of these axes were taking in regards to losing the spike in place of a practical tool end. Civil War boarding axes were complete with heavy blades, hammer ends and nail-pulling slots (these started to appear around 1850).
Nice collection you have there. I only have a few axes that I'll try to post here soon...

broadaxe · 28th February 2010, 08:52 AM

The connection between boarding axes and native tribes is well established. I wrote once a short article regarding the origins of the Spike Axe and the boarding axe. Unfortunately, the web page containing that article is off-line, but I've seen more than on citation from it on ebay auctions...

The fancy naval axe you were referring to, my opinion it was Dutch, because of its elaborated blade. There is a similar, earlier axe with an engraved blade, in a tool book, identified as Dutch. I like our friend Cornelistromp to share his knowledge.

M ELEY · 1st March 2010, 11:07 AM

BroadAxe, that site you referred to? It didn't happen to be TATCO or something like that? The guy who ran it (Tim something) lived in Texas and was a long-time collector of pipe axes. Great site. I thought it might of been that one when you mentioned you lived in Israel. I remembered a chap from there who had posted some articles. But perhaps I'm mistaken?

broadaxe · 1st March 2010, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M ELEY

BroadAxe, that site you referred to? It didn't happen to be TATCO or something like that? The guy who ran it (Tim something) lived in Texas and was a long-time collector of pipe axes. Great site. I thought it might of been that one when you mentioned you lived in Israel. I remembered a chap from there who had posted some articles. But perhaps I'm mistaken?

Guilty as charged

and it was TATCA - Trade Axe and Tomahawk Collectors Association, owned by Tim Smith. There were tons of info and petty it went down.

M ELEY · 1st March 2010, 01:01 PM

That was a great site! I actually printed out copies of the site one night at work. Used up a whole ream of paper!

Could have got in trouble for that one, but it was worth it! Definitely educated me on the differences between the Brit fire axes, camp axes and the real boarding pieces. likewise, Tim was great at answering questions about the trade. We had a lot of correspondence at one time. I contacted him via an ebay sale he had a year ago and he sent me a link to the archived pages. Unfortunately, stupid me lost it soon after! Do you stay in contact with him or know how to reach him? Perhaps know how to access the old archive. I'd love to post it here for anyone that would wish to peruse it. It really was a great site.

broadaxe · 1st March 2010, 02:27 PM

I don't know how to access the archive. I was in touch with Tim as well, but lost contact. I think you may find him on ebay, as timbokto2000 or something similar.

27th February 2010, 10:40 PM	#1
broadaxe Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 334	Here are some photos. Pleae note I included a pair of poll-axes, because they share marine details and I believe they are boarding axes, too - well, one is obviously of the French type. Feel free to refer to any of them (yes I know, within the three hanging axes, the central one is a common British fire axe, I was too lazy to take them off the wall). Attached Images

28th February 2010, 04:21 AM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,204	Very nice examples, BroadAxe. It is nice to see positive proof that there are, in fact, private purchase boarding axes loosly based on the known naval patterns out there. I would like to call attention to the french piece with fancy blade, brass butt cap and forward/rear-facing langets! Very nice piece and green with envy! Note the classic diamond-shaped downward spike of classic French style. The blade style reminds me of some of the native-American tomahawks. It is a well-known fact that some of the well-known types of boarding axes ended up in tribal hands and were decorated accordingly (I've seen some in fur-trapper museums with the brass tacks, burned wire spiral decoration, etc). The hammer pole axes show the direction that some of these axes were taking in regards to losing the spike in place of a practical tool end. Civil War boarding axes were complete with heavy blades, hammer ends and nail-pulling slots (these started to appear around 1850). Nice collection you have there. I only have a few axes that I'll try to post here soon...

28th February 2010, 08:52 AM	#3
broadaxe Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 334	The connection between boarding axes and native tribes is well established. I wrote once a short article regarding the origins of the Spike Axe and the boarding axe. Unfortunately, the web page containing that article is off-line, but I've seen more than on citation from it on ebay auctions... The fancy naval axe you were referring to, my opinion it was Dutch, because of its elaborated blade. There is a similar, earlier axe with an engraved blade, in a tool book, identified as Dutch. I like our friend Cornelistromp to share his knowledge.

1st March 2010, 11:07 AM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,204	BroadAxe, that site you referred to? It didn't happen to be TATCO or something like that? The guy who ran it (Tim something) lived in Texas and was a long-time collector of pipe axes. Great site. I thought it might of been that one when you mentioned you lived in Israel. I remembered a chap from there who had posted some articles. But perhaps I'm mistaken?

1st March 2010, 01:01 PM	#6
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,204	That was a great site! I actually printed out copies of the site one night at work. Used up a whole ream of paper! Could have got in trouble for that one, but it was worth it! Definitely educated me on the differences between the Brit fire axes, camp axes and the real boarding pieces. likewise, Tim was great at answering questions about the trade. We had a lot of correspondence at one time. I contacted him via an ebay sale he had a year ago and he sent me a link to the archived pages. Unfortunately, stupid me lost it soon after! Do you stay in contact with him or know how to reach him? Perhaps know how to access the old archive. I'd love to post it here for anyone that would wish to peruse it. It really was a great site.

1st March 2010, 02:27 PM	#7
broadaxe Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 334	I don't know how to access the archive. I was in touch with Tim as well, but lost contact. I think you may find him on ebay, as timbokto2000 or something similar.