Axe for ID

fernando · 19th October 2014, 12:17 AM

What do you guys make of this ?
I know the pictures are horrible, but still ... can anyone help ?
A boarding axe ... certainly ?

.

M ELEY · 19th October 2014, 01:23 AM

OMG!!!!! Fernando, you lucky dog! You've called it right on. A boarding ax it is!! Beared blade, wege-type spike end, haft with half balled butt and hole for lanyard ring. Side by side langets, rounded eye socket. Yours has similar traits to both the Brit patterns (shape of spike, side langets, round eye) as well as the French (blade shape). Perhaps made for private purchase, aka privateer vs merchantman. Green with envy!

The real question for me is what period. 19th c. most assuredly, but pre-Age of Fighting Sail or after. Patterns like this existed before 1830, but the spike on yours reminescent of later 19th c. Brit patterns. I suspect more mid century, based on the almost chizel shaped spike. I don't suppose you happened to find two of them while out shopping and don't have the space for the other, at which I will graciously take it off your hands!

Forgot to ask, Fernando, if you suspect this to be a Spansih or Portuguese pattern of the above mentioned types. I'm familiar with French, English, Dutch/Scandinavian, American types. I've seen ones from Sardinia, Italy, East India, one reportedly Imperial Russian pattern. I know NOTHING, however, about the Span/Portuguese patterns, however.

fernando · 19th October 2014, 08:24 PM

Ah, ah, no lucky dog yet, Captain

.
Indeed there was a pair of them. This local fellow collector spotted both; bought one for himself and reserved the other one, thinking of me. I hope the seller still has it when he goes there to fetch it.
They don't have to be Portuguese or Spanish. France and England are not so distant. But according to the seller they belonged to a Portuguese Navy officer; he might have brought them from his unit's wall decoration or the like ... something not so uncommon.
Let me have it in my hand; will take better pictures and maybe we can develop further.

CutlassCollector · 19th October 2014, 11:29 PM

Congratulations Fernando - great axe and I'm as jealous as Mark.

Definitely a boarding axe. Very British handle and pick but unusual crescent shaped blade. There are several similar ones out there. I've attached one. British maker but not sure of date, but yours looks older anyway.
Best CC.

fernando · 21st October 2014, 05:07 PM

Here are detailed pictures ... and some support text.
I would not know whether this could a be a Portuguese or Spanish model.
After searching on Hachas de Abordaje (castillian) i found some examples, from which i am posting the one that should be in service in the same period ... which is so different than the example in discussion.
No results were found searching in portuguese, using the possible name variations, starting by Machado de Abordagem, then Machado de Marinha followed by other possibilities. I will have to dig further into such probability.
As already expressed here, the pick is similar to 1800's British pattern, but the blade has a distinct shape.
One thing we know is that this is not some sort of prototype, as the other one coming from the same provenance has the same shape ... only the handle being apparently made of a not so dark wood.
Mark's suggestion that this could be a private purchase stands open; but consider that its (last) owner was a Navy officer.
The pick has an 'offset' edge, one of the sides being more angled than the other, almost flat.
The right face of the blade has a more rustic forging.
There are three grooves in the handle near the lanyard orifice, but they are so superficial that almost faded away.
It is not impossible that a certain 'flaw' on the pick be a maker's mark; it has some lines too geometrical to be a default, resembling an estucheon.
Weight: 918 grams.
Handle length: 59 cms.
Langets length: 14 cms.
Blade & pick dimensions: 20 X 13 cms.

.

CutlassCollector · 21st October 2014, 08:09 PM

Great pictures Fernando and a very interesting axe.

The way the handle is tapered down to the axe head, swells for the hands and then tapers again at the ball end is very British as is the shape of the spike, like Mark says.

We don't normally associate the crescent shape with Brit axes but there is one in the Pitt Rivers museum, the one in my post above and also one in Col Rankin's "Small Arms of the Sea Services" book and this one is marked Brooke Brothers, Sheffield, England. These date to around 1830 - 1840 but all have lighter, sharper spikes and shorter handles.
I think your axe is very likely British and perhaps earlier than these mentioned with the older type handle and spike.

Or it could just be a Portuguese axe!

I can't tell anything about the mark although it would be unusual to have a marking on the spike.

Regards, CC

19th October 2014, 12:17 AM	#1
fernando Lead Moderator European Armoury Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,642	Axe for ID What do you guys make of this ? I know the pictures are horrible, but still ... can anyone help ? A boarding axe ... certainly ? . Attached Images

19th October 2014, 01:23 AM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,070	OMG!!!!! Fernando, you lucky dog! You've called it right on. A boarding ax it is!! Beared blade, wege-type spike end, haft with half balled butt and hole for lanyard ring. Side by side langets, rounded eye socket. Yours has similar traits to both the Brit patterns (shape of spike, side langets, round eye) as well as the French (blade shape). Perhaps made for private purchase, aka privateer vs merchantman. Green with envy! The real question for me is what period. 19th c. most assuredly, but pre-Age of Fighting Sail or after. Patterns like this existed before 1830, but the spike on yours reminescent of later 19th c. Brit patterns. I suspect more mid century, based on the almost chizel shaped spike. I don't suppose you happened to find two of them while out shopping and don't have the space for the other, at which I will graciously take it off your hands! Forgot to ask, Fernando, if you suspect this to be a Spansih or Portuguese pattern of the above mentioned types. I'm familiar with French, English, Dutch/Scandinavian, American types. I've seen ones from Sardinia, Italy, East India, one reportedly Imperial Russian pattern. I know NOTHING, however, about the Span/Portuguese patterns, however. Last edited by M ELEY; 19th October 2014 at 04:14 AM.

19th October 2014, 08:24 PM	#3
fernando Lead Moderator European Armoury Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,642	Ah, ah, no lucky dog yet, Captain . Indeed there was a pair of them. This local fellow collector spotted both; bought one for himself and reserved the other one, thinking of me. I hope the seller still has it when he goes there to fetch it. They don't have to be Portuguese or Spanish. France and England are not so distant. But according to the seller they belonged to a Portuguese Navy officer; he might have brought them from his unit's wall decoration or the like ... something not so uncommon. Let me have it in my hand; will take better pictures and maybe we can develop further. Last edited by fernando; 19th October 2014 at 11:02 PM. Reason: spell

19th October 2014, 11:29 PM	#4
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 322	Congratulations Fernando - great axe and I'm as jealous as Mark. Definitely a boarding axe. Very British handle and pick but unusual crescent shaped blade. There are several similar ones out there. I've attached one. British maker but not sure of date, but yours looks older anyway. Best CC. Attached Images

21st October 2014, 05:07 PM	#5
fernando Lead Moderator European Armoury Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,642	Here are detailed pictures ... and some support text. I would not know whether this could a be a Portuguese or Spanish model. After searching on Hachas de Abordaje (castillian) i found some examples, from which i am posting the one that should be in service in the same period ... which is so different than the example in discussion. No results were found searching in portuguese, using the possible name variations, starting by Machado de Abordagem, then Machado de Marinha followed by other possibilities. I will have to dig further into such probability. As already expressed here, the pick is similar to 1800's British pattern, but the blade has a distinct shape. One thing we know is that this is not some sort of prototype, as the other one coming from the same provenance has the same shape ... only the handle being apparently made of a not so dark wood. Mark's suggestion that this could be a private purchase stands open; but consider that its (last) owner was a Navy officer. The pick has an 'offset' edge, one of the sides being more angled than the other, almost flat. The right face of the blade has a more rustic forging. There are three grooves in the handle near the lanyard orifice, but they are so superficial that almost faded away. It is not impossible that a certain 'flaw' on the pick be a maker's mark; it has some lines too geometrical to be a default, resembling an estucheon. Weight: 918 grams. Handle length: 59 cms. Langets length: 14 cms. Blade & pick dimensions: 20 X 13 cms. . Attached Images

21st October 2014, 08:09 PM	#6
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 322	Great pictures Fernando and a very interesting axe. The way the handle is tapered down to the axe head, swells for the hands and then tapers again at the ball end is very British as is the shape of the spike, like Mark says. We don't normally associate the crescent shape with Brit axes but there is one in the Pitt Rivers museum, the one in my post above and also one in Col Rankin's "Small Arms of the Sea Services" book and this one is marked Brooke Brothers, Sheffield, England. These date to around 1830 - 1840 but all have lighter, sharper spikes and shorter handles. I think your axe is very likely British and perhaps earlier than these mentioned with the older type handle and spike. Or it could just be a Portuguese axe! I can't tell anything about the mark although it would be unusual to have a marking on the spike. Regards, CC