A nice puzzle

Flavio · 20th February 2006, 04:36 PM

Hello. I had this axe for a few and i really don't know how to interpret it

. As you can see from pics the entire axe seems to be shona or zulu (if zulu have never used axes!), but if the handle is clearly handmate and african in origin, the blade has the stamp on a side "W. Marples and Sons" and clearly seems made with machinery and not handmate. Now i find on the web that this company produced instruments from job, like saws, chisels, blades from job in general, around late 800 - early 900 in England. So maybe this could be an example of blades exported in south Africa from English and sold to the native populations. What do you think?

Tim Simmons · 20th February 2006, 05:02 PM

Swords into plough-shears, plough-shears into swords, garden tools into axes perhaps.

Tim

spiral · 20th February 2006, 08:36 PM

Looks like a typical Marples late Victorian or early 20th century herb chopping blade to me, Flavio.

Normaly was fitted to a wooden T shape handle. Used to be found in nearly evry evry country farmhouse kitchen. {some other designs have a D shaped handle.}

The last inch of the shank is square to sit within the handles mortice securly.

I see them in junk shops round here all the time with other rusty old kitchen knives etc.

So That seems to me to be a Fascinating & resourcfull presumably native reuse for it.

Spiral

Flavio · 20th February 2006, 10:17 PM

Thank you very much Spiral

20th February 2006, 04:36 PM	#1
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	A nice puzzle Hello. I had this axe for a few and i really don't know how to interpret it . As you can see from pics the entire axe seems to be shona or zulu (if zulu have never used axes!), but if the handle is clearly handmate and african in origin, the blade has the stamp on a side "W. Marples and Sons" and clearly seems made with machinery and not handmate. Now i find on the web that this company produced instruments from job, like saws, chisels, blades from job in general, around late 800 - early 900 in England. So maybe this could be an example of blades exported in south Africa from English and sold to the native populations. What do you think? Attached Images

20th February 2006, 05:02 PM	#2
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,736	Swords into plough-shears, plough-shears into swords, garden tools into axes perhaps. Tim

20th February 2006, 08:36 PM	#3
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	Looks like a typical Marples late Victorian or early 20th century herb chopping blade to me, Flavio. Normaly was fitted to a wooden T shape handle. Used to be found in nearly evry evry country farmhouse kitchen. {some other designs have a D shaped handle.} The last inch of the shank is square to sit within the handles mortice securly. I see them in junk shops round here all the time with other rusty old kitchen knives etc. So That seems to me to be a Fascinating & resourcfull presumably native reuse for it. Spiral

20th February 2006, 10:17 PM	#4
Flavio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Italia Posts: 1,243	Thank you very much Spiral