Combination Halberd / Matchlock for comment

templarnight · 5th September 2014, 09:37 AM

Hi all.
I am interested to hear your comments on this Weapon.
Made of Iron its in Relic condition.

I can only think its a Hand Held Axe with Matchlock.

The Total length is 41cm, the Barrel is 16cm with a 12mm Bore.

As can be seen theres a seperate Lighter that although degraded would have reached the Touch Hole.

Theres two makers marks that although degraded appear to be the same.

What period do you think its from? It looks as though it was a River find.

Many thanks!!

fernando · 5th September 2014, 06:33 PM

Fascinating piece. I hope you have it identified

.

M ELEY · 6th September 2014, 08:24 AM

Very interesting piece! I personally believe its either one of two things, based on it's primitivity and thinness of the iron (I'm not being snooty here with my 'primitive' comment. I think its a fantastic item!). I beleive what we have here is either a colonial-made halberd for the early colonies here in America. See Neumann's and Peterson (Colonial Weapons in America) for similar. Another possibility is that it is a blacksmith-made halberd style tomahawk ax sans hilt. There are very similar examples to this style seen in Hartzler and Knowle's volume Frontier tradeaxes and Indian Tomahawks, etc. Many tomahawk heads, especially pipe axes, were made from old musket barrels.

Check out this site for similar
http://furtradetomahawks.tripod.com/id9.html

M ELEY · 6th September 2014, 08:46 AM

The more I look at it, I'm convinced its an early trade tomahawk. The halberd types were early, mimicing the European weapons of the same name. The native Americans were captivated by the shapes of these weapons. Besides the halberd style, there were also 'spontoon head' tomahawks. I'm guessing the date on yours to be 17th to early 18th c. The French fur traders coming in through the Hudson River valley would have been the first to encounter and trade with the natives. You have an amazing piece!! Love to have it for my collection-

The site I referenced above is hard to pull up. If you do a general google search for 'halberd head tomahawk', you will see examples of this rare style of trade axe.

templarnight · 6th September 2014, 10:47 AM

Interestign thought regarding Amercian use. But would that explain the Matchlock Mechanism, which had largely died out by 1700.

fernando · 6th September 2014, 11:59 AM

Great approach, Mark ... and excelent food for thought

.
Say templarnight, why are you so sure that such appendix is a matchlock mechanism ? It is true you are able to observe the piece at naked eye; pictures posted are not so elucidative (for me

).
I will be ridiculous but, it looks like a twisted belt hanger ...

Also that orifice is rather misplaced for being a touch hole, am i right ?

,

5th September 2014, 09:37 AM	#1
templarnight Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 87	Combination Halberd / Matchlock for comment Hi all. I am interested to hear your comments on this Weapon. Made of Iron its in Relic condition. I can only think its a Hand Held Axe with Matchlock. The Total length is 41cm, the Barrel is 16cm with a 12mm Bore. As can be seen theres a seperate Lighter that although degraded would have reached the Touch Hole. Theres two makers marks that although degraded appear to be the same. What period do you think its from? It looks as though it was a River find. Many thanks!! Attached Images

6th September 2014, 08:24 AM	#3
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,066	Very interesting piece! I personally believe its either one of two things, based on it's primitivity and thinness of the iron (I'm not being snooty here with my 'primitive' comment. I think its a fantastic item!). I beleive what we have here is either a colonial-made halberd for the early colonies here in America. See Neumann's and Peterson (Colonial Weapons in America) for similar. Another possibility is that it is a blacksmith-made halberd style tomahawk ax sans hilt. There are very similar examples to this style seen in Hartzler and Knowle's volume Frontier tradeaxes and Indian Tomahawks, etc. Many tomahawk heads, especially pipe axes, were made from old musket barrels. Check out this site for similar http://furtradetomahawks.tripod.com/id9.html Last edited by M ELEY; 6th September 2014 at 08:55 AM.

6th September 2014, 11:59 AM	#6
fernando Lead Moderator European Armoury Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,642	Great approach, Mark ... and excelent food for thought . Say templarnight, why are you so sure that such appendix is a matchlock mechanism ? It is true you are able to observe the piece at naked eye; pictures posted are not so elucidative (for me ). I will be ridiculous but, it looks like a twisted belt hanger ... Also that orifice is rather misplaced for being a touch hole, am i right ? , Attached Images

5th September 2014, 06:33 PM	#2
fernando Lead Moderator European Armoury Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,642	Fascinating piece. I hope you have it identified .

6th September 2014, 08:46 AM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,066	The more I look at it, I'm convinced its an early trade tomahawk. The halberd types were early, mimicing the European weapons of the same name. The native Americans were captivated by the shapes of these weapons. Besides the halberd style, there were also 'spontoon head' tomahawks. I'm guessing the date on yours to be 17th to early 18th c. The French fur traders coming in through the Hudson River valley would have been the first to encounter and trade with the natives. You have an amazing piece!! Love to have it for my collection- The site I referenced above is hard to pull up. If you do a general google search for 'halberd head tomahawk', you will see examples of this rare style of trade axe.

6th September 2014, 10:47 AM	#5
templarnight Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 87	Interestign thought regarding Amercian use. But would that explain the Matchlock Mechanism, which had largely died out by 1700.