French Boarding Axe?

[Big Bear]

Ahoy All,

While cleaning out some storage, I came upon an old axe I bought 20 years ago. Was told at the time the axe head was found in the attic of an old house in Maine. Seems to be the shape of a French Boarding Axe and its stamped E. LEBORGNE with a Falchion Sword stamped below the name.

Searching about I found that Emanuel Leborgne was a French merchant outfitting ships out of Canada and was Governor of Arcadia, but in the mid 1600s. Is it possible my axe is 350 years old? Hope the pics links come thru

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa305/b...de/DSCN1973.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa305/b...de/DSCN1967.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa305/b...de/DSCN1975.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa305/b...de/DSCN1974.jpg

[Gentleman of Fortune]

First....

Welcome to the Piracy pub! I see that this is your first post, and I hope you stick around as its an interesting place and fun hobby.

Your axe.

I am not qualified to tell you "yes" (or "no" for that matter), as boarding axes from the GAoP are EXTREMELY rare. And anything made before can be made again.

But here is a place I would check out and post your question again

http://members.tripod.com/tomahawks-r-tatca/id71.htm

Its an axe collector site.

A lot of the info that I have shows langets (metal strips between head and wood to protect shaft and secure head to shaft), but that doesn't mean that yours wasn't re-shafted at some point.

Also, there were a lot of spike axes made as trade goods for the Indians, and some of these were spike-head varieties. I have never held an original GAoP boarding axe in my hands, but the descriptions I have read say that they are a little hardier or more robust than the spike tomahawks.

And lastly, even if it is an older reproduction, it one wicked sweet boarding axe that I would not hesitate to have in my kit bag.

Great find (and refind!)

Greg aka GoF

[BigBear]

What Cheere, Gentleman,

Aye, I have seen that locale, twas what first tumbled me as that might be a French Boarding Axe. The design of the one they show be close in shape to mine. Was wondering who might have been making repros with that stamp 20 years ago if it is a repro( only paid 20$ at the yard sale for it back then). Thank ye most heartily for yer message and yer welcome to this Poste. Been workin' out of Narragansett Bay for some time, but me business partners be draggin' me into the 21st century.