American Boarding Axes?

[Captain Midnight]

Recently, while surfing online, I ran across a site which sells prop weapons used in the movie Master and Commander. One of the weapons shown was an "American" boarding axe, with two "teeth-like" notches cut out on the underside of the blade. Curious about this particular design, I did a bit more searching on the net and found this site American Boarding Axe Now This particular axe is a Revolutionary War period weapon, but I have been wondering how much earlier this type of axe might have been used, if at all. Does anyone here know anything about this American style of axe? I am wondering if the variety of boarding axes might have been due to the tastes of the individual makers, rather than one certain type which would have been attributed to a whole country? I don't think it would be too unreasonable to assume that what is now commonly called the English pattern of boarding axe would have been the only style of boarding axe made in England, do you suppose?

Any help any of you could provide concerning this axe would be greatly appreciated, as well as your thoughts or research on any of the styles.

[Matty Bottles]

I seem to recall those axes are closely identified with the Rev War/War of 1812, and that few, if any, earlier examples exist. I'll check BA vol. 1 when I get home.

I do remember that the book suggests the teeth were for toting or pulling things - coils of rope, downed yards, etc. - and that might indicate a technological shift, rather than a matter of individual taste. I think they were fairly ubiquitous, but I could be wrong.

[Kenneth]

Was it by chance Tony Swatton at Sword and stone?

[Captain Midnight]

Was it by chance Tony Swatton at Sword and stone?

Aye, it was indeed, Kenneth.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Purely speculation on my part, but my first reaction upon seeing the design was this...

If I needed to board a vessel with rails and deck that was above the height of the vessel I was going over from, the teeth on the blade and the ball grip at the end of the handle would make this weapon into a good grapple to hoist myself up on. Just an uneducated observation though.

Bo

[Captain Midnight]

Purely speculation on my part, but my first reaction upon seeing the design was this...

If I needed to board a vessel with rails and deck that was above the height of the vessel I was going over from, the teeth on the blade and the ball grip at the end of the handle would make this weapon into a good grapple to hoist myself up on. Just an uneducated observation though.

Bo

Exactly, Captain Bo. I think the notches in the blade would also be good for snagging burning sails, downed rigging, and other stuff to drag it out of the way...it's definitely a good axe, although it's not GAoP period. But see, the thing about this particular design that got me wondering was this: It was made by a bladesmith that had a contract with the U.S. government to make them, so I was wondering if there might have been any earlier contracts for axes for the Americans. This example is from the late 18th/early 19th century, so if it was made in the 1790's, I wonder where the design originated, or how much earlier it might have been used. Perhaps it wasn't used any earlier at all, as was mentioned in one of the posts above, and that is very likely. But I guess what I am ultimately looking for is any unique designs that were "American" (colonial) made, that differed from the English style, and used in the GAoP.

[Matty Bottles]

Well, you all have good instincts - according to Border's Away, Vol. 1, page 41, it was used to aid boarding action to 'clamber up by the chains', and it was used to clear wreckage. Unfortunately, it does not seem to have been common outside of that geogrphic location or time.

"The toothed boarding axe seems to have been unique to the United States, making it instantly identifiable, for no examples from elsewhere have come to light. Certainly there may have been toothless American boarding axes, but all known specimens marked 'U.S.' yet found have the feature, as do some unmarked examples. Because the distinctive teeth of the late 18th- and early 19th-century American tomahawk boarding axe were its salient features throughout the period of it's use, the idiosyncrasy bears some discussion as to why it existed and why it did not."

It looks as though it is closely identified with revwar/1812, and though there are examples not marked 'U.S.' (and thus, theoretically could belong to an earlier time frame), people already associate it with that time frame, and you might get some flack at certain events for a un-PC axe. Then again, you might not.

However, maybe you should check out trade axes or trade tomahawks. They would have been all over the colonies, I think, and could have originated in a number of different countries: for the North East, you could have English, French, or Dutch axes; for the south, Spanish, French, or English, for example.

[Captain Midnight]

Do we have any surviving examples of a Spanish boarding axe? If so, would they differ that much from, say, an English or French axe of the same period?

What other types of surviving Spanish naval weapons do we have? I ask this because I am already in love with the Spanish escopeta musket...I fully intend to own one of those babies one day!

[Gentleman of Fortune]

yes

There is a wreck recovered Spanish Boarding Axe from the 1715 fleet, and it looks a lot like the 1733 Spanish axe

Both Can be seen at Noel Wells Boarding Axe site

This Spanish Version doesn't have langets (metal support straps down the sides from the head of the axe).

The other surviving examples are pictured or drawn in Boarders Away. IIRC there is a Danish example from 1675 and a Swedish one from 1700.

They really don't look much like each other when you compare their characteristics.

I have not seen anything documentation/pictures of GAoP era British ones or French ones though....

The British pattern that is widely copied is the later style one that is often Dated to the second half of the 18th century.

I can't say if the pattern was the same or different during the GAoP.

But I liken it to the "1742 British Hanger". Yes, elements of that style do date to the Late GAoP, but when I see one, I immediately think "hey, there is a 1742 pattern hanger" as that is what it is 1742 Pattern British Hanger

I will look back through my info and see if I can find anything else

GoF