Axes

[Captain Midnight]

Loyalist Arms also has a very nice boarding axe. I like the handle. Pretty reasonably priced, too. Again, I do not know the actual time period of this piece. Blackjohn, perhaps you could help us out? The boarding axe is item "C" in the photo.

Loyalist Arms

[Deadeye]

My next plan is to do some personalizing of it by carving into the handle. Nothin fancy, just some initials, maybe some simple symbols....

When I get mine, I was planning on creating a nice grip and lanyard using waxed hemp and me marlinespike skills, Perhaps some French Whipping capped at both ends by Turk's Heads or somthin like that.

My Logic (what little there is) and experience tells me that a wood haft gets rather slick when wet, so it seems likely to me that GAoP pirates and sailors alike would make some sort of grip for their axes, swords, pikes and various other tools.

[blackjohn]

Loyalist Arms also has a very nice boarding axe. I like the handle. Pretty reasonably priced, too. Again, I do not know the actual time period of this piece. Blackjohn, perhaps you could help us out? The boarding axe is item "C" in the photo.

Loyalist Arms

When I get a chance I'll dig through my books and see what I can come up with. For right now, all I'll say is it looks very 18th/19thC British.

[blackjohn]

Loyalist Arms also has a very nice boarding axe. I like the handle. Pretty reasonably priced, too. Again, I do not know the actual time period of this piece. Blackjohn, perhaps you could help us out? The boarding axe is item "C" in the photo.

Loyalist Arms

According to Swords and Blades that style dates from 1750 to 1850. Boarders Away says the earliest datable specimen is from the mid-18th century, found at Crown Point NY. But probably dates to an earlier period. To my eyes, the rectangular spike on the back of this particular replica looks a bit wider than some of the others, which again, to my eye, makes it look even later, more 19thC. But that's to my eye, not actually measuring, and with no indication that later period axes had larger spikes.

My axe is a simple round poll axe that I picked up in an antique shop for $10. The style dates back to 1650. As short as the blade has gotten (through years of sharpening) I wouldn't be suprised if it was at least 150-200 years old.

[Gentleman of Fortune]

I agree with Black John. We are hampered by the lack of originals to go by. There is the one in the link posted earlier that is from Spanish wreck off of Florida and i think it is being dated to the early 1715.

It has no langets (side straps that protect the wood handle near the head). Also, the spike seems "thinner" than the robust one on most of the repros.

Much like other weapons from our period, I don't think that there was much standardization. Countries might of had "styles", but I would imagine that blacksmiths were making what they could and that is what was being used.

The problem with the repros now seems to be that they are being based off of boarding axes that came about later in the 18th century when there was a little more standardization.

That causes those of us who are obsessive to see a repro axe and say, "thats later in the 18th century, not period for GAoP". But I think with a little imagination and a good metal file, you could "alter" one to make it passable.

Just my two cents.

GoF

[Deadeye]

Honestly, i dont think it much matters. As you said, Greg, different blacksmiths were making different axes. Who's to say that one Smithy was partial to robust spikes, and another to thinner spikes?

As I've said earlier, i have heard of "Boarding Axes" that had hammer heads one the reverse side of the blade, but most commonly those are called "Camp axes" by modern sutlers.

I would venture a guess that just about any small tomahawk style axe, with the exception of a few, could pass as period enough.

Just my $.02

[Gentleman of Fortune]

Again, by looking at the period axes in the 1725 Bonney and Read picture (earlier in thread) I would have to agree with you. Those don't look like "boarding" axes at all (in the sense that they have no spike at all).

For my personal kit, however, I would not want want that was definately a later 1700 pattern (even though it might be reasonable for GAoP)... but that is just me.

GoF

[Deadeye]

I know what you mean, and it still looks to me as if ms Bonny is carrying a Norse Bearded Axe. Of course, cronologically, that would make no sense, but i call em how I see em.

I think i am going to go with some kind of FAI War belt axe, spike or no spike. I know that the FAI War came just after the GAoP, but I think that they are close enough as far as Axes, since axe design hasnt really changed all that much throughout history.

[Gentleman of Fortune]

My other speculation is that there seem to have been a lot of trade axes heading to the new world. If a pirates job is to intercept commerce, I would imagine that they might find a cargo of axe heads useful.

GoF

[Deadeye]

Agreed in its whole, Sir!

What about Broad Axes? I know a lot of ships Carptenters carried them. I have even heard of the being used for caulderizing wounds.

Any sources on those?

[Gentleman of Fortune]

Ships carpenter.... and the Ships cooper had a whole range of axes that he used as well.

I would think that any axe from the period would be reasonable. So the trick now is finding a period axe.

GoF

[Deadeye]

Let the Hunt begin!