Axe Rant

[Stophel]

I am an axe addict. I have almost as many axes as I have guns and knives. And I'm very interested in 18th century axes. REAL 18th century axes, that is. I feel sorry for anyone trying to study 18th century axes/tomahawks today. In this internet age, it's actually worse now than ever before. Go ahead, Google image search "18th century axe" or "18th century tomahawk" or any other similar terms. Fully 95% (or more) of what comes up ain't no 18th century axe. There is SOOOOO much manure from India and Africa being pushed as "authentic 18th century Indian trade axes". Along with this JUNK, there are scads of original condition and modified ice axes, fireman's axes, ice axes, turpentine axes, ice axes, box axes, ice axes, and numerous other late 19th-early 20th century specialty axes, lots of Eastern European axes, European carpenter's hatchets, 19th-20th century SOUTH American trade axes, and, of course, the ubiquitous shingle hatchet/lathe hatchet/carpenter hatchet/half hatchet. Grind out the nail puller notch, and viola! You have yourself a gen-u-wine 18th century Indian tomahawk! People have been doing it for a hundred years, with no signs of stopping. I do not believe the authenticity of ANY lathe hatchet type "tomahawk" I see, no matter whose collection it was in. The ONLY reliable sources are archaeological finds, and period images. Anything else, especially anything that doesn't match up to these two known sources, is just some old axe.

Fraud begets ignorance, and ignorance begets even more fraud. We have a LOT of fraud and ignorance in the world of 18th century axes/tomahawks. It's sad because if someone wants to know the truth, it's HARD to come across.

And the image is of a couple of actual early-mid 18th century French trade axes dug in Ontario.

I feel better now. :grin:

 

[Artificer]

I saw the name of this post and the first thing I thought about was the (many profane expletives) ROUND handle on the full size axe that H&B Forge has been making for many years.

Maybe I'm not the best with an axe to be sure, but I found that handle shape so terrible because it is so difficult to get your hands on it correctly so the blade hits correctly. But that's not the only problem.

The eye of the blade is so large and so rounded, it has made it a very difficult proposition to find a replacement handle for it. I guess someday I will just have to find/buy a large piece of hickory to make a better handle.

Gus

 

[Stophel]

Here's my little H&B axe (I think they call it their boy's axe, or something like that) that I modified to look much more like actual 18th century axe heads by getting rid of the flare on the top of the bit. I like it very much now, and even getting used to the handle. The eye on this is very teardrop shape, quite in keeping with original axes. Now, the handles definitely taper much more than they need to, and the lower ends can be pretty small and hard to hang on to.

Speaking of round eyes, there are a lot of South American trade axes that are being put forth as 18th century trade axes, and these have very round eyes. While it is perhaps conceivable that this is an 18th century form, I'm waiting to see one dug up before saying it's so.


I'm actually surprised I don't see more of these:

These are from Portugal, and made in the South American trade style (mid 20th century, I will presume). They're basically Biscayne axes. These two are fantastic small, belt-sized. I wish they were in better shape. Pounded on the polls (of course) and beat all out of whack. The steel insert bits are not welded in all the way back to the eye, and are done differently than what you see on 17th-18th century Biscayne axes, and the "strap" is pulling out away from the bit on both of them. EVENTUALLY, I'll get them closed back up and brazed together. They would make good reasonable facsimiles of original Biscayne axes for reenactor use.

 

[Bo T]

Are you referring to axes that were primarily imported into the US during the 18th century? Or are earlier ax designs OK?

 

[Stophel]

I am interested in axes that would have been used in early America (and Western Europe in general). There's a lot of stuff out there, earlier and later, that would have never seen America's shores. Lots of stuff that is posited as "colonial American" when it is nothing of the sort. Lots of misinformation out there that just muddies the waters.

 

[Artificer]

I bought my H&B Forge Axes back in the 70's, before some names of some hawks were changed. I'm not sure but maybe what they used to call the "Squaw" Axe is now the Ladies Axe and what they used to call the "Mouse" Axe is now the Boy's Axe?

My large axe from them is what they used to call the "Large Camp Axe" and is the one with the really round, large eye. At the time, they said that was HC/PC; but I found the axe handle made the axe useless. Maybe I should look into getting the eye re-forged into an oblong or tear drop shape?

I have quite a few books on period woodworking and metal working tools, but they really don't go into the shape of the eye of axes and hawks that much.

Also, I have wondered if a polled axe is correct for a belt axe, or is that a modern combination?

Gus

 

[Stophel]

There are no hammer poll axes of the familiar "wrap-eye" variety found in any colonial archaeological site that I am aware of. There are some really neat continental European carpenter's hatchets of the late 19th-20th centuries that are essentially identical to the H&B polled tomahawk... But I'm not sure how far back they go, and even if so, their use in America would have been quite limited. There are hammer poll "tomahawks" of the familiar type known, of course. These, I am not very well versed in, actually.

Polls seem to have been added at some point in the 19th century to the wrap-eye "tomahawk" and also Biscayne axe heads, and eventually they evolved to become the "Hudson's Bay Pattern" we are familiar with today.

There were, of course, polled axes in 18th century America, of both "felling" size and smaller "camp" or "belt" sizes. There are different styles known. The most common seem to be what are usually called "American pattern axes" (whether this is truly so or not, I am not sure). The bits tended to get shorter over the century as the polls got heavier. The long bit styles are apparently still made in England, where they are called "Welsh pattern", and I think there may be a few other variations. By the middle of the century, they were often very much like "Jersey" or "Kentucky" pattern axes. By the end of the century and into the 19th, they were often more boxy and square in shape, though retaining "ears", either rounded or triangular. The older styles would remain in use, though. Supposedly, there are "earless" axe heads of normal, modern style found in Revolutionary War sites.. but I'm still kinda dubious.

Advertisement from the "Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser" July 7, 1789

 

[Artificer]

Very interesting information. Thank you.

I am attempting to get a 1750's frontier impression together and for a change, I would like to "get it right" the first time and not have to change a lot of stuff later, as I have had to do in the past.

So a correct period tomahawk/belt axe is something I'm interested in, but can not seem to find good information on them outside a few examples of pictures.

Gus

 

[Stophel]

The H&B I have is as close as I have seen to the common-or-garden-variety wrap-eye "trade axe" that was sold in great numbers everywhere (with the top flare cut down, that is).

If I were to have my druthers, I'd like to have a belt axe like one of these from Shel Browder:

A very common form throughout the 18th century in all sizes. I may be able to come up with something myself as an interim close-enough version, but eventually I'll probably break down and have one made for me.

 

[Artificer]

Those look VERY nice. Thanks for the information and the tip! :thumbsup:

Gus

 

[tenngun]

:hatsoff: lotsafun reading your post and understanding your thinking. I remember buying Russels firearms traps and tools of the mt men. He devoted nearly a third or more of the book to axes. I thought 'how much can you say about an ax?' Then found out. ....very fun read.

 

[coloradoclyde]

op:

 

[crockett]

Thanks for bringing up an important but often overlooked area. Most of my knowledge is from Carl P. Russell's book but I don't know if it is correct information. The various methods I think were:
1. Bend a bar over a mandrel to form eye, forge weld sides with steel insert for bit.
2. Same but one side only half way toward bit, capped steel bit.
3. Two sides forge welded front and back- steel bit.
4. Same as 3 but an additional plug in back for poll.
5. Solid block split front and back- back drawn over mandrel to form eye and welded back together. Front- steel bit inserted.
6. "?" Mono block with eye punched and the rest forged.
On the eye- oval or triangular?
On the back: round, squared but no poll, squared with poll.
Any comments appreciated.

 

[Stophel]

Here's a smith in Canada that is making historic 16th-17th-18th century style Biscayne axe heads.
http://www.lesforgesdemontreal.org/regaining-lost-knowledge-biscayne-axe-head/

Video: https://vimeo.com/75285063

 

[coxral]

Just watching PBS's Antiques Roadshow from a 2000 episode. A guy had a Pipe Hawk, 1780-90 with a silver federal eagle band, initialed GW and TH they think George Washington gave it to a certain soldier Tom (can't remember last name), missing the end cap and mouthpiece, curley maple handle, valued at $150K in 2000, and now in 2016 only 75K!!! Really cool looking piece!