Strange Spike Tomahawk???

[Ralph Meisse]

Hi All,

I bought this hawk some years ago and had it on my wall. A friend of mine saw it and said he would like to buy it. I have never seen one quite like it. Has anyone out there? Any idea of value? It doesn't look like a repro but I am not sure.

Thanks,
Big Ralph

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[blacksmithman64]

Welcome to the MLF! Do you remember where you got it? It has some nice wood and the head appears to be hand forged,But the spike looks too bent down which kind of makes me think its a tourist souvenir. Are there any touchmarks on the head?

 

[Ralph Meisse]

Hi Wolf,

No touchmarks on the head. Hand forged. I think the handle has been replaced, but it still is a nice one. I got it out of a house where the guy died and his wife wanted to sell off his old stuff. I pulled six Kentucky rifles, this hawk, and a cap lock hand gun out of this place. They were all originals. I sold half of them and kept half and this tomahawk.
From the quality and the age of the other items, I tend to think it is real. The guy who wants to buy it seems to know his stuff and he was really excited when he saw it.

Big Ralph

 

[JohnnyO]

My first thought was a bent boarding axe [here is a cira 1700s boarding axe]

The other thought was an axe created with a certain purpose, I'm not sure what, pulling logs/sticks, pulling hay stacks or corn stalks...not sure, but someone here with more knowledge on original accoutrements, I'd also say the broad head seems to point to a later period imho

 

[LaBonte]

Doesn't have to be a bent boarding - there are several original boarding axes with such downturned "spikes" which would infact making them better for climbing while boarding rather than the straight spike.
I'd agree that the handle is most likely a replacement but from what I can see of the head it looks good. Can you take a shot from the top of the head looking down???

 

[blacksmithman64]

Doh! Been in the woods too long! Forgot all about boarding axes!

 

[Coot]

Thanks for showing us your axe. A photo looking down from the top would aid in the id. Based on the images, the head looks original, the haft almost certainly a replacement (but a nice one).

As a collector of naval edged weapons, I do not think it is a boarding axe. It does not conform to any of the boarding axes shown in the books on naval weapons by Rankin or Gilkerson. It could possibly be a blacksmith's interpretation of a French hache de bord but these are normally found with heavier construction, langets and a much less pronounced curve to the spike.

What I have found leads me to believe that you have a trade spike tomahawk. See if you can find (interlibrary loan or ABE books.com) a copy of "Indian Tomahawks & Frontiersman Belt Axes" by Hartzler & Knowles. My copy is the revised edition dated 1995. In this book, there are a number of spiked tomahawks with very curved spikes such as on yours. In particular, the tomahawks shown on plate 41, fig 10 and plate 44, fig 17 appear to be identical to the one you have posted. (Both of these are pretty narrow when viewed from the top).

I would suggest that your tomahawk would be a nice addition to a collection of Indian gear. :thumbsup:

 

[Ralph Meisse]

Hi LaBonte,

I checked out that site you emailed me. I tried to join it but so far no luck. That is a really nice site with tons of info on this subject. I did find on the sixth page of that site, a hawk that looks just about like mine. He calls it a spike tomahawk circa 1700-1740 from lands above Pennsylvania. Now all I can do is wait and see if I can figure out it's value. Thanks all.

Big Ralph

 

[paulvallandigham]

If the head is an original, its of museum quality, and worth a lot of money. You might contact State museums and track down someone who is knowledgeable in this area of study, to do an appraisal. He/she will be probably thrilled just to see and hold such an antique! Such state owned museums often are asked to appraise items so that the owners can insure them properly. They either charge no fee, or a nominal one. They will want your name and address, and possibly a photo of the axe to keep. And, if you ever want to sell it, they often will want to be given the right to make the first bid, or have first right of refusal. If your estate is large enough, they will be all over you seeking to get you to donate the axe for their collection, so you can have a tax deduction.

A friend of mine bought a collection of rifles that came out of a small museum in Upstate New York, years ago, and carefully wrapped them in oil paper, and put them in a crate for storage. It moved from attic to attic over the years as his family grew, and finally left the house. His wife got after him a few years ago, to clean out the attic, and he found that crate again. He opened it this time,and was amazed at the quality of the rifles he had owned all these years. A couple of them have now been donated to the national Firearm's Museum at the NRA building in Fairfax, VA. One was an original 1873 .44-40 rifle issued to the Indian Police in Oklahoma[terr.], and so marked, with original brass tacks in the stock, which were common decorations on Indian owned guns. It was well used, but its history and " Provenance" gave it an enhanced value to any collection. He also had a full-stock 1873 Winchester .44-40 rifle in near new condition!

Good luck with that terrific find. :hatsoff:

 

[dyemaker]

It almost looks like a gaff doesnt it. Very strange.
:idunno:

 

[n ohio]

Besides the TATCA website there's this one you could check out. Link You can post photos there and apparently the owner could try to give his opinions. Photos of the front and back would help determine if it's forge welded.
The very curved spikes like yours (seem) to be a New York state Iroquois area thing.
If it's authentic forged iron, it looks to be in extremely nice condition.
Thanks for sharing it.

 

[trent/OH]

Could the spike be a marlinspike?

 

[Coot]

All the marlinespikes that I have seen, in the Navy, in museums and here at home, have been straight & round. They are used to splice rope and undo tight knots. In such use, the hatchet blade & wood handle would just be in the way.

 

[dyemaker]

The very curved spikes like yours (seem) to be a New York state Iroquois area thing.
If it's authentic forged iron, it looks to be in extremely nice condition.
Thanks for sharing it.

So doe's that mean that it was actually forged by natives or am I misunderstanding this. Did Iroquois collect scalps? I recall a description of the purpose of spike hawks on this forum. I think I read that the spike was for displaying scalps.

 

[nwctrader]

Hi,
I should say first I am new to this forum, am a professional authenticator of tomahawks, writing a book on the subject & have my own forum at http://indiantradecollectors.freeforums.org
that discusses mostly axes but also other trade items & we are discussing it there if anyone cares to join us. I also have a website called Fur Trade Axes & Tomahawks which somebody else linked to already in this thread. http://furtradetomahawks.tripod.com

That 'boarding axe' picture is actually a nice looking spike tomahawk of the mid 18 th C. used by Indians and white men. Nobody really knows for sure why the Iroquois preferred these heavily curved spikes. Theres lots of speculation among historians. My speculation is that they had some fighting technique that made use of it that we may never know exactly how, but pulling a victim closer to finish him off would make sense. They went out of style toward the end of the 18th C. These are probably the most coveted by collectors of the spike tomahawk styles too. The boarding axes always had spikes that were kind of wedge shaped and broad & usually they had metal strapping on the sides to rivet to the handles. See "Boarders Away-With Steel-Edged Weapons & Polearms" by Gilkerson. By the way, volume 2 of the Boarders Away books has a treasure trove of ship board musketry displayed and well worth buying. The one with the curved spike is (assuming it is not a reproduction but I can't tell from the pictures) an early 18th C. Iroquois spike tomahawk. Nobody really knows for sure why the Iroquois preferred these heavily curved spikes. Theres lots of speculation among historians. My speculation is that they had some fighting technique that made use of it that we may never know exactly how it was done, but pulling a victim closer to finish him off would make sense. They went out of style toward the end of the 18th C. These were made as weapons of war & I doubt they ever chopped trees with them. Unlike the musket, the tomahawk was always loaded for the next shot.
These are probably THE most coveted by collectors of the spike tomahawk styles too. The handle on this one is new though but still a valuable find. Yeah, I'll bet that collector was anxious to get his hands on it! So would I! :wink:

 

[kanati]

The tip of that bent spike appears to be flat, would appear to be a tool for prying. I'm going to guess it's a special hatchet to work wood shingles. Removing them.

There used to be an outfit that sold repro vintage handtools, they had a tool similar to this if I remember correctly. Can't remember the name of the place though. They had every kind axe and hammer imaginable.

-Ron

 

[nwctrader]

Many of the spike tomahawk spikes were flat tipped like that. That was just personal preference. Some were pointed, some were blunt. Trust me I've been doing this awhile. Its not a shingle axe. I've also collected antique tools for about 25 years.

 

[Stumpkiller]

That 'boarding axe' picture is actually a nice looking spike tomahawk of the mid 18 th C. used by Indians and white men. Nobody really knows for sure why the Iroquois preferred these heavily curved spikes. Theres lots of speculation among historians. My speculation is that they had some fighting technique that made use of it that we may never know exactly how, but pulling a victim closer to finish him off would make sense. They went out of style toward the end of the 18th C. These are probably the most coveted by collectors of the spike tomahawk styles too. The boarding axes always had spikes that were kind of wedge shaped and broad & usually they had metal strapping on the sides to rivet to the handles. See "Boarders Away-With Steel-Edged Weapons & Polearms" by Gilkerson. By the way, volume 2 of the Boarders Away books has a treasure trove of ship board musketry displayed and well worth buying. The one with the curved spike is (assuming it is not a reproduction but I can't tell from the pictures) an early 18th C. Iroquois spike tomahawk. Nobody really knows for sure why the Iroquois preferred these heavily curved spikes. Theres lots of speculation among historians. My speculation is that they had some fighting technique that made use of it that we may never know exactly how it was done, but pulling a victim closer to finish him off would make sense. They went out of style toward the end of the 18th C. These were made as weapons of war & I doubt they ever chopped trees with them.

Reading up on my local Iroquois and Delaware history I found many references to the locals desire to capture an enemy alive. Perhaps the spike was a hook for tripping up a fleeing enemy. Dead he was of little use (until the British instituted scalp bounties) but a healthy captive was a valuable asset:
1.) He could be presented to a widow to support her with labor (often eventually becoming a full member of the clan).
2.) He could be ransomed.
3.) He could be the night's entertainment by proving his courage through torture.

 

[nwctrader]

Like the Godfather...keep your friends close but your enemies closer! That certainly is a possiblity. Many times too they would take enemies prisoner to replace people in their own tribe that died--kind of filling the coffers of their dwindling numbers so to speak. Trouble is in all the battles and captives journals I've read I can't find a reference to them using the spike to have hooked & captured them like that. It still might be true, but I'd have to call it speculation until I find some documentation.

 

[Stumpkiller]

True enough. For all we know that hatchet head is from a homemade agricultural tool used to harvest hops off a vine. No way to know unless it was found "in context" with other items of known use.