A proto-American boarding axe?

M ELEY · 8th January 2025, 01:33 AM

Well, I saw this in an online auction and had to pause. Listed as a 'Rare Ice Axe', I couldn't help but wonder if this could be a precursor to the American Type I boarding axe or even a 'private purchase' type one-off copy of said naval tool. The auction house ignored my request for dimensions, which would have helped greatly in ruling such a theory out!

After intensely searching the web for a month, I wasn't able to prove or disprove my theory. It is NOT an ice cutting axe, nor lathing axe, shingling axe, Masonic/fraternal, shingling/wood-chopping, etc! I guess it could be a mountaineering/climbing axe, but could find no comparisons with the 'teeth'. Maybe a type of fire axe, but agin, I could find no comparisons. I ended up passing on it in my uncertainty and hoped it would go for a big sum so I wouldn't kick myself, but it went for very minimal. Figures...

So, opinions? CC, are ya out there, buddy? Broadaxe? Jim McD? My curiosity is killing me!

8th January 2025, 01:33 AM	#1
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,204	A proto-American boarding axe? Well, I saw this in an online auction and had to pause. Listed as a 'Rare Ice Axe', I couldn't help but wonder if this could be a precursor to the American Type I boarding axe or even a 'private purchase' type one-off copy of said naval tool. The auction house ignored my request for dimensions, which would have helped greatly in ruling such a theory out! After intensely searching the web for a month, I wasn't able to prove or disprove my theory. It is NOT an ice cutting axe, nor lathing axe, shingling axe, Masonic/fraternal, shingling/wood-chopping, etc! I guess it could be a mountaineering/climbing axe, but could find no comparisons with the 'teeth'. Maybe a type of fire axe, but agin, I could find no comparisons. I ended up passing on it in my uncertainty and hoped it would go for a big sum so I wouldn't kick myself, but it went for very minimal. Figures... So, opinions? CC, are ya out there, buddy? Broadaxe? Jim McD? My curiosity is killing me!