Viking/Norman small axe?

kronckew · 23rd October 2013, 12:08 PM

i don't think so!

steel head, chrome or nickle plated steel with visible forge marks, 5 in. edge, 19 in. handle. reenforcing 'languet' spur on rear of the head. wood handle tapers to get wider at the top over the head. wood appears to be stained/laquered. 580 grams total weight.

bit rusty. will clean & oil it shortly.

found it on ebay thought it was a nice modern repro throwing axe.

not so sure now that it has arrived. it looks antique to me now. the stamp on the right side is intriguing and why i posted it here. it's in an arabic script. is it perhaps turkish?

CutlassCollector · 24th October 2013, 01:34 PM

Hi Kronckew
That's a good way to fix an axe head - no splitting of wood and not much chance of it flying off. The turned down spike is unusual - I thought belt hook at first but its too sharp and not in a good place for hooking on a person. CC.

kronckew · 24th October 2013, 02:26 PM

i have a dane axe made by paul binn. it has a considerably larger head on a 5 foot haft and is similarly tapered fat end up by the head. 'cold steel' tomahawks are also made this way. the more modern top down with a split end tightened by a wood or steel wedge is used on many wood axes, but to me is an inferior way to do it, as the head can indeed fly off if it is not done correctly and gets a bit loose...

the 'spike' lays flush against the wood, it's designed to take the torque (vertical twisting force) when the head hits something. the apparent gap is a lighting artifact. it can't 'hook' anything

here's a similar re-enforcing 'spike' both above and below centre on a repro russian axe:

broadaxe · 24th October 2013, 05:44 PM

Relatively modern Afghan axe. Script is Arabic.

kronckew · 24th October 2013, 10:00 PM

good, paid next to nothing for it.

thanks for the info.

trenchwarfare · 25th October 2013, 02:15 AM

Modern or not, it's a nice piece. Several years ago, a returning GI offered two of these with replaced metal handles on ebay. (Wish I'd have bought them) He said they kept them in their Hummer. If the residents wouldn't cooperate while doing a house search, all he had to do, was go outside, and return with an axe in hand. Being a blade oriented society, the axe commanded much more respect, than the M4. Cooperation was immediately achieved. And no, I'm not trying to glorify what goes on in Afghanistan. Just relaying an interesting story.

23rd October 2013, 12:08 PM	#1
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,184	Viking/Norman small axe? i don't think so! steel head, chrome or nickle plated steel with visible forge marks, 5 in. edge, 19 in. handle. reenforcing 'languet' spur on rear of the head. wood handle tapers to get wider at the top over the head. wood appears to be stained/laquered. 580 grams total weight. bit rusty. will clean & oil it shortly. found it on ebay thought it was a nice modern repro throwing axe. not so sure now that it has arrived. it looks antique to me now. the stamp on the right side is intriguing and why i posted it here. it's in an arabic script. is it perhaps turkish? Attached Images

24th October 2013, 02:26 PM	#3
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,184	i have a dane axe made by paul binn. it has a considerably larger head on a 5 foot haft and is similarly tapered fat end up by the head. 'cold steel' tomahawks are also made this way. the more modern top down with a split end tightened by a wood or steel wedge is used on many wood axes, but to me is an inferior way to do it, as the head can indeed fly off if it is not done correctly and gets a bit loose... the 'spike' lays flush against the wood, it's designed to take the torque (vertical twisting force) when the head hits something. the apparent gap is a lighting artifact. it can't 'hook' anything here's a similar re-enforcing 'spike' both above and below centre on a repro russian axe: Attached Images Last edited by kronckew; 24th October 2013 at 02:39 PM.

24th October 2013, 01:34 PM	#2
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 330	Hi Kronckew That's a good way to fix an axe head - no splitting of wood and not much chance of it flying off. The turned down spike is unusual - I thought belt hook at first but its too sharp and not in a good place for hooking on a person. CC.

24th October 2013, 05:44 PM	#4
broadaxe Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 332	Relatively modern Afghan axe. Script is Arabic.

24th October 2013, 10:00 PM	#5
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,184	good, paid next to nothing for it. thanks for the info.

25th October 2013, 02:15 AM	#6
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	Modern or not, it's a nice piece. Several years ago, a returning GI offered two of these with replaced metal handles on ebay. (Wish I'd have bought them) He said they kept them in their Hummer. If the residents wouldn't cooperate while doing a house search, all he had to do, was go outside, and return with an axe in hand. Being a blade oriented society, the axe commanded much more respect, than the M4. Cooperation was immediately achieved. And no, I'm not trying to glorify what goes on in Afghanistan. Just relaying an interesting story.