Native American spike tomahawk, fur trade pole axes and skinning knives

[M ELEY]

Most of the Underhill Tool Axe Company patterns were so marked, but there are other types of the exact pattern coming out during this circa 1830-40 period of the same make, but marked differently. Likewise, many are unmarked (as is mine, making me suspect it might be a little earlier and has some subtle differences from the classic Underhill). Some say the reason they are unmarked is because they were made by a generic distributor and sold to companies like Underhill for resale.

Another theory (an ominous one and the second part of the controversy) is that they were left unmarked so if any future atrocities committed against settlers with these 'scalping' axes happened, the companies who sold them would not come under fire! The reservation system had started to gear up in this period and violence against the native peoples had stirred up much anger. Attacks on settlers and townships still occurred, so one can imagine why the trading of weapons to the Indians became risque.

Did the Underhill patterns become fire hatchets and camp tools? Undoubtedly, but how can one deny that the practice of trading weapons just stopped during this period? The Underhill type is the quintessential tomahawk, stronger than many of the old iron blacksmith types. You can see where I rest on this issue! There were just way too many of this pattern early spike axe for them to have been fire hatchets. Later patterns from the 1860's onward, very possibly, but the temtation to throw a crate of these heads on a wagon and head out to the trading post to score some beaver skins was just too great!


https://landandseacollection.com/id599.html

Here is an example of a LATE spike tomahawk (1860's-70's), cast steel tool-type used by reknowned chief Good Bear of the Hunkpapa Lakota Souix with prevenance. Proof these later spike types were Indian-used.

https://www.barnebys.com/auctions/lo...870-zb7grem-1l