A 19th century American boarding pike

Rick · 20th May 2021, 06:16 PM

The Cathead is a beam that projects from the bow area where the stock of the anchor is secured when underway. The anchor is brought to the cathead and secured then the fluke end is 'fished' to secure that part of the anchor against the bows.
Without the cathead dropping and raising the anchor becomes problematic.
What better thing to carve on the end of the cathead than a cat's head!

Lee · 20th May 2021, 07:54 PM

Here are the promised images of my boarding pike. The overall length is 94 inches, with the head straps to tip 20½ inches and the square spike 11½ inches. The pole is just over 1¼ inches in diameter and most likely oak and the head is secured by 2 pins. Weight is about 3¾ pounds (1687 g.)

A slightly shorter example with similar paint pattern and color sold at Morphy Auctions a couple of days ago (May 18, lot 1025) and a few others also show up on the internet

Jim McDougall · 20th May 2021, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

The Cathead is a beam that projects from the bow area where the stock of the anchor is secured when underway. The anchor is brought to the cathead and secured then the fluke end is 'fished' to secure that part of the anchor against the bows.
Without the cathead dropping and raising the anchor becomes problematic.
What better thing to carve on the end of the cathead than a cat's head!

Thank you Rick!
There is really a fascinating jargon here, and sets the mind to wonder how the etymology came about.

M ELEY · 21st May 2021, 03:26 AM

Lee, these are really great examples! Not only do we have the lack of swelling, a later development, but yours has just two pins securing the langets. These are definitely early 19th/War of 1812 period and a great find! Who knows! Perhaps they might have served on that fabled ship you mentioned!

fernando · 22nd May 2021, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

The Cathead is a beam that projects from the bow area where the stock of the anchor is secured when underway. The anchor is brought to the cathead and secured then the fluke end is 'fished' to secure that part of the anchor against the bows.
Without the cathead dropping and raising the anchor becomes problematic.
What better thing to carve on the end of the cathead than a cat's head!

Amazing how the nautic lexicon varies among different nations. Over here they call this apparatus Serviola (from the old Catalan meaning Hart=Deer, apparently referring to its horns) or Turco do Lambareiro (Portugueses for Turc of the sweet tooth). I don't find them here so exuberant as (American ?) Catheads, but more in the basic shape without a figure; and i realize they ceased being built in ships bows when irons (anchors) started being the 'swallow' type, by the end XIX century, i guess.

.

Jim McDougall · 22nd May 2021, 05:09 PM

The nautical terminology is most definitely colorful and fascinating with these similes! adding the language element to the glossary truly does add further dimension.
I recall in numerous cases Fernando has described sword hilt elements, in one case where the hilt had resemblances to the horse bit and was described accordingly.
I suppose overall these kinds of descriptive terms are found in many types of descriptions, which makes etymology pretty intriguing.
There are some which I would leave alone, 'poop deck' ?

David R · 23rd May 2021, 09:54 PM

"Poop Deck" indeed! I find these conversations among the most entertaining and valuable elements of this site... and now you know why the Nihonto guys use Japanese vocabulary to describe a sword.

M ELEY · 24th May 2021, 02:03 AM

Ahh yes, the poop deck! Then you have the oddities of the fo'castle, the 'head' which is located at the bough/head of the ship but features the...ahem...bottom more! Captstans and in later naval jargon, brass monkeys. All very interesting. Don't even get me started on things like 'salmagundie' (a naval dish consisting of tinned/salted beef, dried pies, old bisquit complete with weevils all dumped in a sack and often beer or grog poured over it all. Yummy!)

Rick · 25th May 2021, 11:52 PM

Well mates, it was called the poop deck from the French for Stern; Poope
IIRC.

M ELEY · 27th May 2021, 06:10 AM

Agreed that 'poop' had nothing to do with the deck's name. As I noted, the head, which was located at the very front of the bough, was the latrine. Still, very strange nautical names. Where did such words as 'orlop' or 'missen' come from?

20th May 2021, 06:16 PM	#1
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	The Cathead is a beam that projects from the bow area where the stock of the anchor is secured when underway. The anchor is brought to the cathead and secured then the fluke end is 'fished' to secure that part of the anchor against the bows. Without the cathead dropping and raising the anchor becomes problematic. What better thing to carve on the end of the cathead than a cat's head! Attached Images

20th May 2021, 07:54 PM	#2
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 932	Promised follow-up Here are the promised images of my boarding pike. The overall length is 94 inches, with the head straps to tip 20½ inches and the square spike 11½ inches. The pole is just over 1¼ inches in diameter and most likely oak and the head is secured by 2 pins. Weight is about 3¾ pounds (1687 g.) A slightly shorter example with similar paint pattern and color sold at Morphy Auctions a couple of days ago (May 18, lot 1025) and a few others also show up on the internet Attached Images

21st May 2021, 03:26 AM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	Lee, these are really great examples! Not only do we have the lack of swelling, a later development, but yours has just two pins securing the langets. These are definitely early 19th/War of 1812 period and a great find! Who knows! Perhaps they might have served on that fabled ship you mentioned!

22nd May 2021, 05:09 PM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,189	The nautical terminology is most definitely colorful and fascinating with these similes! adding the language element to the glossary truly does add further dimension. I recall in numerous cases Fernando has described sword hilt elements, in one case where the hilt had resemblances to the horse bit and was described accordingly. I suppose overall these kinds of descriptive terms are found in many types of descriptions, which makes etymology pretty intriguing. There are some which I would leave alone, 'poop deck' ?

23rd May 2021, 09:54 PM	#7
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,114	"Poop Deck" indeed! I find these conversations among the most entertaining and valuable elements of this site... and now you know why the Nihonto guys use Japanese vocabulary to describe a sword.

24th May 2021, 02:03 AM	#8
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	Ahh yes, the poop deck! Then you have the oddities of the fo'castle, the 'head' which is located at the bough/head of the ship but features the...ahem...bottom more! Captstans and in later naval jargon, brass monkeys. All very interesting. Don't even get me started on things like 'salmagundie' (a naval dish consisting of tinned/salted beef, dried pies, old bisquit complete with weevils all dumped in a sack and often beer or grog poured over it all. Yummy!)

25th May 2021, 11:52 PM	#9
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	Well mates, it was called the poop deck from the French for Stern; Poope IIRC.

27th May 2021, 06:10 AM	#10
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,141	Agreed that 'poop' had nothing to do with the deck's name. As I noted, the head, which was located at the very front of the bough, was the latrine. Still, very strange nautical names. Where did such words as 'orlop' or 'missen' come from?