Intersting Indian? Axe

Andy Stevens · 10th September 2005, 12:00 PM

This was a very cheap Ebay buy , it just looked intersting in the photos and I thought what the hell! The seller had it listed as being Indian and I thought it could be some type of Tabor or saddle axe.

The object is 87cm long . The head is 14cm x 8 cm and decorated with eye brow and star like markings. One of these stars has what looks like a trailing comets tail ?. The blade has been capped in brass. The head has been very well set into the haft with a figure 8 wedge.

The haft has been burnt decorated into a rather nice Tiger stripe effect. The brass plated area at the top has a series of eyes attached to which the seller thinks feathers would have been attached? The bottom of the object terminates in a iron spike.

Tim Simmons · 10th September 2005, 12:13 PM

Hello Andy, These are swine herders axes from eastern europe. Here is a picture from a book on Hungarian peasant art. I have seen dealers trying to sell them as an Indian horsemans axe what ever that is? Tim

ariel · 10th September 2005, 04:14 PM

Tim beat me by tha-a-at much!

I agree: this is a Carpathian/Valachian axe. In a way, it is very similar to what the Swiss and S. Germans call alpenstock: a mix of a walking stick and a small axe for mountaineering.
Wish Radu was here: straight from his childhood.

Tim Simmons · 10th September 2005, 05:52 PM

Hi ariel, I have seen some very pretty old examples of these axes that I should have bought.

I do not think Andys one to be that old. Tim

ingelred · 10th September 2005, 07:15 PM

This is an axe / walking stick combination which seems to be very common across eastern Europe and the Alps. In the annual Knives 2002 there is an article about these walking sticks.

Greetings, Helge

not2sharp · 11th September 2005, 03:25 PM

It's a European walking stick/ice axe

n2s

zalmoxis · 13th September 2005, 07:30 AM

Ariel who is Radu sounds like a guy from my country?

10th September 2005, 12:00 PM	#1
Andy Stevens Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: London Posts: 155	Intersting Indian? Axe This was a very cheap Ebay buy , it just looked intersting in the photos and I thought what the hell! The seller had it listed as being Indian and I thought it could be some type of Tabor or saddle axe. The object is 87cm long . The head is 14cm x 8 cm and decorated with eye brow and star like markings. One of these stars has what looks like a trailing comets tail ?. The blade has been capped in brass. The head has been very well set into the haft with a figure 8 wedge. The haft has been burnt decorated into a rather nice Tiger stripe effect. The brass plated area at the top has a series of eyes attached to which the seller thinks feathers would have been attached? The bottom of the object terminates in a iron spike. Attached Images

10th September 2005, 12:13 PM	#2
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	Hello Andy, These are swine herders axes from eastern europe. Here is a picture from a book on Hungarian peasant art. I have seen dealers trying to sell them as an Indian horsemans axe what ever that is? Tim Attached Images Last edited by Tim Simmons; 10th September 2005 at 12:52 PM. Reason: SPELLING!!!Spelling SpellingSpellingSpelling

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10th September 2005, 04:14 PM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Tim beat me by tha-a-at much! I agree: this is a Carpathian/Valachian axe. In a way, it is very similar to what the Swiss and S. Germans call alpenstock: a mix of a walking stick and a small axe for mountaineering. Wish Radu was here: straight from his childhood.

10th September 2005, 05:52 PM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	Hi ariel, I have seen some very pretty old examples of these axes that I should have bought. I do not think Andys one to be that old. Tim

10th September 2005, 07:15 PM	#5
ingelred Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Moenchengladbach, Germany Posts: 62	This is an axe / walking stick combination which seems to be very common across eastern Europe and the Alps. In the annual Knives 2002 there is an article about these walking sticks. Greetings, Helge

11th September 2005, 03:25 PM	#6
not2sharp Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 210	It's a European walking stick/ice axe n2s

13th September 2005, 07:30 AM	#7
zalmoxis Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: GA USA Posts: 76	Ariel who is Radu sounds like a guy from my country?