16th-17th Battle Axes From German and Swiss Armories

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by drac2k

I've had this hatchet for a while: I always thought it was just a wood working ax, mainly because of the "cross," slot in the front, which I thought was for pulling out nails, but I saw a similar provision on some of the pictured battle axes.I also thought that because the back of the hatchet was flat , it couldn't be used for battle, but once again some of the pictured ones were also flat.
Can someone confirm that this is indeed a wood working ax ?

Hi there,

The haft of that axe is 99 per cent ashwood, as it is, like I said in my opening post, the longest lasting because longest-fibered and consequently most durable, type of wood.
Next to it comes oak.

Experience, though, has taught me over four decades that ash was the preferred sort of wood used for hafted weapons in the Germanic areas, and from the 13th through 17th centuries.
As closely as possible, I have researched what must have been thousands of 13th-17th century hafted weapons, in hundreds of museums and private collections, plus previewings of items with the most important international auction houses, and after taking more than 280,000 analog photos.

For more information, and for important and finely preserved arms in
The Michael Trömner Collection

please also cf. my threads:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ht=pikes+swiss

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=pikes

In some very rare cases, ash was even used for stocking wall guns in the early 16th century - instead of oak.

Please see my threads:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...arian+kronburg

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...arian+kronburg


Best,
Michael Trömner