Axe for ID

CutlassCollector · 21st October 2014, 08:09 PM

Great pictures Fernando and a very interesting axe.

The way the handle is tapered down to the axe head, swells for the hands and then tapers again at the ball end is very British as is the shape of the spike, like Mark says.

We don't normally associate the crescent shape with Brit axes but there is one in the Pitt Rivers museum, the one in my post above and also one in Col Rankin's "Small Arms of the Sea Services" book and this one is marked Brooke Brothers, Sheffield, England. These date to around 1830 - 1840 but all have lighter, sharper spikes and shorter handles.
I think your axe is very likely British and perhaps earlier than these mentioned with the older type handle and spike.

Or it could just be a Portuguese axe!

I can't tell anything about the mark although it would be unusual to have a marking on the spike.

Regards, CC

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21st October 2014, 08:09 PM	#6
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 357	Great pictures Fernando and a very interesting axe. The way the handle is tapered down to the axe head, swells for the hands and then tapers again at the ball end is very British as is the shape of the spike, like Mark says. We don't normally associate the crescent shape with Brit axes but there is one in the Pitt Rivers museum, the one in my post above and also one in Col Rankin's "Small Arms of the Sea Services" book and this one is marked Brooke Brothers, Sheffield, England. These date to around 1830 - 1840 but all have lighter, sharper spikes and shorter handles. I think your axe is very likely British and perhaps earlier than these mentioned with the older type handle and spike. Or it could just be a Portuguese axe! I can't tell anything about the mark although it would be unusual to have a marking on the spike. Regards, CC