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More of Mike's top shelf collection.

HALBERD BATTLE AXE Circa 1850

(Brass Inlaid)

Massive Indian Pipe Tomahawk, remarkable in its size, styling and quality of manufacture. Based on its design it was undoubtedly created in the mid-19th century. By its heavy weight and construction it was obviously meant to inflict damage and not merely ceremonial. Its weight alone of two pounds places it far heavier than others of this known form. Remarkable in its proportions and exceptional in its decoration of the blade which has 16 small round brass inlays bordering the edge of both sides of the blade. Each inlay simply engraved with a four petal floral design all being connected by delicate engraving on the steel. A very large circular brass inlay in the center of the blade, its edges and borders engraved on both the brass and adjacent steel. These were cut completely through the metal and are the same on both sides. Subtle differences in engraving exist on the blade, making each side unique. Each side of the oval eye has a circular brass insert with a house and silo engraved on the obverse and an angled five-pointed star with circular center on the reverse. These inlays are also engraved on the edges and surrounding outer steel area as well. The large 9" removable, double-edged spike has a relief ring turned base and 6" tapered blade with large engraved punch and zigzag line design on both sides. The threaded base screws into a punch and zigzag line decorated, brass tapped insert on the fore-end. Fully inserted, the spike is horizontal to the blade. Integral cast pipe bowl for tobacco 1 1/2" high, decorated around its circumference with incised upper and lower rings and center punch design, had a fitted, hinged metal lid, now lacking. In original untouched condition. Patina an aged light brown. A spectacular and very rare relic. Pictured in Tomahawks & Frontiersmen Belt Axes by Hartzler and Knowles 1995, page 63.

Height: 7 1/2" Width: 7 1/2" Length: 13 1/2"

Ex. Norm Flayderman's private collection Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Michael S. collection Dayton, Ohio

PIPE TOMAHAWK Circa 1790 - 1810

(original haft)

This hand-forged tomahawk has a very ornate relief turned vase

shaped bowl with an inside diameter of 11/16". The bowl has a flared

rim and incised ridge. The multi-turned circular stem to form the

bottom pedestal has three circular step-down rings with an inverted

ring for a base. The large chevron is in relief. There is an extremely

broad fuller molding at the base of the blade. Following the English

turn of the century style the long blade has an attenuated appearance

and features a spur at its belly. The metal around the large

1 15/16" x 1 1/2" eye is very thick. Lead has been used as a gasket,

having been poured around the smaller fore-end of the ash haft.

Forty-four brass tacks decorate the upper portion. The haft is short for a

head this size undoubtedly due to burn through.The haft, now age

cracked with faint traces of red paint, has a smoke hole burned

through the pith. Without any taper a separate tubular mouthpiece

(now missing) was used.

Height: 8 3/4" Width: 2 11/16" Length: 15 7/16" Length below the eye: 14"

Ex. John Barnhill collection Indiana, listed # JB241.

ENGLISH PIPE TOMAHAWK Circa 1740

(original haft, vase shaped bowl)

This pipe tomahawk is of the heavy, utilitarian class.

The vase shaped bowl resembles the original Native American

specimens carved in stone. The distressed bowl has an inside

width of 13/16" and extends from the poll 1 3/4". The flat bottomed

bowl has arim molding and rests on a small pedestal base with upper

molding and small chevron design. The entire chevron attachment has

anincised filed line around its circumference. The eye is a 2" x 1"

teardrop. The blade, with its steel bit, has intricately sculptured flute

molding with side ridges at its base. This side fluting extends on three

sides going underneath the head where it splits to show the

raised V (tear shape) of the eye. The haft is ash with the original

leather gasket still in place. The wood clean out plug is present on

the rounded fore end. This original pipe tomahawk is a tribute to the

blacksmiths art of fabrication and design.

Pictured in Pipe Axes-Of The American Frontier

by John Baldwin 1995, page 121. #323.

Height: 8 1/2" Width: 3" Length: 22 3/4" Length below the eye: 20 11/16"

Ex. Basco and Wynn collections, Ohio.

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AX-ADZ TOMAHAWK Circa 1700s

(rare)

The military of Spain are known to have brought this ax

design to America. In side view, the implement looks like a spiked

tomahawk, but the end view reveals that the "spike" in reality, is

a well-proportioned small adz 3" x 1 11/16" . In the hands of a

white man it was probably used as a tool with a secondary use as a

weapon, but when found in an Indian camp or Indian grave and

considering its undamaged condition it would be classed as a war ax.

Found in Ohio, this hand-forged tomahawk is made like a

spike ax with a visible center seam between the two pieces of iron.

The eye is a large oval 1 1/2" x 1 1/16". Some Spanish

ax-adz tomahawks had a 21" haft.

Length: 7 1/2" Width: 2 1/2"

Ex. Robert Kuck collection, listed as # 427.

See: Firearms, Traps, & Tools of the Mountain Man by Carl P. Russell 1988, page 298 and 299 Fig. 80.

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ENGLISH BRASS PIPE TOMAHAWK Circa 1790 - 1800

(dovetailed blade, early example)

This is one of the earliest forms of the brass pipe tomahawk with

dovetailed steel edge. The potbelly pipe bowl has a flat bottom.

Having a heavy rim on the top of the bowl and a heavy ridge at the

bottom, it rises on its strong neck 1 3/8" from the poll. Adding

strength, the decorative molded line that denotes the bottom of the

pipe on the poll is seen often in this design. A fuller molding is

cast at the base of the blade providing decoration and slight

reinforcement. The head is plain, which is a sign of early

manufacturing. The 1 1/8" x 3/4" eye is teardrop in shape.

Found near Portland, Indiana, Jay County just west of

Fort Recovery and half way to Fort Wayne.

Height: 6" Width: 1 7/8"

Strong probability that this tomahawk was lost along a war trail or during a skirmish.

Below

PIPE TOMAHAWK Circa 1790 - 1812

(decoratively stamped)

Large, rugged English tomahawk, constructed from three pieces of

wrought iron with an added steel cutting edge and features a series

of decorative marks stamped into the blade. The lightly impressed

design depicts a bird with the letters BE, a sun with a face, a quarter

moon with a face and seven six pointed stars. The rings on the pipe

stem, the chevron, the molding and the outline of the blade with spur

are English fashioned. The bowl has a flat bottom. Pictured in INDIANS

OF THE LAKE ERIE BASIN 1965 page 327, fig. 149 and YESTERDAY'S

OHIOANS by Raymond C. Vietzen, 1973. Page 170. "The Greene Ville

Treaty pipe tomahawk" a present to an Indian chief at the treaty signing.

A bird with letters "B" and "E" under it, a midday sun, a crescent moon and

a cluster of seven stars make up a part of its engraving. It was found south

of Elyria in Carlisle Township, Ohio on the West bank of the East branch

of Black River."

Height: 9 1/16" Width: 2 15/16"

A tomahawk carried by Tecumseh with identical markings is shown in AMERICAN INDIAN TOMAHAWKS by Harold Peterson page

104, fig. 120.

Below

SOLID METAL SPIKE TOMAHAWK circa: 1700

It is rare to find a tomahawk made entirely of iron. This one is also in

Tomahawks Illustrated # 187, by Robert Kuck, 1977, page 101 and

is eastern in design. The metal haft measures 8 7/8" with an

over-all haft and head length of 10".

Height: 6 1/2" Width: 1 5/8" Spike: 3"

Ex. Robert Kuck collection

Below

ENGLISH PIPE TOMAHAWK CIRCA 1794

(museum hafted)

This style began to appear at the end of the 18th century.

The form still followed the early half ax design with lower blade

spur so predominate in the British axes, but exhibited the taller

thinner pipe bowl so prevalent in the emerging western styled

tomahawks.This specimen is hand-forged wrought iron with a steel bit

insert. The eye is a tear drop measuring 1 11/16" x 1 1/16" , with a deep

chevron on the shoulder. There are well defined flute moldings at the

base of the blade behind the spur. The cylindrical, rounded bottom bowl

rises 1 5/16" from the poll with nice top and bottom molding, it has a 1/2" diameter. The neck of the pipe bowl is well defined. Axes of this type were

known to have been used at the battle of Fallen Timbers, Maume River,

near Toledo, Ohio in 1794.

Height: 7 3/8" Width: 2 7/16" Length: 22" Length below the eye: 21"

Ex. Scott Ellis collection, Ohio.

Ex. Ernest Back collection, Tipp City Ohio.

SEE: TOMAHAWKS ILLUSTRATED by Robert Kuck 1977, page 40, C # 30.

Below

SQUARE POLL BELT AX Circa 1750

(excavated, original haft)

The built-up of iron on the poll, plus the pointed ears, illustrates

early efforts to raise the ax's center of balance-although in this

specimen the blade remains high. The rectangular eye dimensions

are 1" x 5/16". It was excavated in Ohio and pictured in

TOMAHAWKS ILLUSTRATED by Robert Kuck 1977, page 88, # 85.

Height: 4 13/16" Width: 1 3/4" Length: 8 14/16" Length below eye: 6 15/16"

Weight: 9 1/2 oz (270gm.)

Ex. Robert Kuck collection, cataloged as # 85.

This relic is really light and thin something you just can't get from a picture!

Below

SPIKE TOMAHAWK Circa 1675 - 1678

(very old haft)

This is a very early spike tomahawk used in the East by the New

England Algonkian (Powhatan) tribes during the "King Philip's

War". This hand forged specimen, found in Maryland, has a

straight 1 5/16" flat profiled, sharpened spike that was welded

on separately to the pole. The spike has a > mark on both sides

possibly denoting a British blacksmith. The large 1 1/8" x 7/8" oval

eye is ample size for the sturdy haft which is undoubtedly an old

replacement. The blade has a very slight upsweep to the half axe

design. The blade is decorated on both sides with a tree emanating

from a flower just above the bit. The tree is surrounded by a

circle design that also extends around the top and bottom of the eye.

Height: 5 7/8" Width: 1 7/8" Length: 10 7/8" Length from eye: 9 7/8"

Ex. Brian Ebosh collection, Ohio.

See: INDIAN TOMAHAWKS & FRONTIERSMEN BELT AXES by Daniel D. Hartzler & James A. Knowles 1995. Page 112 Fig. 3 and

201 Fig. 15.

Below

SPIKE TOMAHAWK Circa 1700

(frontier repair)

Found in Racine Wisconsin, this style of spike tomahawk

was forged out of two pieces of iron with a steel bit inserted.

This specimen began to separate and was repaired by having

two pins forged in place on either side of the oval eye. The ability

to have their metal implements repaired by blacksmiths located

at nearby (frontier) forts and trading posts was very important

to the American Indian. Many blacksmith working and living in

the Indian villages acted as interpreters and liaisons between native

Americans and the European countries attempting to control the land.

Height: 6 7/8" Width: 2 15/16"

Below

SPONTOON PIPE TOMAHAWK Circa 1775

(knife blade)

This rare handforged specimen has a slight downward cast to the

blade as is common in early specimens. The acorn bowl has a

curved bottom. The eye is an elongated tear drop. Chevrons are

visible on the pole below the bowl. The bowl shows circular

decorative filing around its' circumference. Found in North Baltimore,

Ohio by Jon Ansbaugh.

Height: 7 1/4" Width: 1 5/8"

Ex. Robert Kuck collection, author of Tomahawks Illustrated,

1977. Page 36, #C 70.

Below

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