1795) ETCHED INFANTRY WAR AXE CIRCA 1580 WITH ORIGINAL HAFT: Priced to sell immediately at under $3K!
Introduction: This central European war axe was designed for cutting with the blade, stabbing with the upper tip, trapping the opponent’s weapon , or dismounting a Knight with the lower tip, and smashing with the opposite side hammer head.
Discussion: The axe is an old weapon. When you mention the axe in warfare, the first thing that comes to mind are the Vikings and their Dane axes. The cavalry used war axes in Central and Western Europe as late as the mid-1600s. The axe was a highly effective weapon because the Knight’s strike was augmented by the movement/running of his horse. This increased the effectiveness of the axe in war. The axe in Medieval and Renaissance Europe became increasingly important as plate armor developed. Swords often ricocheted off plate armor, but an axe could damage a well-armored knight or soldier. Even if the axe did not penetrate the Knight’s armor, the impact would send shock waves disorienting even the best combatant.
Axes are rare in today’s collectors’ market because so few have survived:
1) First, there were not that many axes to begin with. Knights had a choice of a mace, hammer, or axe. It’s not like a sword that every Knight had to have one.
2) Most axes had a wooden haft, which is biodegradable. The haft would rot, break, or the axe head would loosen, causing the axe head to drop off.
3) Many axes were repurposed as farming or tool axes, which they were not designed for, and quickly broke.
4) Steel was still a valuable commodity; an axe head could have been sold to the village blacksmith and melted down to reuse the steel.
Description: The head is constructed of one piece of low carbon steel with a crescent-shaped blade having two short straps; and a square hammer-shaped fluke, the wooden haft is secured to the head by a bolt on each langet, and a thick metal wedge inserted at the top of the haft protruding through the axe head shaft. The haft with rivets (probably restored) at the lower end to secure the grip, the haft with veins showing age, and a tong metal loop serving as a finial.
Condition: Superb, museum quality.
Length: Approximately 24.5 inches.
Provenance: From a major Italian collection.
Conclusion: Here is an opportunity to add a real war axe to your collection. War axes have a certain machismo that appeals to the collector. Even though not expensive, this axe is still an impressive piece that would augment any collection, priced to sell immediately at under $3K! ACT-NOW! This one should sell fast!!!*