I visited the Museum of The Fur Trade again last summer and I shot numerous
photographs of exhibits, including three cases with axes, some intact and
some heads only. I will be glad to forward the photographs to anybody who
provides me with his email address.
Lanney Ratcliff
-----Original Message-----
From: hist_text-bounces@???
[mailto:hist_text-bounces@???] On Behalf Of Sean Kyle
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 5:14 PM
To: hist_text@???
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Tomahawk
Fellas,
Relatively new to the list here. Been on it a couple weeks and have enjoyed
your e-mails.
As far as the axes go. These fellas are right to steer you towards a poled
ax. Much more useful for everything but throwing, and likely more correct
for western fur trappers. There's an old article in the Museum of the Fur
Trade that Hanson did called 'Axes and Tomahawks' that is a good resource on
this. You can find it on their web page and either throw them a few bucks
for a back issue (and a good cause) or try to request it on interlibrary
loan. Polled hatchets or half axes seemed to predominate for trappers and
even later on for NDNZ. Tomahawks or as they were called in period trade
lists, squaw axes, were apparently mostly for the NDN trade. Some had ears,
some didn't. Some were forged and some were actually cast. I think that
article documents cast half axes coming from Standish or Collins and going
to AFC or the War Dept. as early as 1834. I'll check the source tonight for
exact details. What they've said about straight handles is also true.
Curved ones
didn't come into fashion until around the Civil War or so.
Sean Kyle
Christopher Ferguson <ferguson@???> wrote: Well put Wynn...
If you're (Jim) looking for a rendezvous toy then buy a cast steel
throwing 'hawk from Track of the Wolf or similar sources everywhere...
but if it's a historical tool you're after my previous descriptions
and cautions are generally on the mark. I've never owned a throwing
'hawk and never will... for me such things are the very reasons I've
consistently avoided the rendezvous scene altogether...
Christopher Ferguson
On Mar 18, 2008, at 2:02 PM, Wynn wrote:
>
>
> >
> > > I'm looking for recommendations on where to get a PC
> > > tomahawk. Any good (or bad) experiences I can learn
> > > from? Any suggestions on what to be looking for?
> > Thanks in advance! >
> > > Jim Ridolfi
> > >
>
> Do you want to throw it at a log or use it to pound a wood stake to
> hold a beaver like a trapper?
>
> Of course I am stearing your mind to think that an ax is more likely
> equipment than a tomahawk for the typical RMFT.
>
> Wynn
>
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