The study of history through the excavation of discarded items, exploring people's attics, flying drones, and stuff….
“Spontoon” style pipe tomahawks are perhaps the earliest style of pipe tomahawk, which itself is a truly North American invention arising from the clash of cultures and power converging in 18th century colonial America. Early europeans arriving in the new world commonly carried pole-arms with them, which were relics-themselves from European battlefields and the old manners of waging war.
A popular tool in the days of the 18th century North American frontier was the “fire striker, or “strike-a-lite,” or “fire steel” or, well there are a number of names for these things. The purpose is obviously to start a fire. The design is simple: a piece of carbon steel, which is struck against a piece of flint, chert, or similar rock, thus making sparks, which would then fall onto some sort of tinder, thus creating fire.
Most trade axes found on French influenced archaeological sites were manufactured in France. The sites where trade axes were found coincides exactly with the areas where French influence was felt : Saint-Lawrence valley, the Richelieu and the Lac Champlain region, the Great-Lakes region, south of the Mississippi, etc. In isolated cases, a few French style axes have been found on the east coast of the United States. Some east coast areas must have had provisional, or secondary, trade routes for the French trade goods.
A list of known marks on French Fur Trade Axes in the 17th and 18th centuries.
It’s a bit like trying to catch a tiger by the tail when you attempt to discuss “early” American-made long rifles. The big problem is, very few have survived, and even fewer have survived which are capable of being dated.
A gallery of original tomahawks for the last Tuesday in 2019, which is now Tomahawk Tuesday. Many of these are pipe tomahawks, which if you’re not familiar with them, was a cleverly conceived invention made for the North American Indian trade. It combined a pipe and a metal axe into a single trade item, both …
As I am but a youth, I shall not make those Remarks on the difficulties I have met with, or the kind appearance of a good God for my Preservation, as one of riper Years might do; but shall leave that to the reader as he goes along, and shall only beg his prayers, that …
Read moreEpic Narrative of Thomas Brown – a 16 year old Ranger during the French Indian War
This is a Dutch Fowler made by Penterman of Utrecht, Holland, circa 1720, for Anthony Van Schaick, a wealthy merchant, Indian trader and Captain in the New York militia throughout the French and Indian War period. His name is engraved on the barrel. It looks like what is known as a “Hudson Valley Fowler,” however, since it was actually made in Holland, rather than the colony of New York, it isn’t technically a Hudson Valley Fowler. Hudson Valley Fowlers were built in that region, mimicking fowlers from Holland, such as this early example.