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old axe?
- Thread starter harryo
- Start date
Steve(Can)
Well-known member
In 1603, French explorer Champlain arrived in Canada with a shipload of those axes to trade with the Indians. Ten years later, Capt. John Smith reported seeing Indians with these iron axes in the Virginia colony.
For 100 years or so, these were the main trade item of the fur trade, spreading from tribe to tribe as far south as Mississippi, until which time they were replaced by lighter tomahawks and became known as "squaw axes" used for firewood.
An excellent and rare find, harryo! Check out the link by Marc(NB) for more details
Out of curiosity, what part of the country did you find it?
For 100 years or so, these were the main trade item of the fur trade, spreading from tribe to tribe as far south as Mississippi, until which time they were replaced by lighter tomahawks and became known as "squaw axes" used for firewood.
An excellent and rare find, harryo! Check out the link by Marc(NB) for more details
Out of curiosity, what part of the country did you find it?
Steve(Can)
Well-known member
...for the natives, these axes were the first introduction to iron. What a difference it must have been after hewing at wood with stone axes. Many of these axes are found with the face pounded blunt. It was common to use an axe until it was uselessly blunt and then trade for a new one.
Up until the turn of the century, these were a fairly common find in New York, often plowed up in the fields. Iron being a precious commodity at the time, many of them went to the blacksmiths to be furnished into new impliments.
A number of these axes have been found along the old fur trade routes, for example recently on the Ottawa River in Ontario, where a cache of axes still packed in boxes was found by scuba divers under a set of rapids where it is likely a trade canoe capsized.
A few years ago, I found one along the river, also about 10" down. A second one, a friend had in his garage for years, found by his aunt in the 60's--I traded an old detector for that one. A third one, I spied on a table in a box of old tools at an antique show at the local mall-- $20 for an old rusted axe head, the guy probably thought I was out of my tree.
Nobody's entirely sure, but from old French colonial records, they figure there were several hundred thousand of these axes traded. You'd think there'd still be one or two still lying around somewhere, eh? Sure makes a fellow think twice about walking past those deep "soda can" signals.
A link here to a post from a couple years ago about these axes:
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?20,345412,345412#msg-345412
Up until the turn of the century, these were a fairly common find in New York, often plowed up in the fields. Iron being a precious commodity at the time, many of them went to the blacksmiths to be furnished into new impliments.
A number of these axes have been found along the old fur trade routes, for example recently on the Ottawa River in Ontario, where a cache of axes still packed in boxes was found by scuba divers under a set of rapids where it is likely a trade canoe capsized.
A few years ago, I found one along the river, also about 10" down. A second one, a friend had in his garage for years, found by his aunt in the 60's--I traded an old detector for that one. A third one, I spied on a table in a box of old tools at an antique show at the local mall-- $20 for an old rusted axe head, the guy probably thought I was out of my tree.
Nobody's entirely sure, but from old French colonial records, they figure there were several hundred thousand of these axes traded. You'd think there'd still be one or two still lying around somewhere, eh? Sure makes a fellow think twice about walking past those deep "soda can" signals.
A link here to a post from a couple years ago about these axes:
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?20,345412,345412#msg-345412
HI Steve You know a lot about the fur trade maybe you could help me find out about this buckle. Found it about 8feet from the trade axe. It was deep so i figure it might be old. Still has some silver on the front. It is 1-1/8 wide and 1-3/8 long. Could it be from the same people that lost the axe? Any help would be great. Thanks Harry
Steve(Can)
Well-known member
Hello Harryo,
I believe I have a buckle that is identical to that one, found at a mid-1800's homestead site along with other farming impliments and relics. I may be wrong, but from the weight of the buckle and the strap size, I'd guess it is probably a harness buckle, possibly a bridle buckle for a heavy work horse. Possibly from the early days of logging?
I believe I have a buckle that is identical to that one, found at a mid-1800's homestead site along with other farming impliments and relics. I may be wrong, but from the weight of the buckle and the strap size, I'd guess it is probably a harness buckle, possibly a bridle buckle for a heavy work horse. Possibly from the early days of logging?