Looking for history of tomahawks.

[Storm W]

I haven't been over here in awhile but I know some of you guys are great for axe history. I was watching my favorite YouTube channel and he is doing a series on historical accounts if tomahawks.

Do any of you guys know where to find pictures of what sort of small axes, hatchet and tomahawks looked like back then? I live in upstate NY I don't suppose anyone knows of a museum that would have stuff from the 1600 and 1700s to look at? I am wanting to get into making some historical replicas and I would like to do some stuff from the northeast.

 

[dogstar]

I always liked this one: https://www.furtradetomahawks.com/

Thanks for sharing that vid; I like his analyses

 

[rjdankert]

Bob

 

[Storm W]

I always liked this one: https://www.furtradetomahawks.com/

Thanks for sharing that vid; I like his analyses

It's the second one. He is scanning from historical newspapers. He has done some on Bowie knives and is the best guy I have come across about historical weapons. He is a sword dealer and HEMA instructor and has worked on movies and stuff. He tends to be a lot more fact based than opinion like a lot of people. Swords and knives and history and plenty of fantasy as a kid is what made me want to get into knife making. Most of the time I lean towards new PM steels but I want to start building some real replicas and I want to start doing some research and make up some detailed drawings if actual pieces.

 

[Storm W]

I always liked this one: https://www.furtradetomahawks.com/

Thanks for sharing that vid; I like his analyses

I started looking at that site. That is just what I was looking for. Thank you.

 

[jake pogg]

One of the more thorough,historically honest and skilled researchers would be Mathieu Collette,Montreal.

https://lesforgesdemontreal.org/pages/nos-travaux-de-recherche?lang=en

But be warned that if you Really wanted to trace the history of this tool you'll have to go beyond the sensationalized accounts of 18-19th c.c.,and across the Atlantic,to the original makers of this tool around the Bay of Biscay.
There'll be very little romance there,i fear,(and none of the matial click-bait),but very old ironworking tradition,very poor agricultural people,fields and orchards and vineyards...

 

[John A. Larsen]

Some interesting accounts, but I take all of them with a grain of salt. I say that as I have seen too many articles about warfare, written by journalists who are dangerous as they think they know what they are talking about but in actuality do not, or in some cases were not where they said they were. I would think if anything it would be worse back in 1750-1795, when the English papers are publishing accounts taken second hand from the Americas. For instances he stresses that the tomahawk was used primarily for combat. So a Indian hunting party out on a hunt, stop to make camp and would not use their tomahawks to cut up firewood, but just carried the tomahawk in case they had a chance or occasion to fight? What percentage of time would the Indian who had a tomahawk, be carrying it for normal day to day activities, compared to the time he carried it in combat? John

 

[junkenstien]

Remember reading they had the women doing most of the scut work.Get out there and pick up sticks don’t even think of touching my tommyhawk witch that’s somewhat believable

 

[catspa]

I think I’d provide my woman her own tomahawk to improve her scut-work efficiency. And teach her to sharpen as well.

Parker