I have been told this could possibly be very old due to the pitting of the metal. The wood is obviously not original. I can't find any information on it and do not know where to start... Can anyone offer any insight? Age? Origin? Value? Type of weapon?

It is 22 inches long by 4 inches wide at its widest point. Not counting the part that attaches just the blade... Including the attachers it is 6 inches wide. It is very heavy but I don't know the exact weight,

Thank you.

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[ Download ]

Here is another picture...

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Last picture... Hope somebody knows about it... I've been trying to find out for a long time.

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The cross decoration on the blade is awfully crisp to be on a very old ax head. Doesn't seem to be a lot of corrosion around it.

If the weapon is extremely heavy, weighing so much that you cannot control it easily then that is another indication that the blade is not antique. Any pole arm or any other blade for that matter, that was too heavy to swing, miss and recover for another stroke or to block an opponent's counterattack would have been worthless in ancient times. Rust and corrosion do not necessarily make something an antique. That sort of thing can be faked easily.

Do you know the provenance of the piece?

Lin, I was about to say the same thing--almost. It's definitely a bardiche of some kind. It looks a bit like a Scottish Lochaber axe. If it had a hook on top, I would say for sure---but all Lochaber's didn't have hooks. And, I agree, it's not that old. Artificial aging. Interesting. :D ....McM

It's a Bardiche or a Voulge.. The 'pitting' doesn't look to be pitting from age, but poorly cleaned forge scale. It is a modern replica. I doubt it was ever intended to deceive, but it doesn't have a high value, under a hundred pounds/dollars.

Best,
Hadrian

P.S on the weight issue, these weapons are typically quite heavy --even the authentic ones!

Well, it is actually perfectly balanced. and it probably seems heavy to me because I'm 5'2" tall and weigh about 100 lbs. It's not so heavy that I can't swing it easily. I will find a way to weigh it... so you guys think the aging is artificial? Hmmm... and you are right about the crispness of the cross... it is perfectly balanced though...

I do not know where it is from, believe it or not somebody put it out for trash at my condos and I just picked it up and brought it home... It is rather deadly though...Quite a dangerous weapon...

Ding..ding..ding! I found an exact match! :)
http://otherverse.wikia.com/wiki/Arms_and_Armour:_Polearms
Scroll down to the image for 'Voulge'. It's the exact same polearm! Same marking! That definitely means it is a modern maker. I can't figure out who though, I did a reverse image search and came up blank. Perhaps someone else will have better luck?

Z

[ Linked Image ]

It seems the Prop house http://www.thespecialistsltd.com owns a Astonishing similar looking piece which can be rented.
Could be interesting where they got theirs from?
Here are some pics:
http://www.thespecialistsltd.com/files/Lochaber1.jpg
http://www.thespecialistsltd.com/files/Lochaber.jpg

Stephen Hall, I think that's the same! Prophouse doesn't make any weapons though.. one could email them?

This one is pretty close, but not exact.. though they say each is handmade and that they vary slightly: http://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/early-bill.html

Z

Here is an example of 'artificial aging'--done on high-carbon steel with the aid of salt, lemon juice, time, and the rounded end of a ball-peen hammer. Sorry for the bad pic. Best I can do at the moment. :\ ....McM

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