Tomahawk or Hatchet

Date1750-1800

MediumIron, steel, and wood

DimensionsOverall: 4 3/8" Width of blade: 2 1/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1964-540

DescriptionA hatchet or tomahawk comprised of a small head with a rounded eye, a small "notch" at the base of its flaring blade, and a sharpened chopping edge. Its wooden haft is a modern replacement.
Label TextAxes of this size served a number of purposes and were all but indispensable in the forests and frontiers of early America. Light and small enough to be carried comfortably in one's belt, it was primarily used for light chopping. Alternatively, it could be used to finish off wounded quarry on the hunt or to dispatch an enemy in a hand-to-hand fight. This example has a history of use in upstate New York.
MarkingsOne side of blade struck with a crescent or "man in the moon" mark.
ProvenanceFrom the Glen-Sanders Collection.