French Hammer-poll axes

There has never been any mention of hammer poll axes in any merchant or outfitters account from the French era however, some have been found in French context such as the one in the Louisbourg collection and the specimen from the Fur Trade Post of Nicolas Denys in Miscou, New Brunswick.  It has been thought that this type of axe is in fact the predecessor of the Pipe tomahawk.  It would of quite easy to hollow out the projecting hammer head in order to use it as a pipe. 

There is but one illustration of this type of axe from the French era that was labeled as a "tomahawk" and it comes from an artist that depicted various articles that were used by the natives in the region of Louisiana.  The picture depicts a small hatchet made of iron with flared blade and a long hammer head which broadens at its outer end (view sketch below). 

(Above) Sketch courtesy of Timothy Ken. ¹

(Above) Sketch by Saint Remy of the French Grenadier's hatchet published in 1702 that shows a double flared blade with a blocky looking poll.

(Above) Type of "Pioneer Corps" axe issued to French Military circa 1690.

(Above) Axe found along the Little Eau Pleine River in the George W. Mead Wildlife Area in central Wisconsin, USA. This axe along with other metal artifacts were found with other fur trade era items such as trade beads (dated to ca. 1800) and all the metal parts to a Northwest Smoothbore Trade Gun (ca. 1800), including the brass dragon plate. Notice the single star pattern touchmark on the axe which is generally associated with early French trade axes.

(Above) Hammer-poll trade axe from the Fur Trade Post of Nicolas Denys in Miscou, New Brunswick. This Fur Trade Post was built in 1645 and destroyed in 1647.  (Courtesy of Bernard Leblanc -  Curator of the Acadian Museum - Université de Moncton)

(Above) Hammer-poll axe found at Louisbourg Louisbourg

Permission to publish picture given by Parks Canada/Fortress of Louisbourg/National Historic Site of Canada (Heather Gillis)

(Above) Hammer axe or tomahawk found in Alabama in a French context (Author's collection)

(Above) 2 Hammer Poll axes from French context sites (courtesy of Bob Speelman).

Timothy J. Kent, "Ft Pontchartrain at Detroit, Volumes I & II", Silver Fox Enterprises, 2001.