I need help with two artifacts I've come across in the possession of a friend of mine. Both are tomahawks- one is stone with a wooden handle and leather thong, and the other is an iron trade axe/peace pipe. The peace pipe has indeed been smoked in and shows some ancient use. Both of these have been in the collection of my friends relatives for three generations. My friend is 67 and he inherited these from his mother, who inherited them from her father (my friends grandfather). I know this isn't any true indication of authenticity, but it gives an idea that if they're reproductions, at least they're old ones.

Here is a picture of the first one-



Here is a couple pictures of the trade axe-





Please contact me directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Thanks in advance for any and all help with these.

Regards,
Eric

Hi Preach, the top piece looks to be modern to me for a couple of reasons. The binding is a leather thong, the handle is not what you would expect to find and the axe head itself seems a little suspect.
Now the second piece looks to be authentic. It would be a trade item. The market is depressed right now so I could not give you a fair value. These of course are my opinions and I am certainly no expert as anyone here can attest lol. Welcome to the board.
Bob

The top piece looks like a chipped stone axe, called a Guilford axe here in NC. The handle and hafting material would be modern. Here is a link.
www.treasurenet.com/forums/american-indi...a-guilford-axes.html

Welcome to the forum. Were you offered any information on those items when you got them? The Pipe Tomahawks are not a very old type Catlin painted many of the Native

Americans back in the 1800's and some would pose with a piece similar to that.
Just a word on reproductions they have been made as long as people have placed value on things.
Tell us more about the Pipe one is that thing magnetic. Iron/steel based or is it something else?

A word about reproductions and how long they have been being made. follow this link. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_K._Moorehead once there read the section "Curator of Archaeology"
I am sure he was not the only person to do this. And before hm and after him there were many many more out there doing the same thing.

Thank you for the welcome everybody. I would be really surprised if my uncle isn't on here someplace as he's always looking for Indian artifacts and fossils down in the creeks of Florida (finds a lot of them too!)

My friend knows nothing about these items and neither do I, they were inherited by him and his mother before him. The trade axe is magnetic. I figured, with my limited understanding, that the trade axe was most likely mid-1800's but that's about all I knew/guessed. The other item I have no clue but appreciate the input so far from the gentleman in NC.

Regards,
Eric

Hi Preachere, I am going to guess the metal tomahawk is old and authentic.

I looked it carefully and see several things that I found interesting and indicate to me that it is both old and was used. For example, the engraved Xs, the dirty appearance, and the use on the bit of the blade tell me that it was used.

It looks like a good one to me.

welcome to the forum eric, thanks for sharing those come on down here and get your uncle to take you hunting with him, you can't beat finding your own,,,twoshovel