Not All Tomahawks Were Created Equal

Tiny 4" x 8 1/2" Bag Axe c 1770

Of all the tomahawks traded to the Indians, by far the most common type was the simple hatchet, or belt axe. This was the earliest type to reach the American Indian, and it remained popular from the 16th through the 19th century.

Belt Axes, and smaller ones sometimes called bag axes (because they could be carried in a possibles bag), were especially common during the 18th century frontier period in North America. 

In New France they were primarily used by coureurs des bois, explorers, and trappers. Because of their small size and light weight they were primarily used for wilderness camp chores. They could be used to section a deer carcass, pound in trap stakes, cut kindling for a campfire or for general camp bushcraft.

Because of their diminutive size bag axes would be hard pressed to be an effective weapon, but they certainly might have been in an emergency.

They were as common to the coureur de bois as carrying a knife, and were found among both European settlers and American Indians. 

Bag axe heads average about 4" tall, while anything smaller than 6" tall is usually considered a belt axe.

In the coming weeks I will be looking at a variety of weapons that might have been carried by our coureurs des bois or voyageur ancestors.