thank youWhen you say Frisian, do you have a time frame of reference?
I am asking as I don't know much about the culture but am willing to learn. My first name is Dutch but my family is from Northern/Southern Sweden with needless (as far as I can tell) prejudice towards the central portion of the country.
The Netherlands are known for sandier soil and not so much forested lands and extensive forests. It is known for a launching point of several peoples in their conquest of the British Isles and Western Europe into the interior throughout history.
Every culture has/had/uses/used wood of some sort but it might be possible that as a proud ethnic group with distinct dialects and culture, it's plausible that their "axe history" would be determined by the changing influence of wars, occupation, land holding in a caste-style system, as well as defense? Every town and district had a blacksmith. In this case it might be a melting pot of influences - cutting of native woods and working of imported woods (floated in) to get building and construction completed. Homes, ships, and mills.
Axes as ethnography interests me quite a bit and I think you are right in asking the question. Honestly, I would want an answer if I were you.
The fact that you trace your lineage back to the area and time-frame is interesting in and of itself.
If there is a "Frisian axe", I want you to find it
from what i know the frisians have been in friesland since around 500 bc , any way i thakn you for the help, it would be nice if you could link the place you read the frisians came to friesland in 800ad to 1000 ad that would be greatSince I'm Dutch/Canadian, living in Holland/the Netherlands and into axes I can probably answer it for you. Normally I only read and don't post, but since most of you probably won't speak Dutch or German, you'll probably won't get very far.
Frisians or "Friesen" as we like to call them are originally not from Holland/the Netherlands but are actually Scandinavian of origin. They settled there from Norway/Sweden/Denmark in the period of 800 to 1000. So your best bet would be a "viking" axe. I have 2 of them in my collection which I use, but you can buy a car with the money they're worth. And finding them is difficult to say the least.
The other type of axe which isn't typical Frisian per se, but was used there extensively is an type of axe that was used to chop Wood and Ice. I wouldn't say it's the prettiest axe I've ever seen, since I find them horrible, but you wanted the answer: The axe you're looking for has no poll, usually a round or D-shaped eye, and the weirdest thing about the head is that it has the axehead above the eye for the most part. The handle would be straight on one of those....
I don't have a picture right now, but it's an upside down version of my own carpenters axe, but without the poll, the nail puller and a slightly different eye without the cheeks and usually a bit bigger then the one in the picture below:
Since the Dutch are mostly a people that throw old stuff away, you don't see them very often for sale, but they are usually very cheap, since most are poorly made. They used them in the period of 1700-1900. After that, 1900 and beyond, they would mostly use German style axes. It's kind of like a hudson bay axe, but with a slightly longer eye. Here's one. The cheapest ones I can find brand new cost about €4,-- and weigh about 600 grams , which is about 1,5 pounds. Thats almost the same one as this one below.
thank you for the info , i do know that around 800 ad a flood killed pretty much all the original frisians and the danes angles and saxons moved in and learned the language and culture ,frisian is also very closely related to English and danish so much so i can understand about 1/4 of the words
The saw is interesting as it cuts on the pull.Right, found one, or 3 actually. As I said, they ain't the prettiest around, but these are axes found in "Friesland". These are the more modern ones from 1800-1900. The nail on the underside isn't typpical though, since you can find them with or without them.
) in that thread as being related to the types of axes you are sharing about? No as an answer is fine too.Very unusual. I suspect it is a pruning saw. I could be wrong but it would work well for that task.
