Naming the Naval Boarding Axe

Grayscouts

Grayscouts

Joined
Dec 2, 2005
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Any ideas of what to name the Naval Boarding Axe? The handles will have the US Navy or the US Marines Emblem on the right side of the handle. And since Rogers Rangers is attached to the Army, what name should the new Boarding Axes be associated with and engraved on the left side. Anyone have any ideas on this?

Attached are pictures of a prototype. The head is brushed, its hard to see in the pictures. It also has a weatherproof coating on it which makes it hard to see the brushed finished.

Will attach more pictures when the handles come in.
 

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Hey Grayscouts, I was thumbing through my copy of Boarder's Away, with Steel, which is a history of boarding axes, pikes and knives used aboard ship after viewing your post. Your axe seems to be quite similar to a drawing included there of Drummond's Axe. So how about that. The Drummond. Or Perhaps the Jack Tar or Ante-billar.

P.S. The attached pic is a British boarding axe from the mid-18th century in the mariner's museum. It looks like you did an awesome job with yours. Good luck with the name.
 

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welp, ...as a former mo-reen AND a former sailor, ...that head looks like something that should be called the "Shore Leave 1" - no one would argue with ya if ya had that in your hands and wanted to go on Liberty, sez i ...har...!

....maybe the name ain't for every buddy, ...but the axe is sure nice - sharp work, mates.

vec
 
that's a pretty handsome axe. glad you guys are back in business. any news on the pipe hawk or viking skeggox? can't think up a good name
 
Well, since the boarding axe of wooden ship times was a dual tool and mainly used for fire fighting aboard ship perhaps, Gangway Blaze Axe.
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>

On 16 February 1804, Decatur laid his command, the ketch Intrepid, alongside the captured frigate Philadelphia and, as Captain Edward Preble later wrote, “in a Gallant and Officer like manner, boarded and carried her against all opposition…” Silence cloaked the bold American attack.

“Not a musket or Pistol was fired on our side,” Preble reported, “everything [was accomplished] by the sword and tomawhawk.”

The instant before the two vessels touched, Decatur gave the signal, and 60 concealed Americans sprang up, edged weapons in hand, and boarded the Philadelphia. "The Tripolitans on board her were dreadfully alarmed when they found out who we were," wrote Midshipman Raplh Izzard Jr. "Poor fellows! About 20 of them were cut to pieces and the rest jumped overboard."

Sergeant Laws served under Lieutenant James Lawrence, who, with Midshipman Thomas MacDonough and ten men (all cautioned “to use firearms only in case of urgent necessity”) seized Philadelphia’s berth deck and forward storerooms.

While the “Tripolines” suffered between 20 to 30 men killed in the action, Decatur’s force of 70 volunteers suffered only one man wounded in taking the ship to begin her destruction by fire.

Admiral Lord Nelson is said to have called this "the most bold and daring act of the age".

>>>>>>>>>>>>

R. James, E. Killen, and A. Laws all participated in this raid.

The boarding axe in US Navy configuration should be named after:

Boatswain's Mate Reuben James

Master Mate Edward Killen

The boarding axe in US Marine configuration should be named after:

Sergeant Alexander Laws, USMC

Reasons:

i. To Honor the US Navy Enlisted Sailor, and seagoing US Marines

ii. Recognize the daring and heroic actions of the US Navy's first campaign

iii. The boarding axe was the most likely tool of the enlisted man in this era, and the cutlass already has plenty of notoriety

iv. Appropriate background characteristics compared to our nation's present crisis

v. To celebrate US Navy members who conduct the manliest of deeds, and are not SEALS

vi. Naming the boarding axe for heroes of our nation is timeless; the slang and clever terms may be senseless in a decade

vii. The axe is timeless; if this item became is iconic as the Kabar it could stay with a US Navy member for the rest of his life.

viii. The axis is timeless; when each shipmate is trained for shipboard damage control, the axe is fitting (albeit, possibly dated)

ix. Historical figures aside from those mentioned should be considered from the Revolution, Barbary Wars, and War of 1812. Beyond those events, the boarding axe was diminishing in use.
 
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If for any reason a name does not suit for the Marine version then: "First to Fight" might serve.
 
I second MattM's recommendations. They are historically accurate and homage should be paid for those mentioned.
 
Wish I saw this thread a while back. I have been doing boardings since 1995 in the Navy. A lot of the guys that I have worked with never thought of using an axe during boardings. They were all about Ka-bar's, at first and then went nuts over the SOG seal 2000. I used a kukri when I was handling prisoners, a ka-bar for sweeping cargo, and for self defense I had my firearm and my dad's old Vietnam t-hawk. Eventually, I just went down to the hawk since it was effective for everything I needed to do on a boarding.
Years later when I was in charge of training the boarding teams (now called VBSS) on a DDG in Norfolk, I always advocated using hawks (even went so fat as to do demo's on the flight deck) but the CO never bought off on it.

I could push, pull, hook, slice, reverse punch with the shaft, and generally project a nasty demeanor with a hawk. And I could be more effective in tighter spaces with it. When I go back to a ship next year to do my last tour (I retire after 20 in 2011) I will press for hawks to be used again. I think I'll even try to get some training hawks to improve the abilities.
 
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