BR16117 - Art of War: Native Attacking with Trade Axe

The single-handed axe the indigenous peoples of North America used for millennia was bladed with sharpened stone or deer antler. Spanish traders introduced “Biscayne” axes (so named as they were made from iron mined in the Bay of Biscay region) to North America in the mid-1500s. These axes were made entirely for trade – there was little use for small hatchets in Europe as their deployment in land battle had long elapsed by that time. Probably the most common trade axe was the Hudson’s Bay style which was originally based on a Royal Navy boarding axe. These axes would often be personalized with elaborate decorations of brass tacks and quill by their owners.

Scale 1:30 / 60mm