Unknown Revolutionary War Battlefield Find

[pjroo33]

Searched the site of a large Revolutionary War battle and came upon this. I have no idea what it is. It just doesn't look like any farm equipment that I've seen. Found some small musket balls in the same vicinity. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

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[littleneckhalfshell]

what about it being a less elaborate 'linstock' the only ones I can see pictures of are more decorated, and refined, but I seem to remember seeing one or more somewhere that were more 'basic' in nature. A 'linstock' is a forked end on a long stick which usually has another metal pointed end at the other end of the stick allowing it to be easily pushed into the ground. The upper forked end holds the lighted 'quick match' a smoldering rope. The linstock was used for firing cannon. At least this explanation would fit with the Revolutionary war battlefield connection.

 

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[Ramitt]

Possibly from a firefighting pike pole?

 

[pjroo33]

what about it being a less elaborate 'linstock' the only ones I can see pictures of are more decorated, and refined, but I seem to remember seeing one or more somewhere that were more 'basic' in nature. A 'linstock' is a forked end on a long stick which usually has another metal pointed end at the other end of the stick allowing it to be easily pushed into the ground. The upper forked end holds the lighted 'quick match' a smoldering rope. The linstock was used for firing cannon. At least this explanation would fit with the Revolutionary war battlefield connection.

I looked at some linstocks and can't find one that resembles it exact. I'll probably never know for sure what it is.

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Spanish

 

[tinpan]

Heck ..If I had been fighting in the 1812 war...I would have used anything I could as a weapon...fire poker,log tool,pike, rock....LOL

I agree with you, that in the latter civil war that the southerners often made and used home -made weapons. Remember Lisa's post about a similar relic found.kind of funny how an englishman would know about any colonial country see that that couldn,t any of keep them.


tinpan

 

[MilitaryCollector]

It's a friggin fire poker, log turner, NOT a weapon, Pikes would have a straight point.
But of course it could be used to hit someone over the head with it.

 

[Fast_Dave]

I'll throw in my two cents worth here. It looks like a logging pike to me. Here's a pic from our old friend Ebay. I've also included a photo of some loggers using a pike. This shouldn't be confused with a peavey, which had a curved arm with a hook to turn logs in the water and was usually shorter and stouter.

As for the area not being known for logging, remember that the east coast US was pretty much all trees until people started settling and cutting them down to clear land for homes and crops.

 

[RickyP]

I think you hit it Dave

 

[Harry_Morant]

I know nothing!..........now that I've got that out of the way I have found a picture of an alleged Revolutionary War Navy Boarding Pike - looks to be a similar shape but no idea on size

 

[Fast_Dave]

You could lay the logging pike next to the boarding pike and they'd be almost indistiguishable from one another( and from the find for that matter). Maybe we should agree that "It's a pike head" and leave the usage to the imagination, lol.

 

[{Sentinel}]

I agree that its a pike. Pikes were used alot in the American Revolutionary War in the frontier and over here, many of these types of weapons were made of iron because it was cheap and abundant. Whether a logging pike or a pike used for war....or could've been both....I definitely feel strongly that its a pike

Very Nice Find!