Brit.Privateer here,
After much work, the first article, "Weaponry of the Age of Sail: The Pike, the Axe, and Tools as Weapons" is up on Coldfront! This will be a part of a series of weaponry articles. The next topic that I am researching at the moment is Swords.
Here is the summary:
In the Age of Sail when one ship’s crew boarded another ship in combat, many weapons come to mind. But not many people instantly think of the pike, the axe, and other tools as weapons. The boarding pike was primarily a defensive weapon that had either a spike or leaf shaped head. The boarding axe was more of a tool on a ship than a weapon, but filled both roles. Knives were more for work but were occasionally a last line weapon, as were handspikes, rammers for the ship’s guns, cutlery of all sorts, marlinspikes, belaying pins, and the numerous tools whalers used in their professions. All these tools and weapons were used by crews in combat, and many lived and died in their use.
Get your link to the article Here.
Please feel free to discuss the article, and ask questions of me on the topic.
Also, pictures will be coming soon.
Visit the Age of Sail and Piracy '101' site at
www.asp101project.com
Also, visit the Coldfront IRC channel and go to the #historyPOTBS channel and talk directly to Brit.Privateer and other historians or history buffs.