200 Year Old Tomahawk Yard Sale Find

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  • WeaponsCollector

    EXTREME GUN OWNER
    Mar 30, 2009
    12,120
    Southern MD
    One of my best finds ever. This 200 year old Native American spike tomahawk was sitting on a table at a yard sale in a pile of old rusted tools for $15.
    100 people probably walked by it without buying it. I just recently went to an antique show and a guy there had a tomahawk almost exactly like this one and he was asking $4,500. I asked why and he told me it's very rare and was traded to the Native Americans around 200 years ago. A perfect example of why I go to every yard sale I can.

     

    POP57

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 5, 2016
    2,771
    Delaware
    Very nice. Just curious how you know it's over 200 years old. Regardless, I will give you $30 for it. You double your money. :)
     

    Trekker

    Active Member
    Oct 20, 2011
    687
    Harford County
    Congratulations on the find! You put in the time and the effort to be able to identify this item, and to go looking for it, so you deserve the windfall. I am glad to hear that the tomahawk will now be in hands that appreciate what it is, rather than rusting away in obscurity.
     

    WeaponsCollector

    EXTREME GUN OWNER
    Mar 30, 2009
    12,120
    Southern MD
    pretty sweet. sell that thing

    My problem is I'm a collector and have a hard time selling stuff. Those American Pickers guys would not like me.

    Very nice. Just curious how you know it's over 200 years old. Regardless, I will give you $30 for it. You double your money. :)

    As far as my research tells me, this style was popular in the 1700's to early
    1800's. Doubling my money is good but I'll have to think about your offer.

    Congratulations on the find! You put in the time and the effort to be able to identify this item, and to go looking for it, so you deserve the windfall. I am glad to hear that the tomahawk will now be in hands that appreciate what it is, rather than rusting away in obscurity.

    I doubt it's worth what that dealer was asking but I'm definitely going to take much better care of it and it fits perfectly in my wall of weapons.
     

    Clifjr

    Active Member
    Feb 2, 2014
    966
    Germantown
    Congratulations on a great find! Do you think the handle is original? Also looks like you like your brass knuckles!
     

    MeatGrinder

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 27, 2013
    2,379
    MoCo, Eastern edge
    I was curious about the handle too.
    Is your inclination that it was found in the woods at sometime and kept? From the look of the metal, it looks (from where I sit) that it was out in the weather a long time.
     

    WeaponsCollector

    EXTREME GUN OWNER
    Mar 30, 2009
    12,120
    Southern MD
    I don't know if the handle is original but they've been together for a very long time. There's a couple small worm holes in the handle and the patina and aging looks good to me. The patina looks similar to a wooden stock on a 160 year old gun I have.
     

    WeaponsCollector

    EXTREME GUN OWNER
    Mar 30, 2009
    12,120
    Southern MD
    Sweet find. Yes, you can find some amazing things at yard sales among all the other crap.

    After going to hundreds of yard sales and garage sales over the last few years looking for various kinds of antiques and valuables I've found that I might find something good at 1 out of 10 sales and I might find something really good at 1 out of 20 or 30 sales. It can be frustrating not finding anything because some days I might spend hours going to yard sales and not have anything to show for it, but I just don't give up and eventually I do get lucky. Just last weekend I found a large bronze sculpture at a yard sale for $40 and similar ones on ebay have sold for over $300. I plan on making some more videos of my best yard sale finds soon.
     

    Trekker

    Active Member
    Oct 20, 2011
    687
    Harford County
    After going to hundreds of yard sales and garage sales over the last few years looking for various kinds of antiques and valuables I've found that I might find something good at 1 out of 10 sales and I might find something really good at 1 out of 20 or 30 sales. It can be frustrating not finding anything because some days I might spend hours going to yard sales and not have anything to show for it, but I just don't give up and eventually I do get lucky. Just last weekend I found a large bronze sculpture at a yard sale for $40 and similar ones on ebay have sold for over $300. I plan on making some more videos of my best yard sale finds soon.

    Although I do like dropping in on yard/garage sales to look for that good find, this is why I do not travel all that far out of my way. If a garage sale is within a certain distance of a path I will travel anyway, then I will pay a visit. Otherwise, burning mileage on my car to travel to more distant garage sales more than overcomes any gain from the occasional decent find.
     

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