Hand forged spear shaped blade, 9.625” in length, 1.875” in width at base, with 4/5” cross guard, and a 3.5” hosel. The original 71” staff –[1.5” diameter]--has been cut down to 6.75” , transforming the pike into a long handled bowie knife. The etal parts--blade, cross guard and hosel—are tight and exhibit a consistent plumb colored patina with light pitting throughout. Bottom of the counterguard stamped with a number “402.” Else VG, with no dings. The wooden staff remnant is solid and securely fastened.

Abolitionist John Brown ordered 1000 of these pikes from a Connecticut blacksmith, to be distributed to Virginia slaves whom he hoped to rally in a slave revolt that he hoped would kindle a general slave rebellion throughout the South. This pike is one of the 954 pikes Brown actually received, which included those distributed used in his 1859 raid on Harper’s Ferry which resulted in disaster and Brown capture of Brown and his tiny band. Brown was hung soon after, but became a symbol, eulogized in the wartime song lyric…”John Brown’s Body Lies a Mouldering in the grave, but his soul goes marching on”.  [jp/ld]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.

THANK YOU!