such as an anchor design, etchings of sea shells, dolphins, ships, etc. Likewise, sea items were frequently blackened/japanned to protect their iron parts from the rusting effect of salt air. A hanger sword with a black-painted guard is often a genuine private purchase maritime weapon. The ship's axe rapidly developed into the modern fireaxe and some are indistinguishable from their true naval counterparts. Modern British fire axes, war-time trench axes and even some tool axes have characteristics similar to boarding axes. True boarding axes had heavy cutting blades that either broadly flared out at the edge or were single-flared. Some had langet straps to secure the blade, but others did not. Most importantly, true boarding axes had thick 3 or 4-sided wicked spikes that curved downward protruding from the non-bladed end. References Naval weapons