Toki Kākauroa - 'Harpoon' (Long handled Māori axe)
Small, steel headed axes, originally brought to Aotearoa by Europeans for building and forestry, were ‘repurposed’ by Māori, with the heads ground down so they were substantially lighter, and fixed on slender hardwood handles usually mahoe, manuka or kanuka to make effective weapons that had no precedent in the Maori martial arts, mau rākau. Short, handled versions were known as pātiti, for use in one hand, and handles more than a metre long would wield the toki kakauroa (long-handled axe) designed to give warriors the reach to combat British troops with fixed bayonets on their muskets.
This beautiful handcrafted, contemporary design of the original steel headed Toki Kākauroa, is fashioned from one that is housed in Te Papa museum and features a Pūriri head with Kohekohe and Pūriri handle and comes with a beautiful Taraire stand. Head size 200× 150mm x 45mm with an overall length 870mm.
Small, steel headed axes, originally brought to Aotearoa by Europeans for building and forestry, were ‘repurposed’ by Māori, with the heads ground down so they were substantially lighter, and fixed on slender hardwood handles usually mahoe, manuka or kanuka to make effective weapons that had no precedent in the Maori martial arts, mau rākau. Short, handled versions were known as pātiti, for use in one hand, and handles more than a metre long would wield the toki kakauroa (long-handled axe) designed to give warriors the reach to combat British troops with fixed bayonets on their muskets.
This beautiful handcrafted, contemporary design of the original steel headed Toki Kākauroa, is fashioned from one that is housed in Te Papa museum and features a Pūriri head with Kohekohe and Pūriri handle and comes with a beautiful Taraire stand. Head size 200× 150mm x 45mm with an overall length 870mm.
Small, steel headed axes, originally brought to Aotearoa by Europeans for building and forestry, were ‘repurposed’ by Māori, with the heads ground down so they were substantially lighter, and fixed on slender hardwood handles usually mahoe, manuka or kanuka to make effective weapons that had no precedent in the Maori martial arts, mau rākau. Short, handled versions were known as pātiti, for use in one hand, and handles more than a metre long would wield the toki kakauroa (long-handled axe) designed to give warriors the reach to combat British troops with fixed bayonets on their muskets.
This beautiful handcrafted, contemporary design of the original steel headed Toki Kākauroa, is fashioned from one that is housed in Te Papa museum and features a Pūriri head with Kohekohe and Pūriri handle and comes with a beautiful Taraire stand. Head size 200× 150mm x 45mm with an overall length 870mm.