Rare pioneer equipment - pickaxe

[Michael Kuligowski]

well.. at last rare for me - this is the first I'v ever owned or handled....

I picked this out of ebay - was kinda sceptic that it will be a wire cutter cover refitted with pickaxe..

well today it arrived - this particular was with this pickaxefor many years - cover is nicely shaped to the pick... wide and quite flat.

pick is nicely dated 1939 and waffenamted - cover is 1938 dated waa's etc

this set will stay and fill my pioneer equipment collection (many other items in this matter to find.. )

hope You like it !! and if You have other picks to share - that would be great to see them !!!

[Michael Kuligowski]

the reason why one rivet is missing - is guite simple - pick was stored in wrong position.. Someone who put it to scabbard did it the way that pick went between the leather and aluminum fitting inside...

it made leather on front of pouch to strech (you can see where it breaks) and one rivet to pop - after pick was pushed to hard...

[Michael Kuligowski]

markings

[Michael Kuligowski]

more..

now I am quite confident this is a pickaxe pouch - but I dont have a wire cutter pouch in my collection - can anyone post some pics to compare ??

[Gary Cain]

Hi Mike,

I love the pickaxe! Two questions though, well one and an observation. I believe the pouch is wire cutter(at least it looks exactly like the wirecutter pouch I have in my collection, the wire cutter is inside) the question is why would they stamp a pickaxe with a waffenamt? I allways thought those were reserved for firearms?


Cheers
Gary

[Michael Kuligowski]

Hi Mike,

I love the pickaxe! Two questions though, well one and an observation. I believe the pouch is wire cutter(at least it looks exactly like the wirecutter pouch I have in my collection, the wire cutter is inside) the question is why would they stamp a pickaxe with a waffenamt? I allways thought those were reserved for firearms?


Cheers
Gary

Gary ! - would be great to see Your cover for a wire cutters
!!
about WAA - I always wonder why they also stamp shovels... or pioneers saws...
??

I guess there was a large list of items that have to be inspected before put to use....
( like: shovel carriers, shovels, saws, binoculars covers, some ammo pouches, gasmasks, special equipment like medical/signal backpacks.... its a long list )

[Grubhy]

cover

Even stupid straps to carry tripods were stamp by "ampt"...NICE SET

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Mike, I did not know the Germans used this design? This is identical to the WW2 British entrenching tool. Do you have any more info on this?

Cheers, Ade.

[SvenWittnebel]

The Heereswaffenamt was the central authority for

- development of new weapons, equipment and ammo,
- acquisition of ", ", ",
- preparation of mass production of ", ", ",
- acceptance and quality control of ",",".

[Michael Kuligowski]

Hi Mike, I did not know the Germans used this design? This is identical to the WW2 British entrenching tool. Do you have any more info on this?

Cheers, Ade.

HEllo Ade !!

now.. if You look to Angolia and Schlicht page 192 there is exactly the same setup presented.

its signed as a captured (British I would say) item...

now I think its a mystake in that book - propably pickaxe presented there was not marked - an they assumed its British.
I dont think we may go other way - markings on this pick are IMHO 100% good, lion logo.. date and waffenamt are there for a very long time and present perfect ageing....

any pictures of british pick and possible markings on it ???

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Mike, thanks for that. As you can guess, I lack that book

I have two British ones. I will take some pics for you. Sometimes they are marker marked and War Dept "Broad Arrow" marked, other times they have no markings at all. I think one of mine is 1943 dated? Pics to follow shortly once I take them

Cheers, Ade.

[Michael Kuligowski]

book

now this is also saying that this carrier is infact for wire cutters....

I guess it could hold more than that

worth mension that my pickaxe is signed inside by a US vet - I guess was used after war

[Adrian Stevenson]

Thanks Mike

Here are the pics. This first one is 43 dated.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Date is cast into the shovel

[Adrian Stevenson]

This one is unmarked