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-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 22 mins (2005-03-02 16:13:05 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Note that the above site suggests that the tool/weapon in question had equally important military and domestic applications, and that \"war hammers ... usually had a long, sharp point on the back and a blunt pean (hache-marteau?), or a set of claws (hache-boucharde?) in front [the picture associated with this text shows a spike and a \"hammer\" head with 4 points (cf. bush hammer)], in front. In some cases it has a narrow cutting edge and is difficult to classify, being as much axe as hammer\"
[A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor in all countries and in all times, together with some closely related subjects, George Cameron Stone]
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 7 hrs 42 mins (2005-03-02 23:32:29 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
The asker has declined this answer Comment: This was very close; but the more common English term seems to be the (inverted) "Hammer axe", which puts the emphasis on the axe.
14 mins confidence:
see site
Explanation: this site might help you, especially if you have illustrations.
LacusCurtius • Iron Objects in Roman Britain (John Ward, 1911)
... H, with a spike behind, is certainly a butcher's pole-axe. ... The small size of the
Roman and the prehistoric sickles is due to the ancient custom of ...
penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/ Places/Europe/Great_Britain/_Periods/Roman/_Texts/WARREB/11*.html
SanC France Local time: 18:03 Native speaker of: French
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 22 mins (2005-03-02 16:13:05 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Note that the above site suggests that the tool/weapon in question had equally important military and domestic applications, and that \"war hammers ... usually had a long, sharp point on the back and a blunt pean (hache-marteau?), or a set of claws (hache-boucharde?) in front [the picture associated with this text shows a spike and a \"hammer\" head with 4 points (cf. bush hammer)], in front. In some cases it has a narrow cutting edge and is difficult to classify, being as much axe as hammer\"
[A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor in all countries and in all times, together with some closely related subjects, George Cameron Stone]
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 7 hrs 42 mins (2005-03-02 23:32:29 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
The translation workplace 
