Objects Database

Bulldog Ice Axe

Accession Number

1169.2014.1

Object Name

Bulldog Ice Axe

Created

05/11/2014

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

05/11/2014

Brief Description

Wooden shafted ice axe with serrated pick and adze

Materials

wood, metal

Dimensions

head - 29 (l) cms shaft - 36(l) x 9.5(circumference) cms

Number Of Objects

1

Inscription Description

On pick "BULLDOG 1 A/4 ↑"

Colour

brown

Maker

Bullldog

Object Production Place

UK

Provenance

The Bulldog Company was formed way back in 1780 and they have been making tools ever since albeit under various different owners - the Rollins Group bought it in 2004.
The current owners have been unable to find any records of Bulldog having made ice-axes, but we are fairly sure that's where the one we have here in the collection came from. It was common practice, at one time, for the Ministry of Defence (MOD), to place orders for just about anything with specialist companies and since Bulldog were expert manufacturers of edge tools such as axes, spades, hoes and hedge cutting tools, it's not difficult to see how they could make ice-axes if asked to do so.
If our assumption is correct,we suspect this ice axe was part of a MOD contract, either during World War II or maybe a
Iittle later and we note that the Brades ice-axe we have elsewhere in the collection looks very similar to this one, having been made by another well known tool manufacturer - possibly to the same MOD specifiction. We should perhaps point out that the little arrow next to the Bulldog in the pictue opposite tells us that this axe is MOD - just about everything military had that arrow stamped on it back then.
One way or another the axe came into the ownership of Ron Strachan in the 1960's. Ron was a member of RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Team then and a pretty handy climber it seems. It was the fashion to shorten axes at the time which made them easier to handle when climbing steep ice.
Ron's son, Ranald, kindly donated some of his dad's gear in 2014 - thanks Ranald.

Acquisition Method

Donated by Ranald Strachan

Acquisition Date

05/11/2014

Condition Check Date

05/11/2014

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

05/11/2014

Go Back

Related Items

Brades ice axe