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Spontoon Pipe Tomahawk, ca. 1840

Value (2013) | $30,000 Retail
Watch  

GUEST:
It belongs to my husband. 30 years ago or so, he and his family were helping some people clear their house out. He found it, it was something that he liked, and he asked if he could have it, and they said yes, and here it is.

APPRAISER:
This is a pipe tomahawk, a spontoon pipe tomahawk, a particularly interesting example.

GUEST:
Oh, okay.

APPRAISER:
It incorporates an object of war, the blade, a lethal weapon, a very lethal weapon, but as well, a pipe bowl for solemnifying a peace treaty. It's a rather unique North American invention. Nowhere else in the world. Do you have a feeling for age about this?

GUEST:
We have some sort of guesses, and I talked with a friend of mine who is Native American and collects Native American art. He thought it might be French and Indian War, which sort of seemed about right.

APPRAISER:
It probably does relate to the French and Indian War. It's very much pre-reservation, which is essentially about 1875. This piece probably dates to the 1840s, 1850s. It's got tremendous patination on the haft. It's never been cleaned, and we would never want to do that. It's got a really, really great surface. The blacksmith who created this was a genius.

GUEST:
Oh.

APPRAISER:
All along the bowl, all of this file work in here is really exceptional. It's sort of a deluxe version, if you will. It is probably a French-influenced blacksmith. The haft is made of ashwood, a very, very hard wood, long grain. The tobacco that would be smoked in this would be something called kinnikinnick. And that's a tobacco and herbal mixture, indigenous and used throughout North America. Do you have a feeling for a value?

GUEST:
Oh, I have no idea what it's worth. I know it's missing some of the brads and things like that, and it just...

APPRAISER:
The missing brass tacks, that's not a problem whatsoever. That's a no-harm nick, if you will.

GUEST:
Oh, really?

APPRAISER:
It's just got a glowing surface, the wood is beautiful, the tacks are great. I think on a retail basis, this tomahawk would sell in the range of about $30,000.

GUEST:
No.

APPRAISER:
Yes.

GUEST:
Okay. (laughing)

APPRAISER:
This would make a collector really, really happy.

GUEST:
Really?

APPRAISER:
This would move to the head of the table right away.

GUEST:
I take it into class and I show it to my students at school.

APPRAISER:
Don't clean it. (chuckling)

GUEST:
It's really fabulous. Thank you so much for bringing it in.

APPRAISER:
Oh, no problem. I didn't expect that at all.

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Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Ted Trotta
Tribal Arts
Trotta-Bono, Ltd.
Shrub Oak, NY
Appraised value (2013)
$30,000 Retail
Featured In
Anaheim, Hour 3 (#1815)
Event
Anaheim, CA (June 22, 2013)
Category
Tribal Arts
Period
19th Century
Form
Pipe , Tomahawk
Material
Ash , Brass

Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."

Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.

Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.

Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.

Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.

Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.

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