I'm aware that it's a Goral axe, and one that has been in my family for a great many years. My great-grandfather used it as a cane before his passing, and I'm aware it was in the family even well before that. My family is from the Rzeszów area and were historically shepherds, and was forced to flee to the US due to political persecution (very long story).

Obviously I know what it is, but I was wondering if anybody could give me a rough guess as to how old it could be, or if it comes from a more specific region. Or really any further information about it at all. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

by Vodka_is_Polish

21 comments

  1. Looks “fake” :/ probably some old souvenir but the engravings look very recently made

  5. It looks like something you get in Zakopane for 20-30zł. I don’t think there’s a grand story behind it.

  6. My family posesses a similar souvenir from Zakopane. My great-great-grandfather also used it as a cane, but it’s nothing really. Someone probably just bought it during their trip to Zakopane and gave it to him as a gift.

  8. nothing like that was used by anyone historically.

    it looks like wooden souvenirs that are made to look like ciupaga which has a shape like this but its an actual tool with a metal axe head

    you can get such cane cheap from any tourist stand in zakopane or other touristy areas in southern poland.
    this one is almost certainly not a real tool as there is no such thing as a wooden axe.

  10. This kind of ciupaga can be bought in every seaside resort in Poland 😂

  11. It is not fake, it’s just a walking stick, not an axe.
    Have a similar one with fox head, also as a kind of grandfather’s heritage. It was rather bought at some trade market or done by himself, I don’t really care, it just reminds me him.

  12. It’s a souvenir from Tatra mountains that costs around 20 pln.

    Source: My parents have one. Ours is probably over 30 years old.

  13. Could you post a picture where we can see the length of it?

  14. while it the souvenir type who cares.. its tied to your family now so cherish it. i’m from that region and there are changes in elevation in the region where back in the day before cars would give most people these days challenges.

    look into see where your family is from and see what comes up.

  15. That’s a souvenir you could / can buy in many tourist locations. I had one myself when I was a kid. Bought it in Wisla.

  16. Could you share how and when was your family persecuted in Poland?

  17. I feel like this should be on “i love my polish heritage” group

  18. As many others have broken it to you – it’s a souvenir. I lived my whole life on the baltic coast and have one – picked it up on vacation as a kid. If it was anywhere close to the real thing – it would have a metal head.

  19. [Here’s a 1930s one for comparison](https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-polish-walking-cane-zakopane-4732112712) Yours is probably from the 70s or 80s because it’s similar to ones I saw online from those years

    If it was an actual handaxe, I could see how you could argue it was somehow connected to his profession as shepherd. Since you’re saying he used it in old age, he probably purchased it in old age. Why would a young former shepherd carry a walking cane to America?

  21. This heirloom means somebody from your family was visiting Zakopane one day.

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