19th century
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Cutlass-Axe (Combination Boarding Weapon)
A combination tool-weapon pairing a cutlass-style blade with an axe head, issued to some 19th-century naval boarding parties to combine cutting, chopping, and rigging-clearing functions in a single implement. It reflected continued naval interest in multipurpose boarding equipment even as firearms became more reliable. Anti-piracy patrols of the era carried such combination tools alongside standard…
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Lorcha
The lorcha combined a European-style hull with Chinese junk rigging and rudder, developed by Macanese shipbuilders to create a fast, maneuverable vessel. Lorchas were used both by pirates in the South China Sea and by merchants who armed them against the persistent threat of piracy in the region.