My Polearm tests
Aug 13, 2007 7:06:27 GMT
Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2007 7:06:27 GMT
Being quite bored this week, I decided to test my polearms and 2 handed axes.
I decided the best way to do this would be against a contemporary opponent so I built a 35" round plank shield, backed in canvas and edged the rim in leather scraps I had lying about. The shield was a bit heavier than the historical ones I think, weighing in at about 18 lbs, mainly as I was too lazy to plane down the planks. (Thicker is better, right?). I also reinforced one area of the shield that was thinner than the remainder, and decided to not target that area if I could help it.
Then I got out my semi-sharp pointies to see how long it would take to demolish it and how each fared. Please note none of the following were sharpened prior to testing, so what you see is with factory edges.
First up was the Cold steel boar spear (that has already been reviewed quite well here).
Specs: (from
Handle: Premium American Ash Overall Length: 6'10" Click Here for Detailed
Liners: NA Blade Length: 18.5" Warranty Information.
Blade: SK-5 Medium Carbon Handle Length: 5'4"
Blade Finish: Black Lock Type: NA
Blade Style: Spear Point Opener Type: NA
Edge Style: Plain Weight: 4.25lbs
One thing that needs to be pointed out if you’ve never seen this spear in person is that the spearhead itself is asymmetrical. It isn’t pretty and its definitely modern in appearance. Most photos show the “traditional” side of the blade, not the reverse.
The test I used was a standing throw from 20 feet. The shield was affixed via bungee cord to a chain link fence, to try to simulate some of the "give" it might have being held on a person's arm. (Strangely, I couldn't find a volunteer to hold the puppy ). The spear penetrated the shield on the initial throw with the point coming through the back of the shield approximately 1/4". The spear was completely unscathed, even though the weight of the haft caused it to bend rather severely. This was followed with a standing 2 handed underhand thrust which yielded approximately a ¾” penetration in the shield, again with zero adverse effects to the spear. This is one tough spear, period.
The ratings:
Historical accuracy 1/5 (It’s a modern spear, period)
Fit and finish 4/5
Handling 5/5
Structural integrity 5/5
Value for money 5/5 (shop around, you can get it for as little as 51.00, maybe less)
Overall rating 4.75/5- I do not believe you could go wrong with this spear, unless maybe if you were doing reenactments.
Next up I tried a Windlass Viking throwing spear (an older discontinued model).
Specs:
24” socketed mild steel spear head, 13” blade length, 1 ¾” blade width mounted on a 7’ round yellow pine shaft.
Again this was tested first thrown from 20 feet. The spear made a good penetration, causing the back of the shield to splinter a bit. A stronger person probably could have made a clear penetration. However, this revealed a serious downside, as the weight of the shaft caused the blade to take a 30 degree set. This was quickly repaired by a few gentle tugs in my vise, but... How often are you gonna have a vise out in the field? I was bit apprehensive of doing a thrust test after this, but the spear preformed well, about as well as the boar spear.
The ratings
Historical accuracy: 3/5
Fit and finish: 3.5/5
Handling: 5/5
Structural integrity: 2.5/5
Value for money: 3.5/5
Overall rating: 3.625 (decent value, more historically accurate than the boar spear, but not nearly as tough)
Next was my Cold steel samburu spear. I wasn't too sure how this one would do, as the several different sources states this spear will bend easily, but what the heck, right?
If you are not familiar with this spear here are a couple of links www.thebladeshop.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3646 and www.coldsteel.com/spears-high-performance-spears.html
Mine is the longer version, at 7.5 feet. It comes in 3 pieces, head, body and shaft. The head and shaft are of mild steel, with a circular cross section. The body is textured black plastic (the older models were hickory, but are hard to come by these days). The blade on this model is 7 inches long, 1 ¾” wide. Assembly is a simple affair, with the pieces secured by screws (ala the boar spear).
On the 20' thrown test, this baby had zero problems, penetrating a full inch through the shield. I also managed to hit the bungee cord when I threw this one, so the shield did its best to do in its adversary, but, guess what, the thing didn’t take a set, at all.
Figuring this had to be a fluke, I just had to try again, this time from 30 feet. Not as much penetration, but still all the way through the shield, and no set.
At forty feet I missed the target, (didn’t throw hard enough) and hit the ground about a foot short of the target. The ground made the spear take a set, at about 45 degrees where the shaft attaches to the body, and about a 20 degree set in the opposite direction, where the head attaches (it kinda looked like ½ of an SS lightning bolt). The steel on this is so soft it straightened out with arm pressure only and was good to go with the thrust test. The spear did quite well on this test, penetrating about ½” on an underhand thrust.
The ratings:
Historical accuracy: 3/5 (from what I’ve read the metal construction is fairly accurate, but the body, no way.)
Fit and finish: 2.5/5 (no frills here, at all)
Handling: 5/5
Structural integrity: 4/5 (it’s designed to bend easily and be easily repaired, and it does both well)
Value for money (5/5) very affordable (usually can be had for around $43.00)
All in all this is a very good spear, and if you don’t have one, get one, they’re fun!
As far as the spears go, Cold steel definitely has the superior function products here, though if you want historical accuracy for reenactments, go elsewhere. The Windlass piece is decent, but nothing to get excited about.
On to the others…
My Windlass Bec de Corbin was the next choice. There’s just something about this piece that I adore—it’s like the Medieval version of the Swiss Army knife. If you can’t find a way to dismember your opponent with this, get a gun.
www.museumreplicas.com/museumreplicas/detail.aspx?ID=800
I used the thrust test first off with this, and it performed quite well, penetrating the shield about 5/8”’s of an inch. Next I used the “beak”… the pics speak for themselves… Then the hammer. The shield had what might be called a “failure” at that point as it basically folded in half, held together by the canvas backing. Nasty… After a stop for shield patching and reinforcement its back into action…
And very next swing, the shaft splinters… Sigh…
If you notice in the photos, the shaft on this piece was warped to start with (it was picked up at Windlass’s May sale this year) and evidently just couldn’t absorb the stresses from some serious impacts. The head came through everything completely unscathed, including hitting the side of my barn at a high rate of speed (leaving a couple of interesting punctures in the siding too, not to mention scaring the h@ll outta my cat). Definitely not a good day for Windlass here… Anyone have a good source for hickory or maple handles? Ash isn’t strong enough methinks.
Interestingly enough, when I was dismounting the remains of the shaft from the head and footspike, the pins and screws that were used for attachment of the head were severely torqued, bent anywhere from 5 – 20 degrees, something I truly didn’t expect to see.
The ratings:
Historical Accuracy: 4/5 (maybe a 5 truly, the head is made very well)
Fit and finish: 4/5
Handling: 4/5 (the piece handled (past tense) very well, very quick to bring into action)
Structural integrity: (well, the head is quite tough, which is the import part…)
Value for money: 3/5
Overall rating: 3.8/5, as I’m in a generous mood… Besides this is a truly awesome weapon, I think I just underestimated the effects of the warpage on the shaft when I picked this one up. All in all, I still would have gotten it if it had just been the head and footspike.
Next up is the Cold Steel Pole Axe
www.coldsteel.com/89pa.html
I got mine direct from Cold Steel when they first went on sale (ditto with the halberd discussed next) The shaft and head shipped separately and was a real pain in the %@# to assemble. Once together though, the thing is solid. Specs on the web seem hard to come by, but mine measures right at 6’ assembled, the axe blade is 6 13/16th’s inches , the hammer head 2 ½”, overall width, axehead to hammer head is 10 ½”. I have no idea on the weight, but it is definitely hefty- definitely not for those of small stature.
Obviously, the tests used here weren’t quite as challenging as earlier, as the shield wasn’t really up to taking much more of a frontal assault. I did give it one attempt with the axe blade, but the shield gave so much I didn’t consider it a valid test. Therefore, I moved on to edge on testing, axe blade versus shield edge. (Which was repeated with the halberd and both 2 handed axes). The pole axe shattered the shield edge, and was only stopped from splitting the thing in two by the axe shaft itself. The transition from axe head to shaft is abrupt with no taper at all, so the shaft was unable to act as a wedge to splinter the shield further. Still and all, a wicked hitting piece.
The ratings:
Historical accuracy: 2.5/5 (This too is a modern interpretation, like most all Cold Steel products)
Fit and finish: 2/5 (It ain’t pretty at all, and it really was a pain to assemble)
Handling: 2.5/5 (awkward to utilize, but once its in motion, look out.)
Structural integrity: 5/5
Value for the money: 5/5 (at $29.99 from Cold Steel? Buy several)
Overall rating: 3.625 (If you like bashing things, this one’s for you)
Cold Steel Swiss Halberd
Unfortunately, no longer made.
Specs: Big, ugly, vicious… ‘nuff said.
7’ 6 ½”, 24 ½” head, 8 ¾” axe blade, backspike (6” underside sharpened, 4 ½” top side, last 2” sharpened), 10” top spike, forward edge sharpened, back edge top 1 ½” sharpened).
This thing is just awesome. Not as easy to use or get into action as the Bec de Corbin, but it has even more “authority” when brought to bear with a full swing. Only reason it didn’t split the shield was the old futon frame I was using as rest to prop the shield against stopped the blow. Even with that, the shield splintered 30” from the blow…
Ratings:
Historical accuracy: 4/5 probably the most historically accurate piece Cold Steel has done (or at least that I’ve seen)
Fit and finish: 3/5 (it’s a hunk of blackened steel, eh?)
Handling: 3/5 (easier than the pole axe to me)
Structural integrity: 5/5
Value for the money: 5/5
Overall rating: 3.2/5- Cold steel should bring this back, at least periodically.
Scotia Metal works 2 handed axe
This piece was a one off from the very talented J. Michael McRae (check out his dirks)
www.scotiametalwork.com
It’s just a basic 2 handed axe of the type that might have been used by Highland clansmen, to paraphrase Mr. McRae.
Blade edge is 6 ¾”, 7” to shaft. Haft eye 3 ¾” long, overall length 39 ¾”
Handle- hardwood of unknown type, my guess is probably a recycled tool shaft.
Very light and quick, and easy to wield, it did a fair number on the shield edge. Good, functional axe.
Historical accuracy: 4/5
Fit and finish: 3/5
Handling: 4/5
Structural integrity: 4/5 (the weight of the shaft bothers me a bit on this one, almost too light- I keep expecting it to splinter or crack, but it never does)
Value for money: 4/5 (Like I said, this was a one off which I got for a very reasonable price, though more than similar pieces, say from Paul Chen. Overall rating: 3.75/5. though its not a pretty piece, it’s very functional. Very happy with this axe
The nameless ebay axe
I don’t know the parentage of this one, maybe some of you might be able to help me on this. I picked it from a reenactor. He told me he thought it was an Arms and Armor piece, but I seriously doubt it, as I’ve not seen a piece like this on their site and the construction isn’t up to their standards. It had an interesting and appealing blade shape and looks as if it could have been designed for limited thrusting as well. Sometimes you just have to take the plunge…
Specs:
Blade length 8 ¼”, blade width ½” at the shaft tapering nicely to 1/8” at the edge backspike 2 1/8”, total head width 10 1/8”, 16” steel langets have been spot welded to the axe head. Overall length is 50 ½”. The shaft is from all appearances oak and terminates in ball shaped shaft cap very reminescent of the one used on Perrin’s axe that windlass sold several years ago. When I got this axe through ebay the langets (which are obviously not original) were attached with nails, and there were several gouges in the underside of the axe head, probably from mis-strikes. This was very much a fixer-upper piece. After a good bit of tlc it turned out to be a fine axe. I can’t begin to guess the steel type other than to say it is carbon steel (the pics are shiny because I spent good deal of time grinding and buffing the head)and very robust.
As you can tell from the pics it did a fairly decent job on the shield edge, about a 4-5” cut, with no marring of blade edge. It’s a fast handling axe despite its length, as is fairly light weight.
Historical accuracy: 3/5 (well it looks medieval…)
Fit and finish: then 1/5, now 3/5
Handling: 3.5/5
Structural integrity: 4/5
Value for money: 4/5
Overall rating: 3.125/3.625
I decided the best way to do this would be against a contemporary opponent so I built a 35" round plank shield, backed in canvas and edged the rim in leather scraps I had lying about. The shield was a bit heavier than the historical ones I think, weighing in at about 18 lbs, mainly as I was too lazy to plane down the planks. (Thicker is better, right?). I also reinforced one area of the shield that was thinner than the remainder, and decided to not target that area if I could help it.
Then I got out my semi-sharp pointies to see how long it would take to demolish it and how each fared. Please note none of the following were sharpened prior to testing, so what you see is with factory edges.
First up was the Cold steel boar spear (that has already been reviewed quite well here).
Specs: (from
Handle: Premium American Ash Overall Length: 6'10" Click Here for Detailed
Liners: NA Blade Length: 18.5" Warranty Information.
Blade: SK-5 Medium Carbon Handle Length: 5'4"
Blade Finish: Black Lock Type: NA
Blade Style: Spear Point Opener Type: NA
Edge Style: Plain Weight: 4.25lbs
One thing that needs to be pointed out if you’ve never seen this spear in person is that the spearhead itself is asymmetrical. It isn’t pretty and its definitely modern in appearance. Most photos show the “traditional” side of the blade, not the reverse.
The test I used was a standing throw from 20 feet. The shield was affixed via bungee cord to a chain link fence, to try to simulate some of the "give" it might have being held on a person's arm. (Strangely, I couldn't find a volunteer to hold the puppy ). The spear penetrated the shield on the initial throw with the point coming through the back of the shield approximately 1/4". The spear was completely unscathed, even though the weight of the haft caused it to bend rather severely. This was followed with a standing 2 handed underhand thrust which yielded approximately a ¾” penetration in the shield, again with zero adverse effects to the spear. This is one tough spear, period.
The ratings:
Historical accuracy 1/5 (It’s a modern spear, period)
Fit and finish 4/5
Handling 5/5
Structural integrity 5/5
Value for money 5/5 (shop around, you can get it for as little as 51.00, maybe less)
Overall rating 4.75/5- I do not believe you could go wrong with this spear, unless maybe if you were doing reenactments.
Next up I tried a Windlass Viking throwing spear (an older discontinued model).
Specs:
24” socketed mild steel spear head, 13” blade length, 1 ¾” blade width mounted on a 7’ round yellow pine shaft.
Again this was tested first thrown from 20 feet. The spear made a good penetration, causing the back of the shield to splinter a bit. A stronger person probably could have made a clear penetration. However, this revealed a serious downside, as the weight of the shaft caused the blade to take a 30 degree set. This was quickly repaired by a few gentle tugs in my vise, but... How often are you gonna have a vise out in the field? I was bit apprehensive of doing a thrust test after this, but the spear preformed well, about as well as the boar spear.
The ratings
Historical accuracy: 3/5
Fit and finish: 3.5/5
Handling: 5/5
Structural integrity: 2.5/5
Value for money: 3.5/5
Overall rating: 3.625 (decent value, more historically accurate than the boar spear, but not nearly as tough)
Next was my Cold steel samburu spear. I wasn't too sure how this one would do, as the several different sources states this spear will bend easily, but what the heck, right?
If you are not familiar with this spear here are a couple of links www.thebladeshop.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3646 and www.coldsteel.com/spears-high-performance-spears.html
Mine is the longer version, at 7.5 feet. It comes in 3 pieces, head, body and shaft. The head and shaft are of mild steel, with a circular cross section. The body is textured black plastic (the older models were hickory, but are hard to come by these days). The blade on this model is 7 inches long, 1 ¾” wide. Assembly is a simple affair, with the pieces secured by screws (ala the boar spear).
On the 20' thrown test, this baby had zero problems, penetrating a full inch through the shield. I also managed to hit the bungee cord when I threw this one, so the shield did its best to do in its adversary, but, guess what, the thing didn’t take a set, at all.
Figuring this had to be a fluke, I just had to try again, this time from 30 feet. Not as much penetration, but still all the way through the shield, and no set.
At forty feet I missed the target, (didn’t throw hard enough) and hit the ground about a foot short of the target. The ground made the spear take a set, at about 45 degrees where the shaft attaches to the body, and about a 20 degree set in the opposite direction, where the head attaches (it kinda looked like ½ of an SS lightning bolt). The steel on this is so soft it straightened out with arm pressure only and was good to go with the thrust test. The spear did quite well on this test, penetrating about ½” on an underhand thrust.
The ratings:
Historical accuracy: 3/5 (from what I’ve read the metal construction is fairly accurate, but the body, no way.)
Fit and finish: 2.5/5 (no frills here, at all)
Handling: 5/5
Structural integrity: 4/5 (it’s designed to bend easily and be easily repaired, and it does both well)
Value for money (5/5) very affordable (usually can be had for around $43.00)
All in all this is a very good spear, and if you don’t have one, get one, they’re fun!
As far as the spears go, Cold steel definitely has the superior function products here, though if you want historical accuracy for reenactments, go elsewhere. The Windlass piece is decent, but nothing to get excited about.
On to the others…
My Windlass Bec de Corbin was the next choice. There’s just something about this piece that I adore—it’s like the Medieval version of the Swiss Army knife. If you can’t find a way to dismember your opponent with this, get a gun.
www.museumreplicas.com/museumreplicas/detail.aspx?ID=800
I used the thrust test first off with this, and it performed quite well, penetrating the shield about 5/8”’s of an inch. Next I used the “beak”… the pics speak for themselves… Then the hammer. The shield had what might be called a “failure” at that point as it basically folded in half, held together by the canvas backing. Nasty… After a stop for shield patching and reinforcement its back into action…
And very next swing, the shaft splinters… Sigh…
If you notice in the photos, the shaft on this piece was warped to start with (it was picked up at Windlass’s May sale this year) and evidently just couldn’t absorb the stresses from some serious impacts. The head came through everything completely unscathed, including hitting the side of my barn at a high rate of speed (leaving a couple of interesting punctures in the siding too, not to mention scaring the h@ll outta my cat). Definitely not a good day for Windlass here… Anyone have a good source for hickory or maple handles? Ash isn’t strong enough methinks.
Interestingly enough, when I was dismounting the remains of the shaft from the head and footspike, the pins and screws that were used for attachment of the head were severely torqued, bent anywhere from 5 – 20 degrees, something I truly didn’t expect to see.
The ratings:
Historical Accuracy: 4/5 (maybe a 5 truly, the head is made very well)
Fit and finish: 4/5
Handling: 4/5 (the piece handled (past tense) very well, very quick to bring into action)
Structural integrity: (well, the head is quite tough, which is the import part…)
Value for money: 3/5
Overall rating: 3.8/5, as I’m in a generous mood… Besides this is a truly awesome weapon, I think I just underestimated the effects of the warpage on the shaft when I picked this one up. All in all, I still would have gotten it if it had just been the head and footspike.
Next up is the Cold Steel Pole Axe
www.coldsteel.com/89pa.html
I got mine direct from Cold Steel when they first went on sale (ditto with the halberd discussed next) The shaft and head shipped separately and was a real pain in the %@# to assemble. Once together though, the thing is solid. Specs on the web seem hard to come by, but mine measures right at 6’ assembled, the axe blade is 6 13/16th’s inches , the hammer head 2 ½”, overall width, axehead to hammer head is 10 ½”. I have no idea on the weight, but it is definitely hefty- definitely not for those of small stature.
Obviously, the tests used here weren’t quite as challenging as earlier, as the shield wasn’t really up to taking much more of a frontal assault. I did give it one attempt with the axe blade, but the shield gave so much I didn’t consider it a valid test. Therefore, I moved on to edge on testing, axe blade versus shield edge. (Which was repeated with the halberd and both 2 handed axes). The pole axe shattered the shield edge, and was only stopped from splitting the thing in two by the axe shaft itself. The transition from axe head to shaft is abrupt with no taper at all, so the shaft was unable to act as a wedge to splinter the shield further. Still and all, a wicked hitting piece.
The ratings:
Historical accuracy: 2.5/5 (This too is a modern interpretation, like most all Cold Steel products)
Fit and finish: 2/5 (It ain’t pretty at all, and it really was a pain to assemble)
Handling: 2.5/5 (awkward to utilize, but once its in motion, look out.)
Structural integrity: 5/5
Value for the money: 5/5 (at $29.99 from Cold Steel? Buy several)
Overall rating: 3.625 (If you like bashing things, this one’s for you)
Cold Steel Swiss Halberd
Unfortunately, no longer made.
Specs: Big, ugly, vicious… ‘nuff said.
7’ 6 ½”, 24 ½” head, 8 ¾” axe blade, backspike (6” underside sharpened, 4 ½” top side, last 2” sharpened), 10” top spike, forward edge sharpened, back edge top 1 ½” sharpened).
This thing is just awesome. Not as easy to use or get into action as the Bec de Corbin, but it has even more “authority” when brought to bear with a full swing. Only reason it didn’t split the shield was the old futon frame I was using as rest to prop the shield against stopped the blow. Even with that, the shield splintered 30” from the blow…
Ratings:
Historical accuracy: 4/5 probably the most historically accurate piece Cold Steel has done (or at least that I’ve seen)
Fit and finish: 3/5 (it’s a hunk of blackened steel, eh?)
Handling: 3/5 (easier than the pole axe to me)
Structural integrity: 5/5
Value for the money: 5/5
Overall rating: 3.2/5- Cold steel should bring this back, at least periodically.
Scotia Metal works 2 handed axe
This piece was a one off from the very talented J. Michael McRae (check out his dirks)
www.scotiametalwork.com
It’s just a basic 2 handed axe of the type that might have been used by Highland clansmen, to paraphrase Mr. McRae.
Blade edge is 6 ¾”, 7” to shaft. Haft eye 3 ¾” long, overall length 39 ¾”
Handle- hardwood of unknown type, my guess is probably a recycled tool shaft.
Very light and quick, and easy to wield, it did a fair number on the shield edge. Good, functional axe.
Historical accuracy: 4/5
Fit and finish: 3/5
Handling: 4/5
Structural integrity: 4/5 (the weight of the shaft bothers me a bit on this one, almost too light- I keep expecting it to splinter or crack, but it never does)
Value for money: 4/5 (Like I said, this was a one off which I got for a very reasonable price, though more than similar pieces, say from Paul Chen. Overall rating: 3.75/5. though its not a pretty piece, it’s very functional. Very happy with this axe
The nameless ebay axe
I don’t know the parentage of this one, maybe some of you might be able to help me on this. I picked it from a reenactor. He told me he thought it was an Arms and Armor piece, but I seriously doubt it, as I’ve not seen a piece like this on their site and the construction isn’t up to their standards. It had an interesting and appealing blade shape and looks as if it could have been designed for limited thrusting as well. Sometimes you just have to take the plunge…
Specs:
Blade length 8 ¼”, blade width ½” at the shaft tapering nicely to 1/8” at the edge backspike 2 1/8”, total head width 10 1/8”, 16” steel langets have been spot welded to the axe head. Overall length is 50 ½”. The shaft is from all appearances oak and terminates in ball shaped shaft cap very reminescent of the one used on Perrin’s axe that windlass sold several years ago. When I got this axe through ebay the langets (which are obviously not original) were attached with nails, and there were several gouges in the underside of the axe head, probably from mis-strikes. This was very much a fixer-upper piece. After a good bit of tlc it turned out to be a fine axe. I can’t begin to guess the steel type other than to say it is carbon steel (the pics are shiny because I spent good deal of time grinding and buffing the head)and very robust.
As you can tell from the pics it did a fairly decent job on the shield edge, about a 4-5” cut, with no marring of blade edge. It’s a fast handling axe despite its length, as is fairly light weight.
Historical accuracy: 3/5 (well it looks medieval…)
Fit and finish: then 1/5, now 3/5
Handling: 3.5/5
Structural integrity: 4/5
Value for money: 4/5
Overall rating: 3.125/3.625