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Post by Sir Thorfinn on Jul 23, 2020 0:53:33 GMT
So, damage... I killed a milk bottle... *gasp*
It left a triangular hole, and the edges lined back up enough the water barely leaked out...less external damage than a sword/knife thrust to the same material.
I would expect this to be pretty much a 'hit once/ discard' kind of weapon, but the shafts may be more durable than I expect.
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Zen_Hydra
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Post by Zen_Hydra on Jul 23, 2020 1:00:43 GMT
I wonder how serrations on the three edges might affect the wound. In my personal experience, cuts from a serrated blade tend to bleed more (and feel less pleasant).
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Post by tancred on Jul 23, 2020 6:12:36 GMT
So, damage... I killed a milk bottle... *gasp* It left a triangular hole, and the edges lined back up enough the water barely leaked out...less external damage than a sword/knife thrust to the same material. I would expect this to be pretty much a 'hit once/ discard' kind of weapon, but the shafts may be more durable than I expect. Was it an old timey milk bottle made of glass? Also, I had been interested in this lance head for a while, as well. Never got around to buying one, though. Part of the reason I never made the jump is because of the term "lance." When I think of a lance, I think of a mounted soldier making a charge, and using the momentum of his steed to add to the force of his attack. However, some think of lance as more of spear used by a foot soldier. So, I guess, my questions are, did you mount it as a simple spear, or as something you could potentially use on horseback? Do you have access to a horse, and would you use this weapon while riding? Those sound like weird questions. My apologies. The terms just bug me. If I bought this, I would mean it to be a weapon for a rider. I don't have access to a horse, and don't know how to ride, though. If the shafts are more durable than you thought, that's pretty cool. You chose the material wisely, and mounted it well.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jul 23, 2020 13:21:44 GMT
I suspect the difference in a lance point and spear point, although these two weapons somewhat overlap, is that the lance was intended to be used on horseback and to allow easy and quick removal to save the lancer and to keep him operational was designed for quick and easy removal. Even so the records show hafts breaking were a common occurrence. I haven’t come across any information of a lancer being unhorsed due to his lance get stuck but have heard of a lance getting stuck. I suspect the lack of blades on a lance head enabled easy removal. The lance was an important part of some of England’s colonial wars where the enemy laid on the ground during a cavalry charge thereby distancing themselves out of reach of a sabre. They would then cut the horse as it passed, belly or leg, when the mount went down they attacked the rider before he could recover. That tactic didn’t work with a lance. A lancer carried a sword as a backup weapon.
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Post by Sir Thorfinn on Jul 23, 2020 13:40:45 GMT
So to answer some questions... Mine is mounted (currently and temporarily) on a crappy 1' broom stick. Total length is 5' 9". Will upgrade shaft asap to at least 6', and am thinking 1.25" diameter. Ash if I can find it, Poplar if not.
In looking at various cultures that used lances, I gravitated to the Hussars. Their lance shafts were hollowed out. And the Hussars insisted that the government pay for lances, as they broke so often.
Dave's link had a few interesting historical tidbits, like some added a disk stopper to keep targets from riding up the shaft.
Serrations: I think I saw something like that in a Bud K catalog....hmmm....
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jul 23, 2020 18:36:22 GMT
Dave's link had a few interesting historical tidbits, like some added a disk stopper to keep targets from riding up the shaft. I must be slipping. I remember Dave’s article but missed the link. Thanks. Two of the three books in “Swordsmen of the British Empire” series describes many uses of the lance with some detail. The third book, “Bloody Battles of the British Empire” I’m sure does also, I just haven’t gotten around to reading that one yet.
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