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The Del Tin 3163 Warhammer vs. a Barrel Helm
A hands-on review by Björn Hellqvist Introduction I own a couple of warhammers made by Del Tin Armi Antiche: the DT3152 and DT3163, which I managed to get ahold of before they were discontinued. The DT3152 sports a rather heavy head that packs a lot of punch, but which also makes the hammer slow on the recovery. The DT3163 is a lot lighter, and capable of dealing quick, piercing blows with the backspike. I bought the head "as-is", shaped a hickory shaft to a period-looking octagonal cross-section, and mounted the head, securing it with a steel wedge. The warhammer is of a style common during the 16th century, quite popular with knights. Original warhammers usually sport a belt-hook on the side of the head, which enabled the wielder to carry the hammer with him while using another weapon. This hammerhead is cast in tool steel, with no casting flaws, cracks, or notable pitting.
One sunny day I decided to test the performance of the warhammer in the name of science and some old-fashioned fun. I owned a bog-standard barrel helm, which judging by its appearance had belonged to Sir Rusty. It had been made by an SCA member, but it wasn't finished due to some construction mishaps. Made in mild steel plate, about 1.8 mm thick (15 gauge according US standards), it wasn't fully riveted, but would offer some resistance anyway. I placed the helm on the ground, aware that in a real battle, there would be more mobility and give to a real target. Making a couple of slow swings, I found the proper distance for the octagonal backspike. The first strike penetrated to a depth of c. 25 mm, which turned out to be pretty much the standard. A single strike penetrated even deeper, to c. 42 mm. After three strikes, I flipped the hammer and tried the flat striking surface. The first strike landed between two of the holes, and made a "L"-shaped tear. This was repeated in a second strike. Placing the helm on its side, I made a few swings with the backspike. They made a few dents, the flexibility of the sides making it very hard to achieve penetration. I turned the helm to the other side, and hit it with the flat striking area. A few shallow dents could be seen, nothing more. After a few final swipes, I, as an environmentaly-concious citizen, placed the helm on a recycling container for further destruction by other agencies. Measurements and Specifications:
Considering that the helm wasn't placed on a mobile target (this is science, not the TV show Jackass), it is safe to assume that it would've been hard to penetrate it in real battle conditions. Original warhammers were probably better heat-treated, sporting more vicious and pointier spikes, but then, the helms would probably have been better made, too. A warhammer is quite useful for stunning the opponent and finish him off when he's on the ground. The stationary target offers better opportunities for a killing blow. It is a pity that Del Tin Armi Antiche has discontinued this warhammer, as it is both an attractive and useful weapon. About the Author Björn Hellqvist is a Swedish optometrist with an interest in historical European swords. |
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