I have searched both this site and SFI and cannot seem to find an answer to this question. I also apologize in advance if this is in the wrong area.

What would a warhammer from the beginning of the Hundred Years War look like? Pecifically the time spanning from The Battle of Crecy to the Battle of Poiter? Similar to the A&A Warhammer in the Reviews Section? Vastly different from the design of the aforementioned warhammer? If anyone has any sources or pictures they can provide it would be appreciated. Also anyone currently making a warhammer that would fit this time period would be interested.

Here are some warhammers raging from half of XIV century to the beginning of XV century. Unfortunately I don`t have a full description of this (I balieve it is a scan from "Tracht der Waffen"), so I can`t exactly tell You on what findings/illuminations, and from what year are those warhammers based...:/ [ Linked Image ]

Hello all!

The plate posted above is featured in Medieval Costume, Armour and Weapons by Eduard Wagner, Zoroslava Drobna and Jan Durdik. It's plate 16 of part V. Here's what the caption says:

Eduard Wagner, et al wrote:

War-hammers. (1) A war-hammer from the painting by the Master of the Trebon altar-piece, "Christ on the Mount of Olives", dating from 1389 (Matejcek, pl. 88). (2) A war-hammer from the Trebon church of St. Barbara painting of the Crucifixion (ibid., pl. 114), now in the Prague National Gallery. (3) From the Skalice Crucifixion, now in the Prague National Gallery (ibid., pl. 239). (4) A Lucerne war-hammer of the late 14th century (Boeheim, p. 364, pl. 430). (5) A French war-hammer dating from 1350 (Boeheim, p. 364, pl. 429). (6-7) 14th century war-hammers (Die Geschichte der Franzosischen Armee, p. 76). (8) A war-hammer dating from the first half of the 15th century (European Armour, III, p. 88, pl. 873). (9) A war-hammer (a parrot's beak), probably of the 14th century (K. Gimbel, no. 605, p. 40). Zschille places this hammer in the middle of the 16th century: p. 899, pl. 194. (10) A French lead mallet, with an iron grip on the haft, about 150 cm long (Boeheim, p. 364, pl. 428). Dated 1495...

If these dates are correct, number 5 could have been used during the opening phases of the Hundred Years War. So might numbers 6-7, depending upon when they were used in the 14th century.

I hope this helped!

Stay safe!

Hello again!

This is obviously a bit later than Crecy or Poitiers, but the war hammer of Francesco Da Carrara, the one with the head carved in the shape of a dragon, and which was replicated by Arms & Armour, is dated to about 1380. This is the date given in both Mediaeval Arms And Armour by Francesco Rossi and The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms & Weapons, edited by Leonid Tarassuk and Claude Blair.

In the entry about war hammers in The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms & Weapons, it states that foot soldiers used war hammers of a simple shape from no later than the 13th century, The heads were of iron or lead and mounted on a long shaft about 7 ft. 2 m long. The head was often topped by a spike. A shorter-hafted version was wielded in one hand by mounted warriors from the mid 13th century. This often did not have the top spike. There was also a throwing hammer used from the 14th to the early 16th centuries. There was a thread about this a while ago.

Stay safe!

Maciej, Thank you very much for the illustration. That is exactly what I was looking for.

Richard, Thank you for providing the key to the illustration.

Of course, the hammer I like best , #8, is to late for the period I am looking at. Though #6 is quite similar only really missing the top spike. I will do some more searching around to see what is out there of course.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a manufacturer of a decent working model now? Something else to look around for I guess. Keeps me out of trouble at least.