I've been reading the Chivalry arms book about the quarterstaff of late, and it says that they may have been (almost certainly were) tipped with some kind of spikes. Does anyone have any information about this, or pictures? Thanks.

I have heard of quarterstaves being shod with metal ferrules / butt caps, but not spikes.

From "The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms & Weapons" Edited by Leonid Tarassuk & Claude Blair.

Quarterstaff
The simplest of all staff weapons, the quarterstaff was a length of wood about 2-3 m. (6-9 ft.) long, round in section. Better pieces were made of oak and had both ends shod with heavy metal ferrules. Quarterstaves were very popular during the Middle Ages, particularly in Britain, both as a real weapon used for attack and defense and as a practice weapon instead of the long two-handed sword, halberd, spear, or similar pole arms. The quarterstaff was held in the middle with the left hand, while the right hand grasped it at one-quarter (of the whole length) from the end.


Does anyone have any pics / period art etc of quarterstaves shod with metal ferrules?

Maybe Sean Flynt has some more information, he seems to be quite knowledgeable when it comes to pole arms / staff weapons????

Danny