im a knife maker but i seem to have this need to make a good mace. havnt seen any plans on the smith sites so i was wondering if you guys knew. were maces cast or forged and if forged have you guys seen plans anywhere.

It depend if it's a flanged mace or a morning star. can you give more details?

I dont have any mace plans...I got a heap of pics though if you want....let me know what type.
Had to take opportunity here though to have a good winge.....Where I live the mace-head itself is pertectly legal to own and so is the shaft....but, oh Momma...dont you go puttin that mace head ON the shaft ! Then it becomes a dangerous weapon that has to have a special licence ! So you can walk around with the mace-head in one hand and the shaft in the other like a Baton but just dont let them get too close together. I can still see our group leader with a loose mace head and shaft sliding it on and off and going..." legal, illegal, legal, illegal... ! " Its a shame that politicians dont actually live in the REAL world like the rest of us....then they might see just how stupid some of their rules are !!

Political discussions do not belong in the Historical Arms Talk forum at all. If you wish to discuss these kind of things, please decide if it's even on-topic to this site (it likely is not) and if it is, post about it in the appropriate place (Off Topic Talk).

ok nevermind i figured it out.
the way to make a flanged mace is to forge a flat bar. rivet the flanges on, then curve it around the horn of the anvil till it fits the haft. duh. sorry guys i was trying to go about making it round from the begining.

I've seen historical examples with the flanges attached through copper braising.

i have an old arc welder that works quit well but i want to go traditional.
by rivets i should say leaving 2 tang peices or ears on the back of each flange and hot cutting the same slots through through the flat bar. then heating the flange to red, put it in a vice, lay the flat stock over the flange, and beat the "tang" or ear peices over as per the tang end that goes through a sword pomel.

ive welded off and on for 20yrs. since i was ten. im not certified and im no expert. its just to get me by. but as long as both peices are carbon steel, stainless or weld steel(low carbon) or iron you should be able to weld them they dont have to be the same composition example 154cm stainless will weld to 440 stainless cause heat and rod is close enough for both.
so will 01 and d2 steel. matching the same steel is easiest.
beware stainless will make you say bad words and have a couple scrap peices to test your heat and rod on.

hey don thanks. i could heat the head in the forge and use brass braising wire to attach the flanges. thats almost to simple. come to think of it i think mueseum replicas gothic mace has signs of braising around the flanges.

Arc welded Flanges on a steel pipe worked pretty well for me.

Brazing is historically correct for flanged maces.