My new glaive -- myArmoury.com

D. Austin · Industry Professional

Hi folks.

I thought I'd share with you a few pictures of the glaive I just finished. It's loosely based on those I've seen in manuscripts such as Froissart's Chronicles. If any of you have photos of a 15th century glaive with rondel and langets, I would love to see it as I'd like to make a more accurate one but only have pics of reproductions and the aforementioned illustrations to go by. Any assistance would be much appreciated.

Darren.

J. D. Carter · Posted: Tue 04 Mar, 2008 1:06 am Post subject:

Wicked. What stock did you start from for the business end ? Will it be for display or will it be seeing some usage?

Elling Polden · Posted: Tue 04 Mar, 2008 1:14 am Post subject:

Very nice!
Got any dimensions? Blade lengt, pole length, and so on? Sharp or blunt, btw?

Randall Moffett · Posted: Tue 04 Mar, 2008 3:54 am Post subject:

Very nice glaive. It looks like it would be a very effective weapon. Good job on it!

RPM

Bob Burns · Posted: Tue 04 Mar, 2008 4:27 am Post subject:

Oh now, how fiercely beautiful that glaive is, fine construction enhanced by the long langets and thoroughly affixed rondel guard, a Big, Big CONGRATULATIONS Exclamation

I have a special love for polearms, 2007 was my year for getting two very special polearms, a custom Sparth Axe and a Bec De Corbin from Arms & Armor, and like you, wow was I Excited as I am sure you must be with that especially gorgeous Glaive! I like it D. Austin, I Like it a Lot! Will you be acquiring a halberd to go with it?
J. D. is right, it's "Wicked"! For a while, the sparth axe will have to be my glaive and halberd, as I cannot afford to buy either this year, I have one, maybe two swords I want really bad this year in particular, actually there are about six that I would like, but that is just not a reality for me, nor would it be responsible! I Love nice glaives bigtime and this is one very nice glaive! I believe as I remember that Elling has quite a glaive from Peter Johnsson, maybe I could prod him to post a picture? Can I Elling?
D. Austin, I truly envy your glaive but in a good way, in a respectful manner, I like it a whole lot Exclamation

Very Cool!

Bob

Martin Wallgren · Posted: Tue 04 Mar, 2008 5:23 am Post subject:

Sean Flynt · Posted: Tue 04 Mar, 2008 7:37 am Post subject:

Looks good to me--like a late 15th c. vouge francais headed toward the couteau de breche form of ca. 1500. The main difference between the forms is that the VF seems to have been much thicker than the more knife-like CDB, maybe hafted shorter than the CDB and more focused on the thrust. Also, while the lower edge of the CDB is concave, forming a shallow hook, the VF tends to have a convex and upward-sloping lower edge, as you've done here.

There clearly are weapons that combine elements of both of these (modern) categories--having broad blade, convex lower edge and rondel. So, yours would have been right at home from mid-century up through the early part of the 16th. I've seen rondels on polearms in contemporary German/Austrian artwork from that later period. I'd guess that yours would look most at home ca. 1470, right around the period of those Froissart illustrations.

Here are three detailed contemporary depictions of VFs in the hands of elite guards ca. 1500. Notice especially the shape of the haft, the padding inside the rondel, the beveling of the blade (showing it's thickness), the spiked foot of the haft:

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...e+francais

By coincidence, I've just dismounted my own CDB with an eye toward adding a rondel. In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of hafted weapons....

Sean Flynt · Posted: Tue 04 Mar, 2008 7:54 am Post subject:

Here are some stylistic/chronological brackets. The first image is first quarter 15th c. The second image is a century later.

David McElrea · Posted: Tue 04 Mar, 2008 7:56 am Post subject:

Darren,

Beautiful work. Thank you for sharing.

Sean Flynt · Posted: Tue 04 Mar, 2008 11:49 am Post subject:

This is our lucky day, D.! Somebody just walked into my office and handed me a copy of the very rare (and expensive) Europäische Hieb-Und Stichwaffen. I got this on interlibrary loan from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (apparently, I'm the only person ever to check out this book Big Grin

). Among its many wonderful photos are those below, with accompanying text. Enjoy!

Sean Flynt · Posted: Tue 04 Mar, 2008 11:53 am Post subject:

Two more:

D. Austin · Industry Professional

Hi all,

I must say thanks for all the positive feedback. It’s great to hear.

J.D., the head is made from mild steel and not sharpened or heat treated although I’m guessing that the hammering has hardened it somewhat. It is just intended to be a costume piece.

Elling, the overall length is 1980mm (78”), the distance from the rondel to the tip is 600mm (24”) and the blade edge is 400mm (16”). Given the materials and the fact that it has been constructed with an arc welder, I’m not going to bother sharpening and test cutting with it but would like to make one from more appropriate materials eventually.

Bob, the halberd will be a few years away. It’s definitely on the list but there are more sharp pointy things above it on that list.

Sean, thanks a lot for the information and the pictures. That will definitely help with my next polearm project. You can’t imagine how jealous I am of your access to the Europäische Hieb-Und Stichwaffen. I must say, I was quite surprised by the thickness of some of those rondels pictured. A good half inch I’d guess. Most impressive.

Thanks guys,

Darren.

Ken Speed · Posted: Tue 04 Mar, 2008 7:48 pm Post subject:

Hi D,

You know, I look at that weapon and I think, "Whoever is carrying that is definitely NOT a nice man." Sort of a human can opener. Laughing Out Loud

I'm sure you know I'm kidding you a bit. It really is a nicely thought out piece and it looks lethal as Hell.

Clearly your weapon is a very close relative to the antique ones whose pictures were posted here but I have to admit that I had a different mental picture of a glaive. I don't know where it came from but I have this image of a fairly heavy wooden handle about 6' 0" long with a 2'0" or 3'0" scimitar shaped blade. Sort of a naginata for a powerlifter. Am I all wet or is there more than one kind of glaive?

Ken Speed

Sa'ar Nudel · Posted: Wed 05 Mar, 2008 4:00 am Post subject:

Sean Flynt · Posted: Wed 05 Mar, 2008 6:23 am Post subject:

Ken Speed · Posted: Wed 05 Mar, 2008 9:54 am Post subject:

Sa'ar

While I didn't have that particular item in mind, it is much closer to my mental image of a glaive. Its scary when you think of the force someone could generate with something like that.

Thanks ,

Ken Speed

Jesse Zinn · Posted: Wed 05 Mar, 2008 10:29 am Post subject:

Sean Flynt · Posted: Wed 05 Mar, 2008 10:49 am Post subject:

I should clarify my comments about the rondels. Although the vouge francais cited above do have pads beneath the rondels contemporary art also clearly shows that not all rondels were padded. Given the elite status of the guards in the painting and the quality of their weapons, I'd say pads probably were the exception. But for the high quality weapons shown above, they make sense. Right now I'm looking at an Urs Graf drawing of ca. 1515 that shows a halberd with a rondel much like yours, and there is no padding.

Sean Flynt · Posted: Wed 05 Mar, 2008 10:54 am Post subject:

Sean Flynt · Posted: Wed 05 Mar, 2008 10:58 am Post subject: