[Michael Curl]

Hello all,

While I cannot find pictures of it at the moment, there is a medieval European weapon that looks very much like a falx, or nagamaki. It has a single edged curved blade mounted on a handle that is about equal in size. It also often has a rondel to protect the hand. My question is, 'what is this thing called?'

[Michael B.]

Are you thinking of a cut down glaive, or a even a barbiche?

[Russ Ellis]

I thought "glaive" myself, but perhaps one of these things?

[Russ Ellis]

Or more likely this one. Both of these are from the Maciejowski bible, the images are from this site:

http://www.medievaltymes.com/courtyard/index.html

[Daniel Wallace]

When you talk about a Falx my thoughts are like Michael's it sounds like something in the glaive family. there are various styles of polearms anyone of which could have a upper rondel.

as for a long handled blade that sports a outward curve nothing comes to mind that has that characteristic.

[Michael G.]

Check out this thread: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=9526

In any case, if the blade curves forwards, it would most likely be considered some sort of bill or war scythe. If it curves back, probably more of what is usually called a glaive. The jeddart staff also has a long thin blade, but is usually attached to the side of the staff , rather than to the tip of the staff like the glaive usually is.

[Len Parker]

This is what sprung to my mind, rondel but no curved blade.

[Chad Arnow]

Could be a glaive or something like this.

[Michael Curl]

Thank you all for the responses. However the weapon I am thinking off, was seen in a 15th century illustration, not the maciejowski bible. Also it was an equal blade to handle ratio.

[William P]

i would like to quiickly remind that falx isnt quite the right word. since the falx isessentially a concave edged weapon, like the kukri, thracian rrhompaia and war scythe, so id say the war scythe has the greatest parralel to the falx. if were talking about glaive like weapons, different story.

[Dan Howard]

Yeah, the falx is just a pruning hook - an agricultural tool. The rhomphia is the weaponised version.

[William P]

[Michael Curl]

Ya, the blade is not concave, Its curved like a messer.

[Bob Burgess]

The East Anglian thatcher's eaves knife has a blade similar to that of a scythe, but convex not concave, mounted on a straight handle of equal length - like many agricultural tools such as the bill (billhook) it could also serve as a weapon...

[William P]

so michael, your not looking at billhooks or war scythes, that leaves that wierd glaive weapon (im used to the glaive being a naginata like weapon,

[Phil D.]

Do you mean something like the knight on the right in the attached pic...

[Michael Curl]

YES!!! Exactly. Thank you so much. What is this type of weapon called?

[William P]

it says the weapons used by the opposing knights is either a type of voulge and a glaive, it looks like the one on the right has the voulge but id doublecheck.

[Bartek Strojek]

[James Millard]

Here's a pretty small black-and-white version of the painting. You can see the polearm in question in the bottom-left. The handle does seem to be about the same length as the blade.