Interesting - what you identify as a weapon (sickle spear) I see as a tool....

The staff hook has been in use throughout Europe for over 2000 years as a hedging tool - basically a billhook on a long handle. This one is very close to some of the regional patterns of croissant found in France, just a little more open... (those from the Jura region to the east and the Landes to the west are very open).

In the wine growing regions of France open blades sickles on both short and long handles were used to remove excess foliage from the grape vines to allow sunlight in to ripen the grapes.

Similar tools were also used as eaves knives, to cut back the underside of overhanging thatch on a roof that could not be reached from the topside of the roof. Those in the east of the UK have a straight blade up to 3ft (900mm) long mounted on a handle about 4 ft (1.2m) long or longer (depending upon the type of roof and the height of the building). In the west of the UK it is more like a straight sickle mounted on a short handle, and used from a ladder.

My first full polearm after a pair of long spears. hanwei glaive head on a octagonal ash haft for a total length of 6'6.

Corey Skriletz wrote:

Quote: (left to right: CAS-Iberia Sparth Axe, a cheap display-only halberd, CAS Iberia lugged spear, very cheap sickle-spear I picked up at some renfaire somewhere) Ed, that's a great collection. I especially like that sickle-spear. Do you know when they started using that weapon in Western Europe?

As far as I know, as a "war scythe" there are some very recent (19th century) examples, however Fauchards of similar design may have existed as far back as the 11th century.

Here is an newer photo with some of my other pieces in it (including a few from my earlier photos):

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Left to Right: CAS-Iberia lugged spear, A&A Hungarian Axe, CAS-Iberia Sparth Axe, A&A Glaive, A&A Knightly Poleaxe

Let's get some new people sharing here!

Here are two polearms assembled by Sean Flynt made from a Windlass warhammer and a GDFB poleaxe head. He discussed some of the project's progress in his topic and you can see more photos and discussion in my own topic.

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Hey, those are cool! :lol: I'd love to have another one of those hammers. Fun project!

I need to post photos of the spear I built since it was sort-of part of that project.

Here are some photo's of a Lochabar axe that I purchased from Adriaan Gerber, of http://adriaangerberknives.com/ last year.

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Windlass spear head (with shortened socket)

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My only one at the moment, the Iklwa Zulu Short Spear by Windlass.

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XIVth century poleaxe.
Finished it yesterday.
Total length: 1,70m
Weight: 2550 grams
Axe-hammer distance: 24cm
Upper spike length: 13cm
Bottom spike length: 17,5cm
Not the best poleaxe around, but it's my first one and I love it =).
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/6/s7q6.jpg/
Feel free to browse the album for more pictures.

Yeah, I made it myself =).
The head is composed by 8 separate parts.
1 axe
2 two quarters of a tube to connect the axe to the socket
3 the socket is made by two "L" shaped pieces welded together and another top piece where the top spike is
4 the top spike
5 the hammer
Unfortunately all the pieces are welded together, maybe if I have the right equipment and skills I'll forge-weld it in a (very) distant future.
The axe, the spikes and the hammer are all forged (especially the pattern on the back of the hammer, so fun to make with a chisel while the metal was hot).
I have no idea of what kind of metal I used. The axe, the main socket, the quarter tubes and the hammer-spikes are all of different metals I found lying around in various places.
So it is basically made out of scrap =).

The socket is 5mm thick, next time I'll just use a much lighter section of a rectangular tube, instead of building it welding two "L".
Hope I've been helpful =).

My latest aquisitions in the pole arm department.
I just love long weapons!

First and current star among my spears is "Boar spear of Cedric the saxon" Has it's own thread in the maker and manufacturer section.

Second is a boar spear from Chech manufacturer Kovex Ars. Shaft is oiled ash planed to hexagonal section to match the spear socket by yours truly.

Third is the standard GDFB/Battle Merchand halberd head. I picket up a "display model" from a local salesman for a bargain. It was a bit rusty, and the langets a bit skewed and the hole thing more or less propeller-shaped..but again, you get what you pay for! A day with grinding, polishing and making another ash haft and adding a butt-cap, it does not look half bad. A but rough, but it will serve as wall decoration for most part, and as a knecht's weapon I really do not mind it being rough and scruffed. To make it a little more personal, I drilled three holes inspired by some Dürer Woodcuts I have been looking a lot at lately. [/img]

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"Boar spear of Cedric the saxon" by Scott Roush

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^ These are some beautiful polearm, dude.

This is a bardiche that made out of 1045 carbon steel, based off the manuscript in 13 century.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1255173_611845052199347_900981646_n.jpg

As a resurrection of this thread......

After making a couple of Type I maces, it was quite normal to obtain a Type II also.
Note on Type II: In his book "Old Russian Weaponry (vol.2 - Lances, spears, battle axes, maces, flails - IX-XIII C.), Anatoliy Kirpichnikov classifies the maces with cube-shaped, corner-cut heads as "Type II"

Well, I made a wooden master and sent it to the foundry - there the head was cast. The rest was some sanding, re-shaping of the hole and hafting - really nothing serious.

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As I wanted somewhat "antique" and "battle-worn" appearance, the head was not over-sanded but intentionally left coarse. The haft is firmly secured in the conical hole via a wooden wedge (which, unfortunately, split in two during hammering)

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Some updates from my collection.... Manning Imperial Canaanite "Duck Bill" axe (with a Manning Imperial Canaanite khopesh, and a close up), A&A Danish axe (by itself and with two other A&A Viking axes).....

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Oops, almost forgot an old MRL Egyptian stone-headed mace.....

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Say, any way to straighten a slightly warped staff? It's six foot by an inch and an eighth, Hickory.

Boris: I very much like your mace!
Nice work on the wooden master and seeing it through to having it made. Is it bronze?
Do they still have the molds to use? You ought to pop out several and sell them. I would buy one.

I have also seen some very nice work at Manning Imperial. They make use of bronze in a beautiful way.
Some lovely maces, but I love the simple brutish honestly of yours :)

Boris - I like the simple and functional form. And your coarse finish just fits the character of the weapon. On the other hand - the haft looks "perfectly unspoiled" - but then, it could have been re-hafted :)