[Ben Potter]

I've been researching various types of flails for a project and was wondering if anyone has seen of better yet has pictures of a historical flail with a spike or blade at the top of the haft (assuming a flail is viewed with the handle down).

Blades and top spikes seem fairly common on maces and goedendag type weapons but less so on flails.

There is one example in this thread:
Last post on page 2
myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=17245&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=flail&start=5


Any others?

[Dan Howard]

Sounds like a good way to take out your own horse or the person next to you.

I can't tell what is supposed to be depicted in that image but it isn't a bladed flail.

[Anthony Clipsom]

[Ben Potter]

Thanks for the replies.

The image I'm referring to shows a "morning star" flail with a spike at the top of the eye where the chain attaches:


Here is another example of such a weapon from Fiore :


The Kusarigama would also fall into the type:



I was reading about the Rus or Russian Kisten:


and how they were used by peasants against wolves. And was thinking about how most weapons designed for use against dangerous game are designed to keep the attacking animal at a distance. Bear and Boar spears with their toggles or wings are prime examples.




There are abundant examples of peasants using threshing flails as weapons both unmodified:

Note the wooden and leather swivel on the flail and not a chain. Wood and leather are lighter and quieter than chain and so used on most agricultural flails but liable to being cut in a combat context whereas chain is not.
Modified flails are also common Such as these and the spiked and iron bound flails of the Hussites:


Top spikes are very common on other hafted weapons so it would seem logical that someone tried it at some point on a flail. Or to put it another way, we see all kinds of odd and interesting combination weapons that were tried throughout history. Are there any examples of spear/flail type weapons?

As for time period anything from Babylon to the present day so long as it is actually meant to be or was used would be interesting (not interested in video game movie prop types)
Thanks in advance.

[Ben Potter]

Another example from Japan.
O-kusarigama