[Justin Pasternak]

Was there any type of mace and flail combination that would have allowed the top of the mace head to be unscrewed/released to allow a length of metal chain that was connected to the inside of the mace head to fall out from a hollow steel shaft, so that it could be used as a flail instead of a mace?

[M. Eversberg II]

I'm not an expert but I wouldn't say that there was. I don't think the idea of a hollow part of any weapon would appeal to any professional warrior, as it could be far more easily damaged and would cost a lot more to make.

[Chad Arnow]

I did some looking into combination weapons and didn't see anything like that (not that that means it didn't exist). There are maces, axes and other polearms with hollow parts, though. Some house retractable blades. For some, the hollow part serves as the barrel of the firearm it's mated with. There were even a couple of maces with hollow grips that housed folding game boards (chess and backgammon I believe).

[Chad Arnow]

I have moved this topic to the Historic Arms Talk forum.

Please note the description for this forum:

"Discussions of reproduction and authentic historical arms and armour from various cultures and time periods"

Thank you.

[R Looije]

I know of similar flail-canes from Japan, but those were wooden wooden shafts with metal weights on a chain, so they were slightly different.
So all in all I don't think it is impossible to assume that something along those lines might have been in use in Europe.

[James Barker]

Not sure that it would be practical. The mace and flail were mainly back up weapons for men on horse that broke a lance, having to play with it in full armor makes little sense.

Then again there are tons of odd combo weapons out there, who knows. Tolhoffer drew an unarmored combat idea where you take the pommel of your sword off and throw it at your enemy, seems like a medieval fanboy idea

[M. Eversberg II]

[Travis Canaday]

[Justin Pasternak]

Those are some interesting combinations weapons and I would have never thought of removing the pommel of a sword and using it as a weapon. I know that europe had alot of both unique and odd combination weapons. I think India had even more bizarre combination weapons than there were in Europe. I'm going to look into this and see if I can find anything that relates to what I'm trying to find!

[Justin Pasternak]

Could this Japanese weapon called a shikomi chigirigi be considered a Mace and Flail weapon combination?

[George Hill]

[Randall Moffett]

the war flail and club seem to have made up a great majority of non-knightly troops in hussite armies (yes indeed in the hodetin ordinance 50 percent of the men of 30 are flailmen-only 2 are guns, 6 crossbows, 4 halbardiers, 2 shieldmen and 2 drivers the ordinance takes place some years after the start so it could have been more or less at other times). In most of the primamry accounts I have come across it is the war club or war flail listed as the weapon all the knights and nobles fear fighting, not the wagons or guns/cannons.

I agree I do not know how effective unscrewing the top would be nor why. You would have to do it before battle so what would the motivation be? OK today fighting the Hungarians-flail tomorrow fighting the poles mace? It may certainly have existed but I cannot think of what its function would be really, except perhaps as a training flail or something Never have seen one but I will keep my eyes open for you,

RPM

[Reinier van Noort]