[Bennison N]

Hi all.

I am having some trouble finding examples of Bardiche polearms which have been decorated in any other way than having holes drilled through them or cross shaped holes cut into them.

Does an engraved, etched, carved or otherwise embellished weapon even exist? I need (ideally, anything will do) mid 15th C to mid 16th C.And Turkish, if you've got it?

And if it does, do any of you guys have photos of this Bardiche or these Bardiches?

Thanks everyone.

[Mark Griffin]

nothing European springs to mind. they are a basic weapon for the simpler and less moneyed fellow so etching and engraving would be a bit out their league. But who knows....

[Boris Bedrosov]

Try to find some pictures of inventory numbers W 4888 and W 47 (older numberings PC 5024 and PC 5026) from the Museums fur Deutsche Geschichte, Berlin GERMANY.

Although a bit later compared with your target of interest (end of 17th C/beginning of 18th) , the decoration of these two Russian bardiches comprizes of similar engraved fight-scenes between a dragon and a horse (on both surfaces of the blade) and stylized flower-motives around the shaft-hole.
Both weapons could be found in the great "Europaische Hieb- und Stich-Waffen" (European Cut- and Thrust Weapons) book.

Unfortunatelly, my scanner is out-of-order - although always reluctant to do this, I would scan these bardiches for you.