Blunt & Other Handhelds

War hammer

The war hammer evolved in the 11th and 12th centuries from simple tools such as the pick and the mallet. It consisted of a hammer head (used to damage armor plates and joints), balanced on the opposite side by a spike, a blade, or a pick. Some variants also featured a spike at the top of the shaft. In the 14th century, the war hammer was typically wielded with one hand and had a shaft proportion similar to that of a mace. In the 15th century, the head was also mounted on long poles, giving rise to pole-mounted variants such as the Lucerne hammer.

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Mace

The mace first appeard in the 11th century and became along with the lance and sword, a secondary weapon for close combat. Early maces had a wooden shaft, with only the head made of iron or copper alloys. Starting in the 12th century, maces were increasingly made entirely of iron, which allowed them to inflict significantly greater damage, particularly against heavily armored opponents. Two main forms became established: a presumably older form with a knob-like head, and a variant with several flanges or wings arranged evenly around a tubular center and sharp enough to severely damage plate armor.

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Flail

The one handed war flail probably orginating from the Khazars was introduced during the 10th century in Eastern europe and the Islamic world. European flails usually consisted of a chain attached to a wooden shaft, with a smooth or spiked metal ball at the end. Some variations featured several balls strung one after another on a single chain or attached to multiple chains. The balls were typically made of iron, brass, bronze, or lead-filled iron. In Eastern Europe and the Islamic world, leather or hemp straps were usually used as connective elements, while organic materials such as bone, antler, or horn were used in addition to metal balls.

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