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Nate C.
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 Posted: Sat 14 May, 2005 11:51 pm Post subject: Hafted Sword/Polearm Question |
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I was intrigued by something I read in this thread about pole arms. One of the participants mentioned a hafted sword that Peter Johnsson made some time ago. After a search of the forums, I found this thread pertaining to the aforementioned weapon. I am really intrigued by this weapon and it started me thinking. I once drew a weapon similar to this but the blade and haft length were more "balanced". In my design the blade and haft are approx. 36" and 48" respectively. Basically a Longsword blade with a 4' haft  . My question is this; did such a weapon (or one similar) ever exist?
I once saw a tv spot about whaling and the people chopping up the whale were using something similar to this for the large cutting. Does anyone know what this "whaler's sword" is called?
Thanks for your help.
Nate C.
Sapere Aude
"If you are going to kill the man, at least give him a decent salute." - A. Blansitt
If they ever come up with a Swashbuckling School, I think one of the courses should be Laughing, then Jumping Off Something. --Jack Handy
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Matthew Kelty
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| Posted: Sun 15 May, 2005 11:19 am Post subject: |
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To me and my experience in the Italian/German/French weaponry, it looks like a rustic version of the Partisan, or possibly the precursor of the Runka or Ronchone, which had developed in the early to middle 16th century.
It may have been that these Swiss arms were the forerunners of the later forms. Most of the examples I found were from the arsenals of the later Maximillian/Charles V eras. I was pouring through some of my books last night, and came across some fabulous examples of these later forms in the Armeria de Madrid (the Imperial collection in Spain). Perhaps Maximillian was impressed by their usefullness against his Landsknecht, and spawned the further development of these weapon forms.
I'll see if I can scan in some of the images. I had some equestrian stuff to grab out of it for Gordon anyways... 
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Anton de Vries
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| Posted: Sun 15 May, 2005 11:24 am Post subject: Re: Hafted Sword/Polearm Question |
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| Nate C. wrote: | "whaler's sword"?
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You are probably referring to a flensing knife.
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Daniel Staberg
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| Posted: Sun 15 May, 2005 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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Swiss arms???
The 'Staff-sword' was a Swedish design so were do the Swiss come into the picture? 
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Matthew Kelty
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Daniel Staberg
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| Posted: Sun 15 May, 2005 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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I don't think that the Partisan&Roncone are related with the Swedish staff-sword, both of those weapons apear in well devoloped forms well before the staff-sword appears in the sources. If they are conected in any way I suspect that the Swedish weapons are copies of continental designs rather than the opposite.
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Nate C.
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| Posted: Sun 15 May, 2005 4:54 pm Post subject: Re: Hafted Sword/Polearm Question |
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| Anton de Vries wrote: | | Nate C. wrote: | "whaler's sword"?
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You are probably referring to a flensing knife. |
That would be it. According to the all-knowing google, flensing knives are a broad category of knife used to flense (de-blubber) animals like seals and whales. They vary widely in size from smaller bowie sized ones for seals to 6', cleaver-on-a-stick sized ones for whales. Rather an icky "mundane" use, but quite a weapon should one use it as such.
Matthew - Thanks for bringing those up. I knew about the partisan already although I didn't realise that the blade could be so long. The roncone is a new one that I shall have to look into.
Cheers,
Nate C.
Sapere Aude
"If you are going to kill the man, at least give him a decent salute." - A. Blansitt
If they ever come up with a Swashbuckling School, I think one of the courses should be Laughing, then Jumping Off Something. --Jack Handy
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This is a standard topic