Help with halberd
 

Hello, I want request your opinion about this halberd, recently I saw one similar to this at sale on ebay, the seller told that it is french early XVII, the size is about 66 cms. What do you think? Real or fake? Thanks a lot

More photos

The last ones

Not familiar with this style. Could it have been part of decoration (e.g. statue)?

Never seen anything like it but the metal/patina does look old.

Perhaps old East Indian 'parade' halberd? Many of their real weapons and armor had an accompanying dress-style' equivalents. The primitive decoration reminds me exactly like those found on parade khula khed helmets...

Thanks to all for your response.
It seems old but I can´t find any info of it, maybe you have reason and I have to search in Indian parade weapons or furniture / decoration items :confused: :confused:

Perhaps the Moderators might double-post this on the Ethnographics side. I truly feel this one is East Indian. That does not conflict with it being very old and a truly great piece!

One thing is certain; this is not a battle weapon !

Will do that, Mark; not following your thoughts on the origin, though. :shrug:

I'd not be so quick to discount it's use as a weapon. The axe blade looks more like a vestigal non-functional decoration, the hook and especially the substantial spike would be deadly against horsemen. Swiss halberders were fond of hooking Knight's tabards and pulling them off their horse, then sticking the spike into a joint in the armour, neck, armpit, or open face mask to convert bad Austrians into good ones. The axes on theirs were used on more exposed meaty bits.

The good citizens of Flanders defeated an Illustrious army of 14c noble French knights with their hastily made Goedendagen, basicly a quarterstaff with a long spike like the one on this halberd, sans hook tho. I could see this one and it's brothers guarding a Princely General against opposing Armoured cavalry. It'd be better with some languets added tho.

Dayne, old chum; one thing is an implement being able (as any) to be used as a weapon, the other is it being genuinely forged to be a (battle) weapon ;).

As Fernando said, the halberd doesn't look like a fighting weapon. I had the chance to handle some original halberds, and even though I've seen some weird shapes (including crescent like blades), they never looked like this.

In my humble opinion, the blade and rear spike are too thick and almost look like they were cast (not sure about that though), plus they are not usually mounted to the rest of the weapon in this way. Moreover the weld of the socket is usually cleaner, and reinforced with langets.

So maybe a ceremonial or ornemental weapon from the XVIIIth / XIXth century ? :shrug:


The second is very nice and old (you can see the structure of the steel in one of the pictures). Although it's hard to tell due to the condition, I think it might be an "épieu" (no idea how to translate that in english "hunting spear" ? Although war "épieux" existed too). The faceted socket looks almost XVth century like to me ...