Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Help to identify a machete-falchion-billhook thing

Philip · 17th January 2018, 07:06 AM

This has the potential of growing into an interesting discussion of the evolution of agricultural into military implements, a reversal of the "beating...spears into pruning hooks" process. Looking at the process from the standpoint of pole weapons, are you familiar with Arturo Puricella-Guerra's article, "The Glaive and the Bill: The evolution of farm tools into the most basic of pole arms", in Art, Arms, and Armour (ed. Robt Held, 1979), pp 3-11)? The author points out that the transition from the war scythe to the glaive (this process featuring the change from a concave to convex cutting edge but adhering to the essentially curved shape) occurred in the period 1200-1400. By the end of that period, the Italian and French forms had added a dorsal spike and the tip became more slender and attenuated to improve its thrusting capability, but in essence their blades still displayed a somewhat machete-like profile.

17th January 2018, 07:06 AM	#3
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	have you read this... This has the potential of growing into an interesting discussion of the evolution of agricultural into military implements, a reversal of the "beating...spears into pruning hooks" process. Looking at the process from the standpoint of pole weapons, are you familiar with Arturo Puricella-Guerra's article, "The Glaive and the Bill: The evolution of farm tools into the most basic of pole arms", in Art, Arms, and Armour (ed. Robt Held, 1979), pp 3-11)? The author points out that the transition from the war scythe to the glaive (this process featuring the change from a concave to convex cutting edge but adhering to the essentially curved shape) occurred in the period 1200-1400. By the end of that period, the Italian and French forms had added a dorsal spike and the tip became more slender and attenuated to improve its thrusting capability, but in essence their blades still displayed a somewhat machete-like profile.