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Originally Posted by cornelistromp
hi swordfish,
I do not agree with you, maces from the same period have no beak at all, and are also real combat weapons!
I also know numerous warhammers with short beak. I think the beak of the first copy zurich is original so short and not broken and reshaped.
further, there is only 2 cm needed to cause fatal injury. see skull from grave battle by Visby;skull damage caused by crossbow points and hammer blows
best,
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Sorry, but you are completely on the wrong path.
Maces are used to crush armour or bones, but are not made to penetrate armour.
War-hammers are made to penetrate armour!
A skull with sticking arrow-heads only says that the head of this warrior was not protected when he was hit by the arrows. If this warrior would have worn an iron-hat, nothing would have happened. Also a blow with a war-hammer with a beak of 2 cm length would have caused not the lightest scratches on the skull!
The short stump beak of the Zurich example is definitely shortened and reshaped. See the article of Eduard Gessler, former Curator of the Swiss National Museum in ZHWK 1926-1928 page 287.
Equally you ignore all the other depictions of real examples or in art, which all show an acutely pointed longer blade.
If an armourer makes a war-hammer, he can decide to use a short beak of 2cm length or a longer blade of 9cm length. The only reason I can imagine to use a 2 cm beak is , that he knows that the hammer will never be used for fighting.
For the pole-axes with similar heads mentioned in the Christies catalogue, the question was ' A Royal Axe ?' This is a further indication that these were splendor-axes as well as the high quality of the hammer- head.
Many splendor-swords of high quality from the 15th century are known, all were made as gifts and/or for splendor-use, surely not for fighting.
And Fernando, if you carry a splendor-hammer with you, you will surely not hold in in your hands all the day. Sometimes you must put it in your belt!
I have not seen the Dolchstreitkolben at the Klingbeil sale, but from the pictures it looked not good to me. The very low price is also an indication that there were not many bidders who believed that it is genuine.
Attached is a photo of an usual war-hammer of the second half of the 15th century. The short but acutely pointed beak has a length of c. 8cm.
Best