Huge southeast european battle axe

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by AHorsa

I just found this piece with very similar decoration:

https://www.fricker-historische-waff...objekt-nr-6042

The description says "foot battle axe, German around 1600" but I guess it is a halberd.

Kind regards
Andreas

The Fricker axe looks more like a late knightly spike Poll-axe, with it's longer languettes on all 4 sides and side spikes. which were around 2 metres, halberds were usually a LOT longer. And heavier and thus had shorter languettes on 2 sides...Halberd heads Usually forged in one piece, Poll axes normally had the axe blade, top spike, rear spike or hammer separately welded to a central socket.

Aside from one being longer, they look fairly similar, but the use was much different. pollaxes (or poleaxes) were a knightly weapon used in one-on-one duels, used much like a quarterstaff with sharp bits. Halberds were a less noble arm used in pike formations by large men who guarded the flanks of pike formations, where a cavalry charge or attack by sword/axe weielding infabtry could devastate a pile formation. The Swiss used them to great effect against mounted Austrian knights in their own formations where the extra length and back hook pulled the shocked knight off his horse at which point the axe or spear put him out of his misery.

p.s. My 199cm. Pollaxe: poll in lieu of a back spike, languettes inlayed on all 4 sides of the haft. weighs in a bit under 2 kilos.

[AHorsa]

Thanks for the remarks Kronckew! I think you are totally right, also taking into account the side spikes I didn´t recognise) and that would also fit Fricker´s description. Thanks for showing your nice example!