Late Period War Hammer The war hammer was quite a popular weapon in all of Europe, but particularly so in Eastern Europe. Long war hammers were used as walking staffs, and it was not uncommon for a noble to walk about with his war hammer tucked into his belt. This is an all steel war hammer from Germany that was in use in the late 16th and early 17th century. The head has a strong, tough spike that balances off the wide faced hammerhead. The grip is wrapped with cord. One of the nice things about maces and war hammers was that you never needed to sharpen them. Made by Windlass Steelcrafts®. #600636...$95 The original is in the Nurenberg Museum..
	LATE BATTLE AXE With the increased protection of the mounted knight's plate armor, the battle axe, mace and war hammer became required components of a soldier's arsenal. In many instances the axe was the primary striking portion of the weapon. But as armor became heavier, the spike became the more important striking face. The axe could be used against mail and lightly armed troops, but the spike was more effective against a heavily armored opponent. The axe we have copied from the Royal Armouries at Leeds, has a stout wooden shaft, protected by steel langets. The head has a small high carbon steel head, while the spike is strong, tough high carbon steel that would punch through armor with ease. The axe is also equipped with a belt hook that allowed the knight to carry it when not mounted on his horse. Made by Windlass Steelcrafts®. #600638$120
	POLE AXE We ran across this axe in a private collection and immediately decided we needed to replicate it. With a long history of use, the pole axe was very popular in the lists, with the winner being decided by the number of blows fairly struck. It was also used in serious duels, where the winner was the one who could walk away from the field. But even so, it was also quite popular for use on the field of battle. At 68" in length, the pole axe (also called a poll axe, since it was used to hit the head) was quite handy. With a good sharp point it could be used as a short spear, the back hammer or spike could be used to batter or pierce armor, and the axe head itself was quite lethal. This is a superb copy, with a high carbon blade and langets to protect the shaft. A magnificent example of a polearm. Made by Windlass Steelcrafts®. #600640...$145 ($5 addl. s/h)
	Late War Axe Guns were starting to replace most Medieval style weapons, but they only shot once and were very slow to reload. The armored mounted warrior was still common and this is just the type of weapon that could be relyed upon when facing an equally armored opponent. The shaft is long to make it possible to easily strike a man on horseback or on the ground. The small wedge shaped axehead could split armor and the long deadly spike could pierce either a helmet or a breastplate. An interesting weapon to add to your collection. Long wood shaft with leather grip. Made by Windlass Steelcrafts. #600644 Overall-28 1/2" * Head 2 3/8" x 10" * Wt.-2 lbs
	WAR AXE/HAMMER This unusual axe has a heavy war hammer head instead of a small pole or spike utilized by most other battleaxes. With its long shaft, this weapon would function well for use on horseback as well as on foot. It is not hard to imagine it thrust through an archer's belt for the times when the line was overrun. Made by Windlass Steelcrafts®. #600646...$125 Overall-22 3/8" Head-5 5/8" x 6" wide Wt.-2 lbs.
	Bec De Corbin Used for foot combat, the "Raven's Beak" was considered a knightly weapon and saw action on the battlefield, as well as in the tournament list. The name was taken from the large deadly back spike and its easy to see why on this example from Paris. It is a full 6" long and has a reinforced tip for punching through mail and armor. The head also has a long 4" pronged hammer head and a top blade, plus a steel butt-spike on the end of the hardwood shaft for smashing an opponent's feet. Made by Windlass Steelcrafts®. ($5 addl. s/h) Overall-68" * Top Blade-12" long, 1" wide, 3/16" thick * Head-10" * Wt.-4 lbs. 8 oz.
	Heavy War Hammer Armor of all degrees would be sorely damaged with this hammer. The spike could crush through helmet or damage a sword arm to great effect. Steel langets help to guard the shaft as well as secure the head to the hardwood shaft. Made by Windlass Steelcrafts® Overall-23" Head- 7 3/8" x 1 1/4" x 1" Wt-2 3/4 lbs.
	ENGLISH WAR HAMMER With the increasing sturdiness of plate armor, the sword became less and less effective against a fully armored knight. Hammers, axes and maces soon became the weapon of choice for hand-to-hand combat of the mounted knight. The war hammer quickly evolved and became one of the premier weapons. Generally it was lighter and faster than the mace. Often it was made somewhat longer, so that the reach could be extended, but it could be shortened as well if need be. We ran across this in a private collection, and fell in love with it. Light, fast and deadly. Dates from about 1530 AD. Made by Windlass Steelcrafts®. Overall-25 1/4". Width-head to spike-6 1/2". Wt.-1 3/4 lbs.