Everyone would have carried a knife or dagger of some sort in the fifteenth century these are a useful side arm in a tight spot and come in various designs. The most famous are the 'Bollock' dagger, so called due to the phallic style of the hilt and the 'Rondel' dagger.
Blunted daggers are used in our combat display but sharp blades can be bought for use or display in the living history camp.
The earliest type of Halberd used a rectangular shaped axe with a straight cutting edge that was attached to the eight-foot shaft by two sockets. Later a spike was added to the top, and then after 1400 a beak at the back.
During the fifteenth century the Halberd was refined. The two sockets were replaced with a single socket into which the shaft was inserted. The axe head became rhomboid-shaped and the points became more substantial and usually forged out of the same metal as theaxe-head . lagnets were added to protect the shaft. A loose collar placed around the base, known as a "Zwinge” could be added to strengthen the shaft.
Very much an English weapon, performing the same function as the halberd in continental Europe. It was derived from the agricultural billhook that was used for hedging, pruning and cutting fruit. Consequently, it has an axe-like blade like the halberd, but is smaller and terminates in a hook.
It usually has a thrusting point at the tip and a beak on the rear edge. The point can be rounded, square or flat in profile. The beak likewise can be of any shape. The shaft is usually round or octagonal, and is fixed to the “bill” by using a rounded socket and langets.
The billhook is usually lighter than the halberd, so while it cannot be wielded with such force, it can be wielded with greater speed.
A nice cheap way to make your own bill is to buy a bill hook at a boot fayer, grind the edge down so it’s nice and blunt and mount it on a 5 or 6 foot pole!
The spear is an ancient design in use since the Stone Age. During the medieval period it was still popular, as it was easy to manufacture like the bills and halberds and is lighter if less versatile.
Spear heads can be bought for as little as £10-£15 for just a small point or for a bit more you can buy a head with "wings" this is a hunting spear and was used to hunt boar, the wings were there to stop the enraged boar impaling itself further onto your spear in its attempts to get at it's attacker as they would rest either side of the wound and hold the wounded animal at bay.
In a battle re-enactment spears are handy as the lighter head makes them quick and difficult to block if used by a skilled owner, whilst the wings can be used to snag opposition weapons and thus help to block.
Maces, flails and hammers were another easily made form of weapon during the whole of the medieval period.
Maces were usually of the heavy steel flanged variety capable of inflicting injuries through armour and crushing helmets. Alternatively
they could have a spiked ball weight instead. Either way, because all the weight is at one end they are not greatly used in modern
re-enacting as a blow is more likely to be uncontrollable and has the potential to inflict severe damage, this is especially so for
flail weapons which have their weight on the end of a short chain.
Battle Axes were also easily made and common on medieval battle fields but are not used by our group, as again all the weight is at one end a blow is more likely to be uncontrollable and has the potential to inflict severe damage.
Oh and as far as a authenticity goes the batwing axe (the popular hollywood double bladed variety) was NEVER a period item, it is pure fantasy.
