16. century Bodyguard Halberd - Piece of Art

Here I present a particularly beautiful Halberd from the workshop of Ulrich Langbehn. It is a commissioned work and on my special request. The goal was to get a particularly long, thrust emphasized halberd... what came out of it you can you watch in this video. Enjoy!
Here you come to his website: longsword-longleg.de/

[@MrBatraaf]

This remains my absolute favorite weapon to train with. An opponent with a sword or a dagger really doesn't stand much of a chance.

[@happy_camper]

Seeing real examples of various types in-person, you realize just how fearsome they are.

[@barebius]

In sparring videos we can see many cases of successful closing up with dagger against polearms. But I think it mostly because of the multiple tries, a chance to learn and fix mistakes and that it's not threatning your life. When the fight is real and mistake means death - dagger gets much worse.

[@idontbelieveinmagic]

nothing beats the long pokey stick apart from a longer pointier stick.

[@letmeeatcake7836]

​@@barebius also the polearm user is artificially going slower for safety

[@Malus131]

@@idontbelieveinmagic What about the lead ball fired from the hollow stick?

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

According to Humphrey Barwick's 1592 manual, French officers wielded halberds with long points that were suited only for thrusting in order to face Landsknecht sergeants with two-handed swords. Barwick considered such halberds good weapons in the hands of soldiers who knew how to use them properly.

[@superrobotmonkeyhyperteamf3194]

Very interesting, i remember a german source i've read that called them officers halberds and differentiated between those and the ones for normal soldiers. Reasons were that officer needed to keep the lines in order and that they could support their men from outside of the formation where a longer point was more useful.

Nice insights, thx! Do you have the source reference for me? :)

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

@ It's on page 23 of Humphrey Barwick's 1592 *A breefe discourse, concerning the force and effect of all manuall weapons of fire and the disability of the long bowe or archery, in respect of others of greater force now in vse. With sundrye probable reasons for the verrifying therof: the which I haue doone of dutye towards my soueraigne and country, and for the better satisfaction of all such as are doubtfull of the same.* "I wish no Halbards into the hands of any that hath no skill to vse the same, for it is a weapon that can abide no blowes, as the Bill wil do, but yet in the hands of officers, & such as hath skill how to vse the same, it is a very good weapon, but the same must be handled delicately with the push onely, and quickly drawne backe: the cause that the French officers do vse them with such long staues and pykes, is to encounter with the Lance-knights, who do vse being Sargiants of foote-bandes, to carrie verie good long swordes or Slaugh swordes."

[@Kevin80237]

Spear

[@KubanaHAFANANA]

@@b.h.abbott-motley2427 he's probably referring to the user of a halberd to not strike with like you would with an axe, albeit to stab with it and tear with a backwards pull thus tearing the tendons, legs, arms and necks (from the backwards after a missed/deflected thrust) thus the shape of the "axe head" and the beak at the back. Anyhow - awesome deadly weapon

[@jaye1967]

I can see how effective a troop of 8 bodyguards would be with this. You could create a 10M/30 ft diameter zone of protection, with the weapon allowing them to quickly deal with any mele threat.

[@robinswords]

I've been on a polearm bender of my own of late - new billhook to blame - so this is icing on the cake! Another lovely video

I have already seen. Beautiful piece :)

[@happy_camper]

Training with the halberd has been a great way for me to focus my post-injury fitness goals. After recovering from muscle injuries, I have been rebuilding strength and now I feel fitter than before. Practicing halberd has been a very rewarding activity for my mind and body during this process.

yeah i can imagine... i also love the body emphazised movement with the halberd. Take care mate :)

[@Wolvenworks]

I wish i can find a halberd…and the space to try it out.

[@philw8049]

That is gorgeous, and I agree, a work of art. I am a cnc machinist, I’ve worked with metal most of my adult life. In a very different way of course, but it has given me a great appreciation for the artistry involved with making these historical weapons and armor using nothing but hammer, heat, and metal. Incredible artistry to be sure.

[@PeterSolerom]

Greetings from Mexico ❤

[@theg0z0n]

Beautiful weapon, and as always, love the plunderhosen!

[@Omnium__]

In Spain the royal guards starting in the year 1504 used halberds as weapons. Only sergents could carry the weapon in war, and some of them later were assigned as royal protectors. They would also engrave the halberds with the name of the king they served. To this day, the royal guards "Compañía de Alabarderos" still accompany the king. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2nGY3SLhMeXack

[@valandil7454]

I first saw a Halberd in Rome and the Swissguardsman holding out was a giant, I couldn't take my eyes of it a beautiful and frightening weapon 🙂 I've ran through some forms with one now and would love to learn to use one like that, perfect demonstration as always 🙂

Its a pity that my fundamental vid about the halberd does not have a narration yet... but thx for your nice words^^

[@markuscamenzind5510]

in the Vatican city its not part of italy or rome guards can be arrested for entering rome armed

[@vgnlda]

Swiss guards cannot be giants. They have to be all around the minimum height of 1,74 m. Never seen a real tall one.

[@menablubb442]

@@vgnlda Not sure where you have that from. My cousin, well above 1.9m, was a Swiss Guard in the Vatican City for several years.

[@vgnlda]

@@menablubb442 I studied in Rome all the university and worked there another couple of years after, near the Vatican (civil court of Rome). It was 30 years ago, though. Things could have changed.

[@jrs3739]

Love your vids, got a whole new appreciation for the halberd through them.

[@davidhughett6081]

What an amazing, impressive, and beautiful weapon! I have always been fascinated with halberds and polearms in general.

[@RonGunsolus]

That is an absolutely magnificent piece of steel!

[@mccarthy86]

Nice video on halberds. I'm Swiss and always preferred the early versions the Swiss used in the independence wars (3 of them!), the ones with the straight edge angled forwards. A combination of reach, axe, spear and hook really makes it a super versatile tool. When they declared war on the Hapsburgs they were just peasants and had to turn their civilian tools into weapons of war (queue The A-Team montage music), I would love to see what they used for the battles of Morgarten and Sempach (I was born on the opposite end of the Sempachersee to the battleground).

[@andretube5031]

Dieses Video ist ein wunderbarer Start ins Wochenende. Viele Dank dafür 👍🏻🙏

[@ianhathaway602]

Always impressive!

[@RaderGH]

A lovely piece. I would definitely like to own a Halberd one day. Thank you for the video.

[@Good3urmes]

Very cool vid - I've always like this weapon. Thanks for sharing

[@TheKorbi]

It looks so good

[@thepossibleend]

You are the coolest guy I have ever seen.

[@Ilu_Swa]

Wie immer sehr informativ und unterhaltsam zugleich ⚔️

[@leongolgo9950]

Beautiful form. Very efficient.

[@ArgentavisMagnificens]

Es ist immer eine Freude, deine Videos zu sehen. Liebe Grüße aus Brasilien

thx mate!

[@billberg1264]

I've always been a tad skeptical of the halberd designs that didn't become prominent until after halberds stopped being a common military weapon. I worry that the average officer or honorguardsman may have been slightly less concerned with the practicality of his weapon than the average footsoldier would have been.

[@Igneous01]

That is a gorgeous, beautiful halberd. Absolutely beautiful! And seeing you dual wield with a sword makes this a treat. I wonder if it would make more sense to offhand a sabre or rapier while the halberd is in the primary hand? You may be able to utilise both weapons at the same time (swing and thrust).

[@gaborfabian1239]

​ @BjornRuther Have you tried to use it with Marozzo's techniques? I found that Achille Marozzo's bill and partisan moves translate very well to longer halberds. Having the halberd not weigh more than 2,5 kg also helps. I would like to hear you thoughts. :)

[@agogecoach8790]

Good description! What you did with the sword and halberd together was really interesting.

[@shastaganti7555]

The sword and halberd reminds me of Gandalf duel wielding glamdring and his staff

[@PolnareffPendragon22]

Pura habilidade incrível. 🥂

[@MCBosmans]

In Dutch we call this weapon Hellebaard which sounds like Hell's beard, so it always gave me funny imaginations. Definitely a ferocious weapon

Hehe...thats funny :D

[@randelldarky3920]

I am a fan of the pole weapons. My Halberd or Pole Axe are great primary weapons. My Norman Sword is great back up.

[@Rawkit_Surgeon]

I've always like how halberds look. I think they're more beautiful than swords.

[@Gares.]

I'd love to see a video about the different "eras" of weapon trends / historical evolution of warfare!

[@barebius]

Yes, more polearm videos please, and mostly polearm tutorials!

[@josuesepulveda6850]

Great video.

[@Herowebcomics]

Wow! If I saw a guard with one of these,I would stay away! That tip is so long! The axe and pick are a bit small though.

[@johannesmichaelalhaugthoma4215]

Nicely done

[@saganenzenieer6785]

This is one wicked weapon

[@hamasmillitant1]

thanks very nice, if your using it 1 handed use it like a staff, or fighting around a small tree, right in front of you, you can circle around your staff/halbeard even more so than a wall shield whichever way they swing or stab from its 1 step to safety and counter blow with 1 hander

[@offroadturkey]

All day I dream about halberds or something g like that

[@j453]

Very cool

[@JamesLaserpimpWalsh]

Butted with a nice spike too. Lovely thing. I'm guessing the curvyness of the ax it to hook and disarm in a civilian guard context. Thanks for the vid.

[@MMALAB]

My favorite European weapon.

[@jeroenwubbels7824]

Rollo is back

[@gerhardsteinmayer3176]

16th century Adidas boots!

[@CtrlAltRetreat]

Is the spike cruciform or bladelike? I'm wondering if the thrusting point is designed to have a glaive edge if you underswing with the axe head.

[@warhorse03826]

the Higgins Armory has a folding spetum that was designed specifically for bodyguards.

[@Anon26535]

Also not a bad weapon for cutting off Kalameet's tail.

[@olgfried3630]

Does the swiss guard of the pope still practice training with their halberds?

[@codaxthevulture4129]

They should in case landsknecht come back

As far as i know yes...i know that they practised it sometimes...i really want to give a workshop for those guys^^

[@smaug131]

Is there a good video or piece on how the functionality and usage of the halberd changed to fit guardsmen better? I get the (perhaps wrong) impression that the inwards curved axe blade makes it better for possible less lethal use where it can be used to restrain someone (well, that leaves the opponent with a bigger chance to end up restrained and not dead)

Also my impression. I mean...i made 6 vids about Halberd techniques..some are more lethal, some are not...just choose the ones that are best for your purpose.

[@saltyyankee5149]

I would LOVE to have a similar arm in my collection. Watching the hand over techniques and grip changes and I'm wondering if the halberd was used to deftly with kit and guantlet, or was this largely done with simple leather gloves? I know my dexterity goes down particularly fast with clamshells one, and I've never tried fighting in finger gauntlets, so I can't visualize the manipulations at my meager skill level if I were in kit.

[@ghiaccio4179]

This halberd looks absolutely beautiful. I wonder how much it costed you to get your hands on it, cuz I'd also love to get myself a beast like this polearm

[@sameerthakur720]

You should be a guy named Hal, with a beard, carrying a Halberd. Best combination.

[@ericdpeerik3928]

Björn: eloquently explains the halberd Me: ..... pointy stick! Edit: I failed to spell eloquently right 😂

[@cempaciencia7294]

make a video of which is the best bodyguard weapon, halberd vs zwaiihander. (always a pleasure to watch your videos =} )

[@maxkore278]

1:52 mmm motor axes, yes i understand thank you subtitles for clearing that up, if only i knew what a motor axe was lol

[@DustyPazner]

Pike and shot... fire and sword my favorite time of battle.

[@kamilszadkowski8864]

Now I've learned that crossbows are a type of firearm. 😉 On a more serious note, do you think halberds were used on patrol duty or by bodyguards because of representative reasons or do they really provide tangible advantages in comparison to similar but lighter polearms like spears or partisans?

Haha your are right :P ... regarding your question: I guess Halberds are more versatile than Spears...both are long and thrust oriented but the halberd is also nice for hooking and pushing (without harming the ppl to serious). And yes, the Halberd provides a lot of space for engravements and etchings for representive purposes, i think thats also a reason why they are more popular for nice looking guards etc.

[@kamilszadkowski8864]

@ Good points. Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. Cheers!

[@sevenevils8282]

Hey Bjorn, love your vids, thank you for the info and entertainment! I've always wondered how halberdiers fight in ranks. Any plans on doing a vid?

[@KevinsArmory]

well halberd eventually became more of an officers weapon, specifically a sergeant would direct the aim of musket formations of lower ranking soldiers. Its also for policing. Before that it may have been used in combined arms/ pike formations like in the Spanish Tercio formation to repel cavalry charges.

[@sevenevils8282]

@KevinsArmory I couldn't really find anything on halberdier formations, if they existed at all. Thanks for the reply!

[@KevinsArmory]

​@@sevenevils8282 I dont think it was ever used exclusively on its own. It was always depicted as a combined arms weapon in formations like Tercio and Pike&Shot, and usually the weapon was reserved for higher ranks of infantry, like guards for officers and seargants

[@815TypeSirius]

Tempting me to use one for my bad guy in BG3

[@egm01egm]

Can this halberd cut or this type of axe is just for decoration and occasional clinging of clothing etc?

[@sachan9081]

I recall that the purpose of the axe is for after a stab with the spear point. First you do a thrust, then you can use the special shape to cut your opponent on the recovery of your thrust

Its more for hooking i would say. And if you strike its more like a penetration with the edges/blunt force instead of cutting. So still lethal better to control when you just stir around in a crowd...

[@CptZhu]

halbers are a hybrid of spears and poleaxes!

[@raphlvlogs271]

Halberds started out quite cut orientated and gradually become more thrust orientated over the centuries

[@kgibas666]

hooks and spikes in the crowd... don't forget it... it is infantry weapon not show off "knights" BS. greetings from poland :3

Yep...also my impression...somewhat like from axe oriented to spear oriented

[@MyCommentsRMaturelol]

huh. i thought that style was just fantasy. good video!

Thx :)

[@bullyt2170]

😍😍😍

[@IncognitoAtreides]

Best weapon

[@skoniramont]

This is my weapon of choice in a zombie apocalypse. I don't have the profficiency to build myself a "Lobo"

[@cernel5799]

1:07 Do you have any insight on why the axe-like blade eventually became (half-moon) shaped like in the halberd you are using or the three rightmost ones in the image? What's the upside?

[@marekznikad3912]

Hello, anyone knows what's the name of the pants he's wearing? The closest I found are szarawary [Sirwal / sherwal]

[@evilintheair7212]

Why did the axe blades become curved? Does it serve a purpose, or does it just mark them becoming more ornamental?

[@ar99527]

👍

[@Stoertebekerxyz]

Wenn man das sieht lacht man nicht mehr über die Schweizer Garde.

[@raphlvlogs271]

cutting with the Halberd can be harder than with the glaive billhook or Bardiche mainly due to the shorter edge length

yep...its always a trade-off

[@tymonnieduzak1127]

What is the difference between a murder axe and a poleaxe? I have tried researching this to no avail, please let me know!

Murderaxe is a more direct translation (from Mordaxt), its the same.

[@Kaador]

Hallo Herr Rüther. Ein Kanal namens: " Legendares-Schwert " benutzt eine Menge ihrer Video Ausschnitte. Nur das Sie da Bescheid wissen.

[@EarlRedclaw]

What's your height? And furthermore, what could be considered an "alright height for a polearm, according to my own personal height of 183 cm. ?

Not an easy question. But in average around 115% to 125%. But it really depends on period, culture and own style.

Im 195cm

[@smilodnfatalis55]

4:26 I'd be cautious of resting the halberd out there, your left hand stays exposed for several seconds, unguarded and perhaps even more vulnerable than if it was free and extended, since the pole guides things down to your hand and you'd have to lift the whole halberd to pull your hand back, which will certainly be slower than the opponent's strike that you're reacting to since the halberd is a little heavy. I think it should stay cocked back and ready to thrust rather that used for any defensive utility

[@torquevonthorne948]

"Una fiamma che arde Mille alabarde" ~ Samuele Nonsense

[@benmiller3358]

What shoes are you wearing Bjorn?

[@AncientAudiophile]

Looks like Adidas wrestling shoes. Adidas Combat Speed 5?

[@timothyfreeman97]

Doesn't the Pontifex Maximus' guards carry these?

[@danielhofig8429]

Oh yeah they do.

[@timothyfreeman97]

@danielhofig8429 like, as in the current one in Rome? The guy who's name rhymes with 'Dope Chances'.

[@bernardputersznit64]

THAT over long spike would cause so much trouble - if it impales to fully you are not getting it out - also all too likely to dig into the ground while quarterstaffing

[@jimohara]

Tbh I hadn’t really considered getting a halberd for my own training

[@georgrodl4217]

Hallo Björn, dein Dialekt hört sich deutsch an, hast du auch einen Kanal mit deutschen Videos?

[@WaybackFencingClub]

The Swiss Guard for the Pope are still familiar with halberds yes?

[@marcelocampos749]

I would like to make one for practice. You hace a tutorial?

[@Mephiston1984LoD]

🙂

[@Killtrobal]

bueno pal asao el amigo

[@elshebactm6769]

🗿👍

[@fefferryerr1818]

more interested in the pants.

[@kgibas666]

you should throw away this arming sword few minutes earlier.... it is absolutely unnecessarily to use it with halberd :3 greetings from poland. great video.

Haha...yeah you possibly right mate :)

[@kgibas666]

@ i mean... or to put this swort back in to scabbard. is not bad idea to use sword with other single handed weapon, or shild, but it's imposibble to use halberd correct way, with one hand (the sword might be qite usable later) ps. great channel with wery apriciate content. AVE \m/

[@BentHeWiLdER]

I wonder how it would go against a Roman legionare.

[@LongMax]

It looks like this halberd is a bit heavy, you swing it slow.

Heavy and long...its the heaviest i got so far (4,4kg). Its surprising how heavy the originals are sometimes...i had one in my hands last year, way shorter and heavier (4,5kg). It gives the impression that those halberds are made to last a long time, what makes sense if you want to participate in a campaign. But its a trade-off...as you already noticed.

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

@ 4.4-4.5kg is way too heavy. Most originals are close 2.5kg, with some less. There are few circa-1600 Italian halberds with big ornate crescent heads that weigh 3.8-4kg. I'm very skeptical that was a practical weight.

[@kurtbogle2973]

Lol your very good, but your opponent is so fast that I can't see him!

[@pingburner]

i could say i like watch at moving burly men, but be honest say i much more like combat technic that.

[@bloodisfrightening1203]

I’ve always known that halberds are fucking dangerous but they’ve always been and always will be a clowns weapon in my mind lol. I couldn’t take you seriously if it was your weapon of choice and you were trying to kill me with it. It reminds me of a mall cop or those dopey Vatican soldiers and it just makes me laugh.

[@North_sea_empire_Viking]

This particular Halberd looks cumbersome and not particularly sturdy. With its lack of speed and especially in a 'bodyguard' ambush situation it looks like it would be fairly easy to get past the point and kill the weilder.

[@kamilszadkowski8864]

Everything looks easy in theory. I doubt many would agree to test your theory in practice. Especially against multiple bodyguards on a narrow street.

[@North_sea_empire_Viking]

@@kamilszadkowski8864 I take it you read the word 'ambush' here? It's kind of a KEY word here. No idiot would ambush someone in a narrow street and also, you use the plural 'bodygaurdS'. Did you EVER consider there could be more attackers than bodygaurds? OR if you really wanna get anal, you could just shoot them with any type of missle weapon or firearm....good luck with your Halberd then matey. I rest my case😂😘

That piece is actually a little slower than all the others I have...sometimes it is also first the deterrence that you want to achieve as a guard...there big weapons always help. The best example are the cumbersome, huge battle swords. A good guard is first and foremost proactive and wants to prevent the actual confrontation before it happens. However, the weapon is not made to react quickly, but to aim and hit...that should be enough.

[@North_sea_empire_Viking]

@ I'm pleased you concur with my observations. I also concur with your point that from a bodyguard's perspective, the best confrontation is no confrontation at all, and that big weapons can certainly help as a deterrent to would be attackers. However, these attackers fall into the category of 'opportunist' attackers as no weapon acts as a deterrent to an organised ambush especially when there's a valuable prize to obtain. All the same, another good video, always a pleasure to see various weapons being weilded well. Keep up the good work✊🏻

[@TheYuvimon]

Meine Fresse Björn. Da machst du immer wieder Videos deren Titel super interessant klingen und bietest das Ganze dann schön visuell untermalt dar ... und dann sprichst du da so einen *Rotz* drüber? Bitte bitte bitte lass das jemand gegenchecken der tatsächlich Englisch spricht, bevor du es veröffentlichst. Ich würde gerne, aber ich *kann* mir das einfach nicht anhören. Sprich deutsch und benutze Untertitel (Ich übersetze und schreib sie dir auch gerne) aber bitte red kein Englisch, wenn da so wenig Sprachgefühl vorhanden ist. Grammatikalisch ist es akzeptabel, aber bei der Aussprache von Halberd als "Harbert" begonnen mir dann doch die Ohren zu bluten.

Ich befürchte an meinem hamburger Hochdeutsch würdest Du ebenfalls etwas auszusetzen haben. Chill einfach ne Runde und schau Dir einfach andere Videos an.

[@TheYuvimon]

@ Ja gut, das mit dem Hamburgerisch mag sein, aber es gibt einen definitiven Unterschied zwischen Sprache die nicht verständlich ist weil es Dialekt ist und Sprache die nicht verständlich ist weil es schlichtweg falsch ist. Ich bin nu wirklich nicht gut darin Kritik so zu äußern, dass sie nicht als Angriff gewertet wird, aber es ist nunmal faktisch wahr, dass dein (oder wer auch immer dem Video seine Stimme verleiht) Englisch Scheiße ist (weißte selber, ne). Verzeih mir, dass das so antagonistisch rüber kommt, aber du weißt ja anscheinend mit Leuten im Internet umzugehen. Gelassen bleiben und sie darauf hinweisen, dass sie niemand dazu zwingt deinen Content zu schauen. Und scheinst ja auch sonst alles richtig zu machen. Historisch korrekter, interessanter und schön bildlich untermalter Content, dazu noch 60k Abos ... läuft bei dir ... außer dein Englisch ... das ist Scheiße.

[@Feathertusk]

​@@TheYuvimonas a native English speaker from the US I can say that his speaking is incredibly clear, and I can understand everything he is saying and the translations all sound great. It sounds like you may just be hung up on his particular dialect accent on english, which is an absolutely silly thing to criticize. If the pronunciation of words due to accents bothers you, I would suggest to travel more and speak with people from all over the world to gain more experience and acceptance. Accents and dialects are wonderful things that can inform you more about others and their cultures and their histories.

[@coreygardner1371]

A crossbow is not a firearm...js

[@do0myk]

Now use it to take your country back from the savage hoards

[@josipmrkonic2175]

Wish they never invented firearms