3 TOP Medieval Knightly POLEARMS, approved by Master Fiore dei Liberi

3 Top Medieval Knightly Polearms, approved by Master Fiore dei Liberi, with Matt Lewis ( / siege_perilous ).
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[@Stlaind]

I would love to see you do some destructive testing with pollaxes against plate and maille similar to what you did using a rondel dagger with Tod's workshop.

[@williamknight6600]

Honestly I would like to see Pollaxes Versus Armour on the same scale as arrows vs. armour.

[@williamknight6600]

Lances vs. Armour...

[@Sorrowshard]

I would be up for doing these tests.

[@MusMasi]

@@williamknight6600 all would be great

[@CAP198462]

I’d like to see what they can do against some rotten pumpkins.

[@MrPink-qf1xi]

That second spear might be my new favorite close combat weapon. I always loved winged hewing spears, it is an evolution of that, still a "simple" spear but looks so knightly and royal I loved it.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Yes I did stab my hand on Matt's spear.

[@henrihamalainen300]

You forgot to introduce Cat Easton in the intro even though it was in the frame...

[@scholagladiatoria]

He's an Easter Egg.

[@beepboop204]

him: "...protects the shaft..." you: *snorts* 4:08 😅

[@mattlewis4553]

It was an axe-ident.

[@markfergerson2145]

@@henrihamalainen300 The mention of the butt spike becoming embedded in kittens was a bit alarming... in context.

[@vaporz109]

Yes! I’ve been begging for an appearance for a ghiavarina in different posts for so long and I’m so happy to finally see Matt cover it. Such an amazing weapon!

[@adambielen8996]

That really is a great name.

[@overlorddante]

I'm loving it, too. Being an anti-cavalry weapon would explain the prominent cutting edge. Horses often weren't armored. Surprised they seemed confused by the blade.

[@frankkowalewski6702]

Kudos for Matt's custom work on his pollaxe; I would have never realized they're basically the same sourced weapon initially - just excellent refinishing and choices for replacement materials and accoutrement.

[@AngloSaxonElf]

Definitely a supporter of the idea that axed pollaxes were popular in England due to the Anglo-Danish greataxes used centuries before :)

[@grahamwelby]

Poll axe also used to "despatch" injured horses on the battlefield. Household Cavalry farriers still carry a short poll axe when on ceremonial duties.

[@GrauPelikan]

I hope we get a spear head buyer's guide soon! I've seen some lovely examples on the channel but can never quite remember where to find them.

[@TheUncleRuckus]

Matt Lewis has some Beautiful weapons, I especially love the black finish, it just sets them off. 👍👍

[@rolandscherer1574]

In German, there is a difference between "Speer" and "Lanze". The first is (mostly) for fighter on foot, the second is clamped under the arm by a knight on horse when he runs against a second with "eingelegter Lanze".

[@Sorrowshard]

Yes , in modern English it's roughly the same distinction. In period it seems a lance can be either/both. I think a foot 'lance' probably differs a bit from a traditional spear in that it is intended for and somewhat optimised for use on/in armour and with two hands.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Just to add, in medieval English literature they seem to have switched freely between the Germanic word (spere) and French (lance). I have seen sources describing the mounted lance as a spear, and the spear used on foot as a lance. It seems they were not that bothered about the distinction sometimes.

[@vde1846]

@@Sorrowshard This is why I've long thought that the Norse "atgeir" should be translated as "lance", rather than the common and speculative "spear axe". It distinguishes it as a heroes weapon above a common spear, as they are always presented, but without inventing halberds where we have no evidence of them.

[@lordexmouth1217]

My friend recently finished making my first polearm, a Lochaber axe.

[@andreweden9405]

Damn, Matt's modifications to his polearms are amazing! I'd honestly love to have him customize my spear!

[@corrugatedcavalier5266]

Great video! I would say as far as Fiore's poleaxes go, Getty does seem to show a shorter length, but Pisani Dossi looks more like what we would think of. Hard to say if that it's intentional or significant, but that's what I see. I love how Matt Lewis has a nasty back spike on all of these!

[@Sorrowshard]

It might be as simple as the fact that the pisani dossi is later (if memory serves) I have a vague recollection that as time moves forward, pollaxes start quite short and get a bit longer. Possibly charting a kind of evolution from it hypothesised humble Beginnings as a butchers tool and being ever more specialised as a specialist anti armour weapon.

[@corrugatedcavalier5266]

@@Sorrowshard I was considering that myself. AFAIK we don't know the Getty date 100% precisely. It's likely only a 3-5 year difference, but that could be enough. Things do change faster than I often expect in the late medieval.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Based on the evidence we have, I believe Getty is around 1410 and Pisani-Dossi is around 1415-1420. My personal belief is that Morgan might be earlier, like 1405.

[@corrugatedcavalier5266]

@@scholagladiatoria interesting, I was going primarily by wiktenauer's dating but that has always seemed early considering some of the armor styles. Isn't that date outside of his presumed life, though, for PD?

[@overlorddante]

@@scholagladiatoria could it be the prominent blade of the second spear be for attacking the horse itself? You expressed some confusion over the usefulness of the blade.

[@GCCRACER]

"Bohemian Earspoon" - an "earspoon" or "earpick" were metal instruments in ye olden times which were used to clean the ear tunnels from wax (as we know today, not terribly medical useful, but there they were). I'm tempted to think this is a sarcastic reference, possibly originating in a country at war with Bohemia those days, at putting that thing into the ears of your opponents. There are other German nicknames for weapons that kind of work in a similar way.

[@adambielen8996]

Makes sense to me.

[@allmachtsdaggl5109]

Matt is correct, it is called "Mordaxt" (murder axe) in German.

[@manfredconnor3194]

Beil

[@allmachtsdaggl5109]

@@manfredconnor3194 A Beil is a small, onehanded hatchet. An Axt is a axe and a Mordaxt is the Pollaxe

[@vde1846]

Irritatingly we have no dedicated word for this in Swedish. They're just "stridsyxor" - battle axes, just like Dane axes or one handed axes or whatever. The only solution I've come up with to specify pollaxes is calling the "ridderliga stridsyxor" - knightly battle axes.

[@manfredconnor3194]

@@vde1846 but, but, but, how can this be, when you have Mörk Borg?

[@vde1846]

@@manfredconnor3194 Had to look up what that was lol. I'll probbably check it out at some point, Fria Ligan's stuff is always interesting. One solution I've seen in other RPG's, like Eon, is to just translate the misspelling "poleaxe" directly into "stångyxa," but that seems inelegant to me.

[@shawnmorgan7834]

I could watch this for literal days. Thanks for the video

[@skulhedface3336]

Really great video.

[@williamknight6600]

Re English and axes, there is also the 'Gisern' of the Green Knight, where the modern term seems to indicate at least some kind of contemporary big axe like polearm.

[@texasbeast239]

Sounds like a bastardization of _guisarme._

[@williamknight6600]

@@texasbeast239 it is a cognate and perhaps an older word. While in English it referred to an axe like weapon and then died out by sometime in the 15th century in French it is semi generic term for any kind of polearm, as in the dowry when the Stuarts marry into the valoi house of Burgundy.

[@PXCharon]

In classical Chinese warfare, one of the primary weapons was the "ge" which was something similar to a bill or a beak with the inner edge sharpened. It's a hook that bites into softer material when convenient, rather than a spike to drive down onto someone's head or shoulder. I would guess enemy troops were pulled out of their line or their shields were opened up leaving them vulnerable to a cooperative spear. Most of them, for whatever reason, didn't seem to include spear heads of their own until much later in the weapons development. Strange item, but the beak on a pollaxe strikes me as being of similar intended use, and maybe giving a downed enemy a peck afterward.

[@andresmorera6426]

I wonder if such a weapon was strictly or even mainly for use in the battlefield or if it was used (also or instead) for policing actions or instances where preserving the life of the person at the receiving end was important? Is there art contemporary to the weapon that speaks to any of this?

[@StygianEmperor]

I love this video. It even has a winged spear.

[@frankharr9466]

I had no idea. Thank you.

[@AndICanTalk2]

This was great. I enjoy when you get on a tangent with a guest. Very interesting

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

Hope Matt makes a vid on customising his Pollaxe.

[@M4TCH3SM4L0N3]

Golly, I love these polearms and Matt's collection is showing me that I need to invest in some!

[@M4TCH3SM4L0N3]

Also, I love Matt's Jaws/Dune shirt. Just a classy guy.

[@vyderka]

As a Pole I feel oddly discomforted after watching this video :D Greetings from Poland and thank you a lot for sharing your knowledge and passion!

[@ZubjectX]

Really like these polearm (or pollarm) videos - wondering if you could do one on the bill, as I think it's a really interesting weapon and would love to hear more about it?

[@twosheds7105]

Great video! The back and forth discussion adds new perspectives.

[@fortunedogegg]

Loving Matt's T-shirt.

[@martinbranditch1128]

Alas, the question of the importance of shaft length, versus the skill of its wielder, remains unanswered.

[@antonioruizfernandez8281]

Holy smokes its olny one hour since the start of the video, Hey Matt if you are seeing this cheers from Spain!

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

When I used to modify rules for D&D for my campaigns I classified weapons by category in the spear category there were two types Lance and javelin. Lance's were spearsed either used on foot or on horseback for fighting, javelin's were smaller and lighter and primarilly used as throwing weapons although could be used in mele fighting if hard pressed.

[@antonioruizfernandez8281]

Good mechanic

[@midshipman8654]

what about longspears and pikes (not all that useful in 1 hand)

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

@@midshipman8654 no one ever asked to use one in any of my games. But if someone were to I would simply expand the catagory & have 3 spear categories: lance, javelin & pike

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

@@midshipman8654 also not all lances are one handed weapons in my games some specifically require 2-hands to use. So a light & heavy lance. I kept my description brief as I wanted to give the idea but not go into detail at the time. Regardless thanks for asking

[@GeoGyf]

D&D cant really go into too much detail, although it can get those poleaxes/pollaxes covered here by Matt. In general you degrade the damage dice by 1 (example d8->d6) and add a factor (critical increase x2->x3 or x20->19-20/x2, +2 trip, +2 sunder, +2 disarm, +1 AR vs shields, +2 AR to confirm criticals, can be readied vs charges and so on) or vice versa. The poleaxe/polleax mentioned i have seen it as bec-de-corbin (raven's beak) a polearm that is somewhat related to the Lucerne Hammer. I think the polearm mentioned here is the bec-de-faucon (falcon's beak). In d&d terms the bec-de-faucon doesnt have reach vs the bec-de-corbin or the lucerne hammer. I guess an easy way without too much fuss is to treat the bec-de-corbin as a piercing halberd or the piercing quivalent of danish poleaxe (longaxe in D&D 3.5 Complete Warrior) & the lucerne hammer as a halberd with reach, ie exotic proficiency. The bec-de-faucon is a piercing greatsword equivalent. As for spears their intricacies cant really be adapted to D&D. Even by the Greek/Macedonian phalanx era, the phalanx spear would increase its length so that 3 rows of spears would protrude (instead of the 2 rows). And then with the Sarissa 5 rows of spears would protrude. A Sarissa would be 4-6 meters which is 13-20ft range. And the Eastern Romans (Byzantines) usually had spears called kontarion. The short Kontarion would go 1.7 meters, the long one would be 2.4 meters. And they also had the Menavlio, which is a very heavy spear designed to counter very heavy cavalry. And they still used shields with the spears, but they were strapped to them. So to understand this in D&D, the spears went beyond the long spear range (10ft reach). I guess the best equivalent is the awlpike (exotic, 1d8/x3, 15ft reach, -2 AC) but the sarissa was even longer. And you cant really do strapped shields in D&D its exactly bucklers and 2-handed weapons in D&D, imagine with the bigger strapped shields. So essentially there is no good way to adapt these weapons & especially spears in D&D, only half-measures.

[@jacobvisor3034]

Big props for the dune shirt

[@ricebrown1]

I hope everyone is having a great day.

[@M4TCH3SM4L0N3]

Just lovely, thank you!

[@midshipman8654]

the poleaxe could also have been named that because it resembled a cow poleaxe rather than it necessarily being derivative of one. like it could have been a more direct development from a winged spear that they found was more effective with heavier wings.

[@uliphotode]

Nice. Just in time fore a lovely evening chillout.

[@Intranetusa]

Great video. Beautiful polearms!

[@marcusc9931]

In the Polish books I've read, "partyzana" was a spear with two spikes, while "szponton" was the more elaborate version, with a decorative crossguard formed into things like wings or rays of the sun under the blade.

[@-RONNIE]

Thank you both for the video and information ⚔️

[@TomSilver_42]

Many thanks for interesting history lesson. As I learned that the thing on the left side is is _not_ what I would otherwise call a warhammer.

[@fernandopolanco7532]

Apparently in Spanish we call the pollaxe "hacha de petos", being a "peto" each of the different weapon fittings on the top

[@charlesmartin1121]

'Beaked' weapons are the coolest late medieval arms. There are some examples from the continent that remind me of geologist hammers or ice climbing tools. Although I think those types are predominantly for mounted combat.

[@manfredconnor3194]

Agreed.

[@Myomer104]

17:51 The specific term I have seen for that design of polearm is actually a "Lucerne Hammer."

[@mattlewis4553]

Also an Anachronism.

[@StygianEmperor]

I think the "which head would I _LEAST_ like to be hit by in the thigh" question should specify "a glancing blow" - that's where an axe beats the hell out of a hammer

[@SheffiTB]

tbf, even with a straight hit I would rather get hit by the hammer.

[@tomisabum]

I'm living for the linguistic discussion and pet theories. Also, CAT CAM.

[@simonmoorcroft1417]

Your explanation of the "Pollaxe" naming convention is very plausible. Reminds me of the accounts of the ritual sacrifice of large animals in Egyptian and Roman accounts. A blow with a hammer or maul to stun the animal, then an axe stroke to the animals neck to finish it. This was all done quickly and efficiently to keep the priests and augers safe from a panicked thrashing animal. It also makes me think that the Germans may have taken a version of the English name themselves. Perhaps the term 'Mordaxt' is better translated as 'slaughter axe'. In most languages words can have double meanings.

[@simonmoorcroft1417]

The English enthusiasm for the hammer and axe combination makes me think that despite all the sophisticated treaties they originally favoured using it like the Slaughterman's axe. A crushing blow to the opponents head, then as he was laid out, a killing stroke with the axe to his neck crushing or severing the spine.

[@kendallkruse355]

Medieval polearm users didn't split hairs on definitions they mainly just split skulls

[@stevedunn5546]

Very enjoyable and beautiful pollaxes. Just a thought the winged spears would also help to stop too deep penitration ?

[@Joe___R]

Humans' first weapon was likely either a club or a thrown rock. The pointy stick was likely just after those two. If you look at small children, their go-to is to either throw something or hit with a club of some sort.

[@Ixnatifual]

Those are some beautiful weapons.

[@bradclifton5248]

One discussion of pist Agingourt era suggested that butchers were very effective when recruited as soldiers. Again familiarity with similar tools would translate well as weapons. Especially with minimal training.

[@ycplum7062]

Slightly off topic, but I always considered the pollaxe (with the axe head) the ideal Zombie Apocolypse primary melee weapon. Yes, it is not as nimble as lighter weapons, like a one handed hammer or a sword, but it is incredible effective for crushing skulls with whatever element you use (ax, hammer, dagger/spike, or spiked ferrule). Also, if you allow yourself to be surrounded, you are probably dead any way. The pollaxe is better for keeping zombies at a distance, say for defending a doorway or hallway. You can trip up a zombie or two to form an obstacle for the zombies behind them. Also the pollaxe is an excellent tool. The axe and hammer can be used to make a hole through a locked door or a wall. The axe can be used to hook something, such as the top of a wall or, tree branch, or fire escape, as an aid for climbing.

[@shipoffools2183]

If you were to build one for the zombie apocalypse, what changes would you make? Alloy handle maybe or plastic composite. Personally I preferred the look of the beak but definitely need to know more about when to use the hammer or beak. So many questions.

[@ycplum7062]

@@shipoffools2183 I am thinking a shaft of carbon-fiber with a bonded stainless steel outer sheath. Strength is the carbon-fiber, but the steel prevents nicks, abrassions, or wear. It would be tough to epair carbon-fiber. Against zombies, a beak would probably be more effective, but I intend the tool to be multipurpose. I can even use the axe head to split wood, although a large knife and a wooden baton may be better for kindling.

[@Maixo]

Would love to get my hands on a poll axe ! Would opt for a shorter version of yours with the axe blade.Any I see online are expensive!

[@Lockke_]

Id love to see more on the custom dedicated armor fighting sword from Fiore's manuals Lewis brought and you showed in another video( it had an unsharpened section halfway or nearish the tip for half swording)

[@LuxisAlukard]

You can't have too much Matt in one video

[@poppymason-smith1051]

Thought I would add the spot between the ears of cows, horses and pigs is called the poll. So it possibly being called a pollaxe from the killing of animals isnt sounding so far off

[@WindmillStalker]

Matt, Matt, and Cat Easton!

[@telekevontoloko8247]

re: bohemian earspoon. In czech this weapon is called "ušatá sudlice". Ušatá means eared and sudlice is a generic term for any complex polearm.

[@fullmetalathlete]

Woah that second spear with the sharp wings is sooooo nice. Is that purchasable somewhere?

[@BigZ7337]

Thanks for the video.

[@hulkthedane7542]

Sooo humble... "..but I am probably right...". I agree!

[@eduardocavalcanti4193]

Wow these weapons are really cool

[@lalbus1607]

Excellent content👍

[@cameronchicken8439]

right when your video started i noticed how functional the spear is with that sideways blade or the one with the hooks because it’s also like a grappling hook you could use to climb with. i think hiking staffs should all have hooks on them.

[@TalesForWhales]

I am leading a volunteer sport sabre club in the US. Since I can't change the rules of sport fencing what could I change about the training to bring it more in line with what fencing is? The club's theme is identifying historical systems within the sport. The first thing to change is mentality. Some may scoff at this but I think there is something here worth exploring. Can history establish a "meta" in the modern game?

[@manatoa1]

Other Matt did a lovely job on that pollaxe

[@seandahl8441]

The back end of an axe and the flat end or hammer of a tomahawk is called the poll. I think pollaxe means and axe with a tool on the other side. The poll side. The axe part of the name could refer the the chopping motion used with the main tool when it isn't an axe blade. Just thoughts

[@simonmoorcroft1417]

It's a good theory but most written sources refer to the hammer face on Pollaxes as 'Marte' or 'Martel' which is of course is Old French for 'hammer'. The term 'Poll' is linked to ''head'. I wonder if the modern terminology is a reinterpretion of the old terms. So the 'poll' was originally literally the whole axe head rather than just the back face of the blade. Matt's theory is pretty good. I can easily see the Pollaxe being a development of the slaughterman's pole or axe. It's literally for stoving in an large animals skull and chopping it's neck. You also have a linguistic relationship to 'pollard' which is the removal of the 'head' of a tree.

[@COLDMKULTRA]

"Mordaxt" (murder axe) ... Is indeed the correct description Matt ... And ... By The Gods ... Such weapons were indeed effective Murder Axes !

[@midshipman8654]

in my experience with modern words. spear seems like the catch all general term for pointed stick weapon. javilin for throwing specialized spears, lance for horseback specialized spears and pike for especially long spears.

[@F_Karnstein]

I would SO love to hear your thoughts on the Swiss halberds in the new Mad Heidi movie 😂

[@Hornet_Legion]

The best thing about pole axes and hammers is that they are probably the most durable medieval weapons made. Halberds are comparably more fragile , especially the ones used after the 1500s. Langets help considerably in helping the weapon head stay on the shaft as well as to protect the shaft.

[@fatman4792]

matt any way of convincing windlsss ti make those polearms

[@scholagladiatoria]

Yes, it's definitely on the menu :-)

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

Kinda wonder if the main head of the Fioree Partisan isn't for piercing cloth horse barding and padded jacks. There was test a while ago which showed that dulled edged points as a harder time going deeply into heavy cloth than edged ones cus cloth squeezes around it and slows it down whereas edged and pointy cuts threads while pushing in.

[@andrewzabinski2205]

The agricultural theory is interesting, it is a reasonable assumption. Some classical Asian martial arts weapons are believed to have started out as agricultural tool such as nunchucks, hand scythe or sai. Just a sidenote.

[@11B3Y]

Love these videos!! I've read through the comments, couldn't find an answer to this question; where can someone in the US purchase a spear or poleaxe similar to those demonstrated here?

[@11B3Y]

No suggestions?

[@LarryGarfieldCrell]

Ah, the best place on the internet to see two grown men compare their shafts...

[@vladimirandreevich]

I like how this Matt Lewis guy talks about the "peasants that need some chopping up" like a real aristocrat

[@UnreasonableOpinions]

That winged spear is very nice indeed.

[@robertpatter5509]

What a great overnight Lance. Where did you get that?

[@trey2099]

The name of the flat rear portion ("hammer part") of a woodsman axe is called a poll. I would assume the name came from this.

[@andresmorera6426]

I am curious about the trade-offs of the different weapons, not just what they are good at, particularly with regard to the spears. The winged and non-winged spears were contemporary with one another... why would one use one over the other? Does anyone have experience with using these in sparring or other tests? Do the wings pose any sort of disadvantage in combat or outside of it?

[@raphlvlogs271]

large cut and thrust spears will be great for those who were used to using 2 handed swords.

[@lukehartlieb2628]

Good Lord those are beautiful weapons!

[@Sirsethtaggart3505]

Hello. Is it possible that the treaties show unusual methods of fighting, rather than the norm? Imagine " radical new combat style - beats any opponent".... that would mean all hema is actually a study of the obscure ways of doing things? Seth

[@einheri]

4:10 Matt laughing at langets protecting your shaft. XD

[@alangriffin8146]

I like when he said he wasn’t sure why there would be such a cutting blade when it’s of very little use. My guess is that they thought it would be of use, but were wrong. Lots of things sound like a good idea, and having the edges doesn’t hurt anything, so just leave em

[@fernandoagostinelli]

Hi Matt I don't know if I missed it. But have you reviewed Alatriste? Share the link if you did. Thanks!

[@PXCharon]

"We have both been, and are, Matts, thanks for watching!" Shortest SG video ever.

[@Tony.795]

Did you cold rivet the head to the shaft? It seems like quite the job if you replace the shaft.

[@pizdamatii5001]

does anybody know who manufactured matt l. 's winged spear and pollaxe? (is it "castle armoury"? i didn't catch it)

[@Sorrowshard]

Pollaxe started life as a Kasto , I have heavily modified/upgraded it. The spear is Davis reproductions based on my research and design.

[@pizdamatii5001]

@@Sorrowshard thanks a lot!

[@TheLewiswright1995]

I saw you laugh when he said protect your shaft don't think you got away with that

[@datpolakmike]

Did i miss the part where Matt talked about the haft of that spear being hexagonal? Strongly implies that spear is meant for cutting as well as thrusting doesn't it?

[@davidelliott7570]

the wings on the spear are also used to stop over peniration

[@scholagladiatoria]

Maybe, maybe not. On a lot of winged spears the lugs are WAY down from the point... at that point you have already over-penetrated by about twice or three times what you'd really want to...

[@peterwehrmeyer925]

Did I see that spear in young henry8 panoply on the tower collection?

[@DeathWishMonkey]

Winged spears were used even in Japan. The example I saw had shapr, bladed wings that were of a piece with the spearhead.

[@misery13666]

Who made that ghiavarina. Been looking for that specific one. Saw it in pictures and have been hunting for it.

[@daemonharper3928]

Great vid - great weapons! Dangerously weird - words to live by.

[@robinburt5735]

Wouldn't a mace type head on the back end of the spear perhaps be more useful? As you already have a pokey end why not have a bashing end as well?

[@matthieuthuillier6008]

If I may give a advie: Matt, try to give more space to your mate.May be prepare it like a théathe vidéo. Sinon, Thank you both for the vidéo

[@atypicalprogrammer5777]

How good a pole-arm was a 17th- or early 18th-century musket with a plug or socket bayonet, compared to a spear or pike? Was the socket bayonet so good that it made pikes outdated around 1700?

[@jedironin380]

I believe the bullets made pikes (and armor) obsolete. Bullets have a much greater range. ;) Also, the socket bayonets didn't really stay on all that well, and could bend if levered too much, or too often.

[@MinSredMash]

Bayonets aren't much good at all. They are just barely good enough to ward off cavalry most of the time. It's the firepower of the musket that makes it all worthwhile.

[@lscibor]

Well, standard 18th century muskets were well under 2 meters long together with bayonet, and weighted over 10 pounds, while being awkwardly shaped and balanced as far as stabbing goes. So no, they were pretty terrible spears, and anyone with bayonet was at major disadvantage against someone with 3 meter spear weighing under 4 pounds. The catch is that, while bayoneted musket is pretty awkward spear, it's still usable, while pike is not usable as a firearm. :D

[@captainnyet9855]

Firearms (no matter the era) are far too heavy and too poorly balanced to make effective melee weapons compred to proper melee weapon sets; they are, however, still superior to normal sidearms (swords, knives, hatchets, etc.) for formation fighting for the same reasons spears are. (their reach) It was the advancement of the gun part (both in terms of performance and ease of manufacture) itself that eventually led to spears/pikes/halberds becoming obsolete; "Pike and Shot" era armies were constantly trending towards expanding the "shot" portion of their army at the cost of Pikemen, and the bayonet arose (mostly organically) during this time as a way for the ever growing shot segment of the army to defend itself in melee. It is through advancements in rate of fire and accuracy (alongside the development of new firing drills, formations, tactics etc.) making musketeers ever more capable of beating back melee charges (especially by cavaly) that the bayonet became standardised and, eventually, the pikeman was phased out. TL:DR: the bayonet as not invented in a day, it was part of an ongoing technological process that saw ranged firepower overtake melee attacks as the decisive factor in battle; Pikes never stopped being a better melee weapon than muskets, pikes just stopped being important enough enough to warrant having fewer muskets.

[@TheQwertzschuerfer]

Quickly skimmed over Wiktenauer. Pollaxes seem to be referred to as "Axt" ("axe") in German treatises. "Mordaxt" ("murder axe") I suspect to be a modern term.