Dane Axe VS. Longsword... Think You're Safe? Hah!

You don't see sparring with a two-handed axe very often, especially against a sword (or two... yes, there's dual wielding too). So that's what we tried, and it was quite a fun practice session!
It's a match of reach & power against versatility, basically. Which weapon would you place your bet on?
Also let me know what you think about the first-person POV. It was tricky to safely mount the Gopro on the fencing mask but worked out pretty well, I'd say.
Relevant video that may interest you too:
Battle Axes - How Underrated Are They?
• Battle Axes - How Unde...
The Rinaldi Trento: Does it Meet my AXEpectations?
• The Rinaldi Trento: Do...
Don't Mess with AXES... Especially if You're a Zombie!
• Don't Mess with AXES.....
How to Use a Two Handed Battle Axe
• How to Use a Two Hande...
** Credits **
Music:
"Blackmoor Tides" by Matthew Pablo
opengameart.org/content/black...
Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)
"Land of fearless" by Alexandr Zhelanov
opengameart.org/content/land-...
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Outro:
"Highland Storm" by The Slanted Room Records
theslantedroom.github.io/stev...
Used with artist's permission
VS logo in the thumbnail:
www.pngall.com/versus-png/dow...
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Where to get HEMA (historical European Martial Arts) gear and practice swords:
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[@jayyaj7050]

"I gave it too much shaft, and pulled out when I should have gone all in." I think we've all been there, honestly.

[@Tarico_]

Please, the kinda guys who watch these videos? Most haven’t. That said I got lucky with a couple girls but damn I had to chill with the skallagrim vids for it

[@josku5]

@@Tarico_ lol if you’re a nerd that doesn’t affect us else

[@josku5]

@@Tarico_ lol if you’re a nerd that doesn’t affect us else

[@cordsham7569]

@@Tarico_ 🤓

[@destrobatman5640]

In elmos voice. uh uh i went allll in🤣🤣.Skall👑💪🏽👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼u need to beat more ass😎

[@kaseflip9655]

I really like the first-person-view. And I really like that the dane axe is shown some love. One could say I really like this video.

[@theworldofcronis]

I was just about to write something very similar

[@Yea___]

Me too

[@Blaisem]

You're at 420 upvotes. I really like everything about this comment. Do I upvote?

[@kyletennant558]

This was a really fun video to watch. I like Skallagrim's straight up style of delivery in his videos. Really easy to follow what he says and does.

[@HeartLockHex]

A showcase of how nasty having even an extra inch of reach on a weapon can be.

[@SpacedudeProductions]

that’s what she sa-

[@danielcox7629]

When it comes to reach an inch is a mile.

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

@@SpacedudeProductions *(gunshots)*

[@memelord6335]

@@jestfullgremblim8002 fuck you you beat me to it 😂

[@Thulgore]

The dane axe length is not in the weapon but can be part of it's usage. One of the issues with swords is limitations. Skall could potentially have also charged and used the axe as a dagger OR a knife. Hell it can be used as a punch-press edge too. The length of the haft is a problem but even that can be used in this technique. (not of any use on armored foes, but is a distraction)

[@brendanroos7102]

I was kind of hoping to see him pick up a shield instead of another sword, but I liked the multiple perspectives this video offered.

[@vidard9863]

i think their theory was to give the less reach weapon the advantage of unpredictability. would have been nice to see both.

[@EladarImm]

Honestly the shields are super CRAZY hard to hold with those gauntlets - basically impossible. I tried, but could barely get the tips of the clam-shell into the grip.

[@brendanroos7102]

@@EladarImm I'm assuming that if you had a shield, you wouldn't need to use the gauntlet on that hand, but I've also never used a shield when sparring. My weapon of choice is the halberd.

[@captin3149]

@@brendanroos7102 I know HEMA isn't SCA, but in the SCA our shield grips had hand shields built onto them. gauntlets weren't necessary with them.

[@Alastair510]

I think a shield would have changed the game quite a bit. Sword-wielder would be able to get up close then. Same would apply to shield and short-handled axe.

[@Skallagrim]

How do you like the first-person view? Would you prefer two different outside camera perspectives? By the way, I should have pointed out that what we're simulating here is *unarmored dueling* . Techniques used to defeat armor would also bypass our protective gear, and we're not actually trying to kill each other (who would've known, right?). At the same time, don't underestimate the power of axes. A hit may *look* light (again, not trying to seriously injure each other) but it would do considerable damage. Check out these videos too if you haven't seen them before: Battle Axes - How Underrated Are They? kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXjcZpmLj9SBoqs The Rinaldi Trento: Does it Meet my AXEpectations? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoK8hJ2PZ9Bmi6M Don't Mess with AXES... Especially if You're a Zombie! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpKvmKmBjJ6Jqqs How to Use a Two Handed Battle Axe kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXKVdKesiaydq7s

[@jordanezell5132]

Have you ever purchased the Fiskars machete axe?

[@researcherchameleon4602]

Can you review the practicality of the Meteor Hammer

[@mj.arkhenium6853]

it's better to have the outside camera perspective, it gives a clearer view of whats happening. but 1st person pov is very cool...

[@Rodrik18]

First person is excellent. One additional 3rd person camera angle would be ideal but dependant on the lighting and space.

[@robinthrush9672]

I like seeing both perspectives

[@dustysaurus6137]

Digging the axe representation! Swords get all the glory (they’re beautiful and cool), but I just love how simple the axe is. Relatively cheap, effective against most armors, and the interesting aspect of hooking limbs and grappling (especially for one handed axes) is often overlooked.

[@EmilReiko]

In term of forging, axes are more complex than swords - its just that you can use a much lover iron/steel quality and still get a durable weapon... except for historical dane axes, they are ridicilious thin in the cross section, so they need to be made out of superior iron

[@psychomoth06]

Adding to that, I’ve always found axes more menacing and brutal in appearance than swords. Not sure why, but I doubt I’m the only one. Maybe that’s why they’re often associated with “barbarian” type characters in fantasy.

[@ioannisstrategos221]

@@psychomoth06 I think you're just missing the imagery of executioners, because when I think imposing axe, I definitely think a mammoth of a man wielding an axe as big as my face, bringing it down on someone who will thankfully not feel it. Sure, there were executioner's swords, but why fix what was never broken?

[@hellomate639]

@@psychomoth06 I'm actually starting to think that axes are a actually also elegant. You have to consider momentum more carefully so that your strikes are energetically economical. I was talking to someone at work who plays baseball, they said that what they tell people now is to rotate so that the bat essentially benefits from the whip effect... Once I started thinking about swinging my one handed axe this way, what shocked me is that it suddenly felt light and nimble like a sword, in one hand....... Like, I never thought I would be able to rapidly swing this one-handed axe while it also makes a whooshing sound of air flowing over metal...... My hand got hella blistered from doing that, and then my grip strength started becoming the weak link because the thing wants to pull itself from your hand when swinging it this fast. I noticed that swinging top right to fool's guard is like a momentum reset, where its like you swing to a new position and practice swinging from each position. Now I want a proper Dane Axe, and see if I can just practice getting a good sense of accelerating the head really quickly in a similar way, two handed. A really solid, dangerous setup seems like wearing a good bit of armor and having a Dane Axe, and knowing how to swing it hard but efficiently in this way. Even if your opponent hits you with their weapon to some degree, if you swing the dane axe, their blow is less likely to do significant harm to you than them.

[@imugi-16]

Definitely enjoy the first-person view quite a bit. It's easier to see why someone made certain attacks and parries. I also love the sparring videos between two different weapons. It's more fun to see compared to two same weapons using very similar techniques against each other. Speaking of different weapons, have you considered doing more reaction videos on Weaponism's videos? I think it'll be good content, especially during periods when you aren't able to go outside and make videos.

[@Skallagrim]

I already have. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKm3nmtpnZh2r9k kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKrUemZunN5gmNE

[@imugi-16]

@@Skallagrim I'm aware of the first one, hence why I asked for more, but I forgot about the second one lol. But yeah, just you analysing sparring videos is more fun than just watching it on its own

[@polandsilver3419]

@@Skallagrim Could you make a longsword vs sickle / double sickle video? That would be cool, because there are few videos with sickle fighting and they are only like sickle vs dagger. I couldn't find sickle vs longsword video Thanks to you, I have a new beloved weapon :D Anyway, thanks for your great content!

[@Skallagrim]

@@polandsilver3419 Already done and recorded, I just need to finish the editing... which is quite time consuming.

[@polandsilver3419]

@@Skallagrim Oh, I understand. Thanks a lot! Sickle is even more underrated weapon than spear. It's biggest advantage in my opinion is that curved blade could be good at parrying sword cuts, but I'm not sure. Also I'm wondering how it how it will work against thrusts. Thank you for reply! :D

[@Lalle524]

The Dane Axe has been one of my favorite Historical weapons ever since your original video on it, so it's great to see you swinging one around to show its effects(*), for good and for ill. Keep it up, Skall!

[@buzdygan5488]

i'll repeat what i usually say: axes are faster and have more reach than you think properly made double handed axe has usually less weight in the fighting portion than similar length sword. They also allow for much beter leverage giving some insane acceleration, and because of the small overall weight, choking down on the handle and getting as much reach as you can is still viable option (however i would suggest keeping second hand on the handle, or on the forearm of the hand holding the axe, to not loose control)

[@Blaisem]

hmm makes me want to try it. What do you mean by fighting portion?

[@arthanor9631]

It's also made to hit with the tip, whereas a sword's point of percussion is further down, so even for weapons of the same length, the axe will hit better further.

[@buzdygan5488]

@@Blaisem i usually call 2/3 or 3/4 of the handle from the blade the fighting portion. Not exactly the part that you hit with, but you still not exactly the thing that you hold when delivering a blow. What i mean exactly is that if you look at the weight of larger long swords, or smaller greatswords, 1,5-1,7m in general, their blades are pretty hefty, they do have a lot of inertia (That's why greatsword techniques are so fluent, to keep the inertia and not fight it). On the other hand, blades on the axes are quite light (i made sparth axe that has 30cm of straight edge and 500grams only), and the shafts aren't that heavy either, giving them ability to do very Quick "jabs", which sword of the same size just couldn't do

[@buzdygan5488]

Oh and i forgot, this also counts for one handed axes My shepherd's axe is insanely light, maybe 500g head, butt spike and handle combined, generally clearly one handed weapon, but it has reach that rivals a longsword, or a rapier if you want to choke up and use the spike

[@ziggarillo]

The axe was far too light to be a realistic analogue.

[@saebjornrunolfr4483]

See: I find this kind of combat far more riveting than any overwrought, overproduced fantasy stuff. I wanna see more stuff like this on the big screen. I know we're likely in the minority here but this kind accurate HEMA is just far more punchy and impactful than any backflippy, flourishy stuff could ever be to me.

[@charlesk22]

That's kinda what I liked about game of thrones, the way how dirty and brawling the fights get, even the best fighters when things got bad would do so.

[@pascaltomasovic3586]

it's not a real sword fight without the multiple somersaults and twists

[@Definitely_Not_Sheev_Palpatine]

@@charlesk22 I mean, you're not wrong that the fights in GOT weren't a bunch of flashy acrobatic nonsense (at least in the earlier seasons), but they weren't exactly good displays of practical swordsmanship, either. Whole lot of wild swings, loud grunting while telagraphing, leaving oneself wide open, abysmal footwork, pushing against each other in the bind, you name it. The usual Hollywood garbage.

[@Inquisitor_Vex]

I actually just came from watching Vikings because I was wondering how hard it would be to portray a proper Dane axe in a movie.

[@astros8041]

That’s because the lot of you are physically incapable of more intricate, advanced techniques. It’s simply that. The backflips, flourishes, spins, etc all have their place and real born fighters know where they go.

[@Chroma710]

Damn, looking at your axe swings it looks so smooth and cool compared to the weird overswings in video games and movies, I wish actors moved an axe like you do in the vid.

[@giovane_Diaz]

time to get him a season in a motion capture lab with his team to record all possible weapons to a fighting game/film/animation

[@richard6133]

It's because he fights with the Dane ax like it's a pole arm. In entertainment, they depict it like the only miopic context they have for an ax: chopping wood.

[@ondrejskopec4533]

True, but arent the "delicate" swings with the axe just too weak to do any relevant damage? Especialy if the opponent had that mail armor on? Real question. I have never tried sparring. My only experience is chopping woods and my fingers :D

[@xavier700001]

@@ondrejskopec4533 It would be swung harder in real combat (not sparring), but overall the blade profile is much narrower than those on wood axes, and the amount of power behind it can be deceptive with proper form

[@Chroma710]

@@ondrejskopec4533 Some but most would be completely fine. They're not really delicate swings, just looks more elegant than wildly overswinging and almost falling over.

[@LawkzBro]

If you imagine the effects of each hit with sharp weapons and no armor, then the video suddenly becomes much more grisly. In the blink of an eye, half your hand is gone.

[@danielcavallarigoncalves7309]

I like how you naturally start using it as a poleaxe. This was likely the case historically, as well.

[@AnotherDuck]

Well, it is an axe on a pole.

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

@@AnotherDuck lololololol

[@panzermensch1577]

Honestly this makes me happy. Good video. Helps to show that axes aren't slow and clumsy, and that you can be quite dexterous with one.

[@Specter_1125]

The thing is that a real axe head would weigh a fair bit more than the trainer. The weight alone of a trainer that weighs the same as a steel one would make it dangerous to spar with. A real axe would be a bit slower. It’s not as much of a problem with sword trainers since the point of balance is much closer to the hilt.

[@borttorbbq2556]

the speed difference really wouldn't be very much

[@thejackscraft3472]

@@Specter_1125 not nearly as much slower as you think, the reason being that you have a much wider grip, making the weight difference significantly less impactful on your speed.

[@thicclegendfeep4050]

Dane Axe has always been one of my favorite historical weapons, in my mind, the pinnacle of Badass is an Anglo Saxon Huscarl or Norse Berserker swinging this hefty axe and felling their enemies.

[@georgethompson1460]

Or an Irish sparth axe wielded by gallowglass, being almost like a romboidal dane axe. Looks really odd and fun.

[@thicclegendfeep4050]

@@georgethompson1460 oh hell yeah, Gallowglass are an underappreciated mercenary unit. They were the biggest badasses in Britain, and that's saying something !

[@TheBarser]

The norse also had Huscarls. The anglo saxons adopted it from the danes

[@thicclegendfeep4050]

@@TheBarser Oh, don't worry, I am well aware of this fact, the Norse actually had a shocking level of influence on England.

[@connorwheatley5640]

@@thicclegendfeep4050 the Highlands definitely produced some badass mercenaries in their time (though to be fair at least half of the Gallowglass were native born Irishmen, from settled cousin clans to the Scots of the Northwest Highlands and Islands) and from the Gallowglass to the Redshanks, they're an oddly overrepresented group in Medieval and Renaissance era Europe alongside the Irish. I asked an Irish historian friend of mine what he thought about this, guy said that backwater shitholes produced good fighters cause that was the only way to get out of said backwater shitholes. A very in character response from that region IMO, no matter it's veracity.

[@frin4053]

Not only does this look so fun, but I used to spar in a cozy little place similar to that. It makes me happy to see some synthetic weapons too! Excellent stuff Skall, thank you.

[@douglasdea637]

A good, light, swift axe. I disdain these huge, clunky two headed axes you see so often in games and fantasy art. Less really is more.

[@dc7981]

Games make axes slow for balancing purposes when in reality they really aren’t lmao

[@benjaminthibieroz4155]

@@dc7981 to be fair, two-handed swords are portrayed as really slow too. While shields are often nerfed as hell...

[@Roninfop]

So glad you found a talented and camera friendly sparring partner! Your videos with him are always some of my favorite, especially with your analysis of different hits.

[@astros8041]

Scratch talented; people do not need to think this is a good sword fighter

[@aldahirlopez3757]

i really enjoy this sparring videos, great work Skall

[@kevinlobos5519]

Please do more, the two perspectives are crisp. There's also a sore lack of mixed weapon sparring going around, especially involving anything that isn't a sword. More pls.

[@cosmiclive4437]

I love how you can clearly see certain moves out of the manuals here. And when they are executed well it also looks really cool.

[@brianwillison4476]

Thank you for showing love to this weapon!

[@TheFrozenMonkeyKing]

Never seen a dane axe in sparring so this was very interesting to see!

[@frosty_0951]

This was super cool to see! I love how much these demonstrations can go alongside your more theoretical discussion videos!

[@jankarieben1071]

I love how y’all demonstrate that any weapon is only as effective as it’s wielder, and as a bonus I’ve always wondered how a Dane axe measured up against a long sword, turns out you can use it nearly just like a long sword!

[@Ithirahad]

If you add a knife blade to the top (making a sort of short halberd) then it gets even closer.

[@jonathonhirschy5971]

After watching some of your videos discussing that one of the distinguishing features of a sword is having the center of mass very near to the hilt for better maneuverability and nimbleness, I just assumed that a sword would generally have a clear advantage in unarmored combat over pretty much any non-polearm with a center of mass near the head. Seeing this, looks like the reach matters more than I thought, and maybe the swordsman was forced to be a bit more defensive than usual owing to the difficulty of stopping an axe blow? Would love to hear a postmortem of this sparring session and some analysis of swords versus "head-weighted" weapons in unarmored combat where the striking force doesn't matter so much.

[@guildedcharr7459]

Reach is huge, if the sword guy had been far more aggressive though the axe isn't as usable without space, same as most polearm type weapons. The key is getting to that point without being hit though of course, which is difficult.

[@NikozBG]

With the slight caveat that this practise axe probably is lighter than a real dane-axe, which skews the odds in the favour of the axe-user. We don't have a link to the weapons used tho, so I might be wrong about this.

[@foldionepapyrus3441]

@@NikozBG There is no way it can be a full weight axe head and that size and shape, as it would be just too lethal with all that inertia. Perhaps the better training axe for more realistic weight could have a very heavy mass more in the middle of the shaft with the entire top and head being one of those more flexible pool noodle sword blade type things, but with a solid stiff shaft just the stick itself is pretty damn dangerous.. That said having two hands on it most of the time is a big advantage in power and control over the single handed sword, so I don't think it will have made much difference here as being full weight wouldn't slow Skal down much, at least IMO but testing would be required. What being full weight would do is fatigue you faster, but I don't think it would really slow your swings much, the axe head isn't THAT heavy and you get some decent co-operation and leverage between your two hands...

[@NikozBG]

@@foldionepapyrus3441 I don't have a dane axe, but watched the video where Matt Easton trained with one and his movements looked a bit slower than what Skall shows in this video. On the other hand I believe a swing by a greataxe would probably be unparriable by a longsword, so the real weapon dynamics will be quite different imho. Also things like that swing, where he let go of the shaft with one hand, to gain extra reach surely will be quite a bit slower with the real weapon.

[@thejackscraft3472]

@@NikozBG with practice you can get roughly to wear Skal is with a full weight axe, and yeah, a longsword is definitely not going to be able to parry a deathswing from one, though if they dodge then they have a great opportunity to get in for some hits. as for the swing where he lets go, since he starts it with both hands (or at least has the opportunity to kickstart it, but chooses not to) it would be just as fast, but a bit lighter and harder to stop if he needs to, which is why it's a risky move.

[@Climber31Gaming]

I appreciate the way you highlight and comment on the hits, it makes it much easier for the less astute in fighting (like myself) to understand what is happening.

[@andrueurbane7361]

The helmet cam is fantastic! Cool to see an added perspective when sparring. I also enjoyed watching one weapon tried out against multiple different weapons. It makes you think about the matchups and the different trade-offs.

[@sage_thunderleaf487]

I wasn't expecting the Mass Effect reference in the video, but it greatly added to my enjoyment! Garrus would definitely use a Dane Axe to help add to his reach.

[@Scott-qq9jd]

Very interesting. Also good to get multiple POVs on this one.

[@KratKrit]

I absolutely love that your still here putting out content for us, I love learning new things, and I gotta say about every video I learn quite allot. Keep it up ^^

[@manuelarizzato666]

Would love to see more sparring like this! Montage & analysis were excellent

[@SevenStarsandSevenStones]

Great video! The combination of 1st-person and outside perspectives was very good. I think that us modern HEMAists have a bit of a learning bias, in that pretty much everyone who has done HEMA has used or sparred with a longsword. I'd imagine that relatively few have done the same with a Dane axe. It was cool to see your sparring parter seem to improve as the bouts went on, though I don't know how much play/sparring went on off-camera.

[@GallowglassAxe]

I love this video and I've used many of these techniques in sparring and in larps. Though my practice sparth is a bit longer and has a more pointed tip on the top part of the axe head for thrusting. There is a reason why the Gallowglass stuck with them for nearly 400 years.

[@andrejara4054]

Really like the two perspectives, helps understanding your pov, while showing the bigger picture.

[@LukkyA]

This was really cool to watch. So glad you're still doing videos like this!

[@NoSoulJoel177]

For Honor has finally started giving the Vikings chainmail and I finally get to see how a Dane axe is supposed to be used as well, this day just keeps getting better and better Edit: only question I have is how would the user of the axe enter battle, like what would he wear and what would he have for backup.

[@The_Judge300]

Some sources say that some of the ones using a Dane axe used heavy chain mails. Since they talk about heavy chain mails, it sounds like they wore heavier chain mails than usually used by others at that time. I don't know if this was common for all wielding Dane axes, or if this was something just these groups talked about in the sources used. But it makes a lot of sense that it was common among those using a Dane axe as their primary weapon, to wear those heavy chain mails. I also think they would have a sword and also a dagger/knife as backup. It would be strange if they didn't.

[@Havamal3]

Those axes were usually used by Huscarls, so probably the heaviest most sturdy mail there was around alongside with a decorated sword as a back up weapon and possibly a couple of smaller throwing axes and or a seax.

[@alu9652]

Would be nice to see some poll-axe videos in the future. This weapon is seriousley undershown on youtube

[@christopherreed4723]

That could be because it was primarily used by men at arms in full armor. It's basically a two-handed can opener that's been left alone with a meat tenderizer too long. That said, I'd like to see some work with the poll axe as well. It looks like it would have all the advantages of a half-sworded longsword for "harnischfechten" while allowing very powerful strikes as the range closed to that point, which a longsword basically can't against plate. Versus more lightly armored opponents, a man at arms in plate with a poll axe is going to be simply murderous. If you don't have the specialized weapons to get through that armor while staying out of reach if the axe, your only bet is to mob him, take him to the ground, and work on weak spots with daggers. Which *will* do the trick, but you have to accept that several people are going to get the chop as you close in...and you might well be one of them.

[@drefpet]

Great sparring footage! I love the different camera perspectives and your commentary! ESH

[@rakatika]

These amazing exchanges had me glued to the screen! What a spectacle! Excellent editing too

[@isaweesaw]

The Dane axe definitely wins on the aesthetic front. it's also really underrated considering how fast and versatile they are. The grandfather of halberds and glaives

[@pixelfairy]

Were dane axes still in use when longswords existed?

[@DeagleBeagle]

Yes, they were used in Scotland and Ireland well into the 16th century. And elsewhere were used somewhat uncommonly since usually people preferred axes with backspikes on the end, basically pollaxes for a variety of purposes.

[@killerkraut9179]

In my Historical Weapons Book is a simple long axe dated to the 14 century . I think one of the first long swords existed around 13 .century In historical artworks are simple long axes depicted to the early 15 century in europe ! I have a replica of a simple long of the 15 century , but by the original is the shaft lost i put the replica on a long shaft !

[@killerkraut9179]

@@DeagleBeagle but some scotish Long axes hade hooks on the backs then its dosnt count as a simple long axes !

[@pixelfairy]

This whole time I thought longswords only existed when armor was good enough to not need a shield. But dane axes would have had the same issue.

[@greencreekranch]

That was really interesting to watch, thanks for uploading skall

[@laason1091]

I for one really enjoyed seeing an exchange from both the side and first person view, helped understanding what happened even better. Also love that you use the dane axe, more of that!

[@marcoeckhoff9920]

But I think the swings of an axe would be very different, if you really want to take someone out.

[@Skallagrim]

How so? A real Dane axe inflicts horrible damage with very little effort. If you haven't seen my tests with various axes, there are plenty of examples.

[@PogMcDog]

That's just videogame bias. A big overhead telegraphed windup would kill you in a 1v1 duel

[@tarille1043]

Axes by their very nature, provide a LOT of damage potential simply by being top heavy. Almost any hit will do significant damage as a result (Even if you don't have good edge alignment, the weight of the axe head alone can still provide significant blunt impact force which can hurt someone even through armour) It's one of the understated features of axes. They are incredibly efficient at what they do, just at the cost of being more tiring to use than weapons with a balance closer to the wielder (Like swords and spears).

[@RrRr-or5tw]

Some of those were pretty hard hits in some vulnerable spots and even smaller less powerful hits always have the chance of hitting something important that might not kill a person but disable a hand.

[@KartarNighthawk]

@@tarille1043 Agreed. Was reading a study someone did to determine if some of the female pharaohs could have fought on the frontline as they're shown doing in some Egyptian artwork (not to determine if they did, just if it was physically possible). They had both male and female volunteers test out various Egyptian weapons on targets. Afterwards it was observed that, especially with the axe, you couldn't tell the difference between blows struck by men or women, or by stronger or weaker people of the same sex for that matter, apart, because the axe did so much of the damage all on its own.

[@seanchan4478]

Ah yes the Dane axe, cousin to the less popular dame axe, but a favorite amongst female knights

[@SophiaAstatine]

Almost funny, but because you're probably American, you very likely don't even know that Danes are people from Denmark.

[@seanchan4478]

@@SophiaAstatine word sounds like another word was all the thought I put into it

[@seanchan4478]

Followed by a dumb huhuhu laugh

[@SophiaAstatine]

@@seanchan4478 Yeh, I figured. 😂

[@2Cats_ina_Trenchcoat]

I liked everything about this video. Great stuff as always.

[@TheLordArion]

Awesome setup and editing. Really entertaining video Skal

[@andrewfleenor7459]

The continuous motion on Longsword's part around 1:05 seemed to work well. I wish he'd tried some more of that. I wonder if he was hampered somewhat by muscle memory from fighting other longswords. Sometimes he looked he was going for edelkrieg and that's just not applicable here. :D

[@Kybones517]

That was a pretty cool performance! I liked the different perspectives, its very interesting to look from a first to a third person perspective especially when sparring. I wish I had to budget to do all that.

[@Yataro79]

To see the Longswordman from your POV was really cool. His different stances, the transitions and the attacks: Nice showcase and quite intimidating impression

[@fabijanbaric9816]

Yess I love these fighting videos so much!! Keep them coming plsss

[@grotty9850]

Really enjoyed this video Skall. Everything was great

[@ambersouster9863]

Another interesting video Skall! I liked the first person view, you can see the flow and cadence of the combatants as it takes place from that perspective. It's almost as if you were really there sparring. I was surprised how well the dane axe performed against the potentially swifter longsword. I thought the longsword would take this one but ya gotta love that deceptive bit of extra reach of the dane axe

[@rossmaclean2]

This was great to watch. Love the first-person camera. Great use of slomo and voice-over to show the hits too.

[@GhostDieM]

This was awesome! Great job on the different camera angles.

[@marqmar463]

I started sparring with dane axe vs longsword and other weapons recently, happy to see you posting a video about it :).

[@tj-co9go]

First person POV was awesome, hope you do it more. I could feel the battle much better than just watching just as a bystadner. The excitement, the danger, the energy, the rush. The angle was good, I could see most of the action

[@revzsaz9418]

I liked this video and all the perspective shots 🙏☺️ Cheers and thanks for the demo 🍻

[@ThorfinnGrimhowl]

Love seeing the Dane axe in use. It's fascinating to see what you pick up experimenting with it and then try and extrapolate what experienced fighters could do with them fighting together such as hooking to pull down a shield while an ally swings in. You could see where it would take a lot pf practice to get proficient with, but could be very effective in the right circumstances and the right amount of training.

[@NoRedFear]

I think the two camera (pov and lateral) give different insights that are both great and nice to have. The way you show them one after the other is very useful, you get the context and some explanation right after

[@shovelchop81bikeralex52]

Excellent demonstration and I love how you don't over analyse everything.

[@2dumd2live]

These recent sparring videos are top notch!

[@franklinbrightwater2227]

Really excellent video! Well done Skall!

[@kapmando]

I really enjoyed this one. Thanks Skal.

[@kevina4998]

Love these mixed weapon sparring! Hope things are going alright on your end!

[@GinoLuccio]

Sparring video's always +1. Very cool man!

[@koenkooiman1490]

Cool! Wished the video was actually longer! Was a joy to watch!

[@M.M.83-U]

This is very interesting, and cool as hell. Great video

[@michaelkrinsky3582]

Good stuff, Skall! Interesting sparring (and very nice back yard)

[@Syryu]

I really enjoyed the first person POV gave you a real sense you in the sparring ring and reminded me of the game "Kingdom Come: Deliverance", which is one of my favorite games of late. Loved this demonstration with the Dane Axe, liked the unexpected ways you used it like blocking with the top of the axe-head at 1:37.

[@orsettomorbido]

Really nice video, having both views is awesome!

[@SupremePumper]

I always welcome you videos and I think your intro is awesome as heck.

[@youremakingprogress144]

I liked the first-person view, and I think the overall video did a great job of demonstrating the value of reach. Good stuff.

[@MegaLars10]

this was great fun to watch!

[@paavohirn3728]

Very cool! PoV and slow mo really work. And the dane axe is cool!

[@bretalvarez3097]

And this kids is why you never mess with a polearm, unless of course you have a trusty shield.

[@vonakakkola]

can a dane axe be called "polearm"?

[@bretalvarez3097]

@@vonakakkola I think so

[@antoinebruncher2185]

Wow that was awesome ! The first person view really rocks for immersion ^^

[@Gatitasecsii]

Oooh this is great! Keep em coming skall!

[@elite_rock_god2292]

Great video! And Great skills from both of you, would love to see more on The dane axe and axe overall really!

[@Bahnking]

These practical videos always tickle my fancy.

[@JesusRodriguez-fz4rr]

This channel has really enthralled me over the years

[@ericbeall7675]

The crunchy and squishy sound effects for the hits, really added to the video for me.

[@galaxya40s95]

Great footage. Loved the music and the outro.

[@seannahmcauliffe2367]

Thank you! This was very enjoyable 🙂!

[@chukkinladd]

Some fantastic dane axe combat there Skall. A decade of reenactment and I've not seen just a good display of its danger this well

[@DemonOfGadara]

I really enjoy those sparring videos and the first person view is kinda cool

[@Dusk_Daze]

"I gave it too much shaft and pulled out" I felt that

[@BigHatLoganGaming]

I'm an axe lover so videos from you showing them off make my day

[@kragjorstonefist8565]

I really like these sparring videos, and I think the first person camera is great.

[@MaDmanex100]

Wow exciting footage, this is impressive. More of this please, i do like when you describe what happened too in a simple but effective manner. More staff combat if possible as i do train such myself.

[@jonah9046]

It's funny that you posted this! As a late 15th century reenactor, I went to a medieval event a few months ago. Besides the High- and Late Medieval groups there were also quite a few viking reenactors (awesome people), and I actually did some laid back longsword vs dane axe sparring with one of them! We went easy though, considering we weren't wearing protection. It was a really interesting situation! While I knew that they were popular weapons for a reason, it really showed me how devastating a dane axe would have been in actual combat! By the way, the first person view in the video was lovely!

[@ancah4life]

This felt really educational in the most fun way

[@FirstLast-wk3kc]

That is amazing production quality! One of the most comfortable and engaging fight by far! That mix of 3rd and first person view for more information are amazingly balanced! Also, it shows that it should be possible to include impressive realistic animations in 1st person games. (Ignore that, i am just sick to see such *only* in Kingdom Come deliverance)

[@trentweston8306]

This was a great video both types of perspective were well used.

[@droolhd]

Great camera work in this one and clear cuts to make even a noob like me understand what's going on.

[@niarudle]

Happy to see more axe action.^^ Also, nice depiction of the KZbin algorithm! 👌

[@TheCrAzYfox2332]

It been some time since I've seen one of your videos because I never get notified. But I feel like both of you have really improved. And the video quality is insane

[@joeygwood]

That block with the top part of axe head at 1:36 was very precise. Good job!

[@declanthehelper456]

Fantastic Axe work, especially with those casts. I larp and spar and sometimes am a spectator those kind of fights like the ones above. It always looks like so much fun