How many hits can a spear shaft take? Spear shaft vs. Dane axe

About the only complete spear shaft from Viking Age Scandinavia: secretsoftheice.com/news/2017...
For more of my academic work:
independent.academia.edu/Solb...

[@swordandshield]

I very much appreciate these tests of yours, Gustav. As an archaeologist, your down-to-earth presentation add credibility to a popular video format. Pointing out caveats and methodological problems, as well as the preliminary nature of such test results is helpful and important. Great to see that this does not keep you from making and sharing these. Thanks a lot.

[@alexandermartzok_vikingcombat]

Damn Emil's aim is as always on point. Formidable warrior. Thanks for sharing you cutting tests, very interesting. Really would like to settle the argue if a sword would simply cut through the 22 mm toothpicks used in Reenactment.

[@hafniaanonymous7605]

It has to be to keep up with you 😊

[@silverjohn6037]

When people talk about cutting spear shafts I think they're forgetting a key point. If you're close enough to cut a spear shaft the spear is close enough to stab you. So maybe not something that a historical person in genuine combat would try.

[@zornhau]

Fascinating! I wonder what happens if the spear is stuck in the shield, and then struck by the axe? Also, if held underarm and the axe strikes it down into the ground.

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

Thank you for doing these tests. We need more data about the details of cutting through spear hafts & similar. This remains a controversial topic. There are tons of credible sources from across time & space that say swords could & did cut through pike & lance hafts. Most, however, aren't clear about how many hits this took.

[@bernhard7658]

Thank You!

[@Staroy]

Seems like those strikes wer 50% power. Makes a big difference. Plus the vikings were probably a lot buffer than your friend from rowing etc.

[@williampanagopoulos656]

For future tests it would be onteresting to assemble a series of thicknesses, i want to say 18mm or 15mm for things like darts and light throwing spears possibly used in emergency close combat as a scenario All the way up to 25mm to, account for spears with larger sovkets, and while 3cm is rare, 25mm is fairly well represented. It would be a curious side by side test In theory you wouldnt even need a actual spearhead... Just some weight in the form or a cap or even some pipe though i admit that is a bit more crude, mounted to the business end to maintain reasonable balance dynamics If i had access to ash timber and a decent axe id try this myself... Alas i cannot...

[@ronin2963]

Nice axe work. 🪓

[@thebelfastvikingmartinbrow3603]

We took 7 to do something similar lol 😂years ago and sure in normal playing around we have had a spear break on the 1st hit but then that spear been used over and over and just broke. Plus you not going to stand and let someone keep hitting the spear. So not really much you can say it will break when it breaks and if you still alive later on just fix it again. I mean we all have stood hitting things with either swords axes big knives just to see if they break. 😂

[@MrAllmightyCornholioz]

ODIN BLESS THIS VIDEO!