SPEAR Evolution Vs Medieval ARMOR

Spears have been around for almost as long as modern humans, but when spears found that they had to deal with medieval armor, something had to change!
Patreon & Extra Videos: / scholagladiatoria
Facebook & Twitter updates, info and fun:
/ historicalfencing
/ scholagladiato1
Schola Gladiatoria HEMA - sword fighting classes in the UK:
www.swordfightinglondon.com
Matt Easton's website:
www.matt-easton.co.uk/
Easton Antique Arms:
www.antique-swords.co.uk/

[@stevenkobb156]

I'm thrilled that Matt loves the length and girth of his shaft. We wouldn't want him grappling using an inferior weapon.

[@aaronaxel4760]

Remember... It feels nice in his hand...

[@Jake9ization]

The deadpan delivery was priceless haha

[@richard6133]

If you have an 8' shaft: Never. Ever. Ever. Pass up an opportunity to discuss your 8' shaft. 😏

[@stevenpeterson8582]

Certainly of legendary proportion.

[@Leftyotism]

😂

[@78my9]

Oh yes! More of Matt's flexing the girth, thickness and length of his shaft,point and head tip with context.💓👍💪😁

[@Omniseed]

This girth don't flex, Hoss

[@dominicconway1112]

He’s also being slaggy 😂

[@aprosper]

The way he thrust and swings his shaft around with such control is amazing.

[@hugompg]

😂

[@ewanhopper4275]

He can run people through with the best of them

[@Jacob-W-5570]

Matt is always taking the opportunity to show off his skills with his shaft...

[@RLKmedic0315]

If my shaft were that long, stiff and shiny... I'd be showing it off proudly as well 😉

[@leonardomarquesbellini]

To be fair it is quite an impressive shaft

[@tyree9055]

Matt stepped right into that one didn't he? 🤣👍

[@BY-bj6ic]

@@tyree9055 that's what she said

[@alexanderren1097]

We demand bloopers! I refuse to believe that Matt was able to deliver all those double entendres in a single take with a straight face!

[@issen2291]

Matt, I am a long time viewer of your content and I always enjoy comments on the length, girth, sheer mass, stiffness and penetration power of your shaft. One thing I'd like to comment on is how you mention you will continue to be Matt Easton the next time we meet you. You declare this with such confidence! How could you possibly know? What is the secret behind your certainty?

[@MuirThePaladin]

I'm a simple person, I see Matt upload a video on spears, I like.

[@dougmartin2007]

The shaft is a very good length, but I wonder about the lack out butt spike. In all seriousness, I found spears to be much better balanced when the butt spike or butt cap evens out the weight of the spear head.

[@docstockandbarrel]

For penetrating mail?

[@dougmartin2007]

@@docstockandbarrel I meant just handling the balanced weapon in the hands. I don't see how a butt cap would add to or take away from penetrating armor.

[@alexh4436]

This is a very good point. Spears are light enough tat the extra weight on the back end is negligible but the added balance is substantial.

[@docstockandbarrel]

The fact that you were being serious hurts my chances at a comedy Oscar.

[@docstockandbarrel]

@@taylorfusher2997 I’m guessing the answer isn’t by the power of Uranus?

[@andreweden9405]

"Io son la nobelle arma per nome lança: Principio de bataia è sempre mia usança. E chi me guarda cum mio penone ardito De grande paura deuenta smarito: E se a lo principio el mio debito faço, Azça spada e daga io cauo de impaço." Translation: "I am a noble weapon, Spear by name: In the beginning of battle I am always used. And whoever watches me with my dashing pennant should be frightened with great dread. For if in the beginning I make my due, Axe, sword, and dagger will I upset." - Introduction to the chapter on the spear from the combat treatise "Fior di Battaglia"("Flower of Battle") by Fiore dei Liberi (c. 1410).

[@graveyard1979]

This is something that starts showing on the bronze Age spears as well, but those types coexist. The leaf-shaped with enforced spine and the arrow-shaped heads go hand to hand. Also the sockets get progressively stronger. Either some were made for hunting, other for war, or some were all-purpose carried by commoners and some were for nobility fighting nobility with higher expectance of facing someone in metal armor. Then in the Classical era iron spear blades are again mostly made for cutting through flesh.

[@graveyard1979]

@@taylorfusher2997 They didn't, at least not in the Classical period. Olympia armor bronze plate falls from use somewhere after battle of Marathon (IIRC two sets of complete leg protections from this fight were found at Olympia as temple deposits) and after this it's only greaves to cover shins and that's it. Feet armor is not common in history. It only comes back with full chainmail and plate harness. Whoever would be shooting at the phalanx would be aiming for the upper half anyway.

[@mohhamedsmith]

At 3:36 you mention cutting the straps on armour. I'd be really interested to see a video looking into this topic, maybe looking into depictions in artwork, mentioning in treatises, etc. I can't recall hearing anyone else talk about it. Cheers.

[@101Mant]

I'm curious how practical it would be, cutting leather with a knife isn't the easiest thing, obviously a lot of variables with thickness and strength of the leather, sharpness and edge geometry of the knife or dagger, leverage and strength of the attacker. It seems a bit risky though if you can quickly get through you may have effectively disarmed yourself as your dagger is now stuck under the strap and not doing anyhting useful.

[@MlorenDraymeer]

It would only be done if your opponent was well grappled or on the ground already, effectively at your mercy. Not something you can do against a moving opponent that can still defend themselves.

[@filipaugustus1230]

Matt has a great shaft, and that tip could penetrate very deep and cause a lot of bleeding.

[@brianknezevich9894]

I have a spearhead much like your later example. Much lower quality, but very similar. It can completely impale a small deer with ease, through both sides of the ribcage. (No animals were harmed, this was a deer that died of natural causes, I certainly wasn't going to eat it, so I did some weapons testing on possibly the best analog possible. I left the remains for the wildlife and collected the skull the next year.)

[@kounurasaka5590]

I think I speak for everyone, but I love when Matt talks about his thick, long shafts.

[@Adam_okaay]

I always imagine an 8' shaft being shorter than it is, in my head that was 12 footer. but then again I have a tendency to claim 4(insert unit of measure) are actually 6, so conflating 8' and 12' makes sense.

[@NothingYouHaventReadBefore]

Huh, that's an interesting little brain-quirk.

[@zigzaghyena3633]

Lots of people tend to underestimate the size of a shaft without a visual aid on hand.

[@LuxTheSlav]

@@zigzaghyena3633 innit tho 😏

[@Adam_okaay]

@@NothingYouHaventReadBefore it's a small penis joke. Lol.

[@shakehandswithdanger7882]

Smells more like a foot

[@SgtBrutalisk]

Talks about spears and armor. Wears Under Armour T-shirt. Well played, sir.

[@MrBrokenwrenches]

The British deadpan delivery of the shaft joke killed me lol. Love this channel so much.

[@normtrooper4392]

Just started learning a bit more about spears so this video is well timed. Thank you

[@discostu2246]

In the event of a broken shaft.. a wider tip could effectively help the weilder..to paddle away to safety 👍

[@ericweber5942]

i typically just break it at the handle like a jo staff or somethink like a stilleto dagger using only the handle

[@IHateThisHandleSystem]

4:49 It's a historic day when Mr Matt Easton finally embraces sexual innuendo, lol.

[@Omniseed]

Wat u meen, 'fimally'?&?

[@IHateThisHandleSystem]

@@Omniseed Historically speaking, Matt was never fond of the innuendo stuff (even though he was constantly doing it). Now, he seems to embrace it.

[@Omniseed]

@@IHateThisHandleSystem Matt Easton has always embraced the girth of our shafts, friend

[@IHateThisHandleSystem]

@@Omniseed No, he really didn't. Go back and watch older videos and you will see, it used to embarrass him terribly.

[@TsukiraLuna]

I love watching Matt handling his shaft.

[@BCSchmerker]

+scholagladiatoria *Consistently with the bodkin point for archers, the tricorn spearhead and lancepoint were developed for armor penetration, lived on in the 18th- and 19th-Century socket bayonets for infantry guns.*

[@daemonharper3928]

They are surprisingly light.....and even a broken spear is useful - as two small spears.

[@surgeonsergio6839]

5:02 Now that's on purpose. You can't deny that.

[@brittakriep2938]

Some days ago, Matt spoke about hunting. The in Germany still produced boar spear tips are rather strong and heavy.

[@Monkeyboy-hq6uz]

For years I always thought spear would kind useless but overtime I found out how shocking useful they were and how dangerous it can be than other weapons in right scenario. My only problem I see is alot of show and game only make spear forsake of having them. A couple of game make them work and sometimes fun to use. ( mostly in mount and blade series and some of mod.)

[@Lilliathi]

The spear was the most important weapon in history together with the bow. Games often have you fight small groups in cramped spaced, which is where spears are at their worst. Mount and blade is different in that respect.

[@redactedcanceledcensored6890]

In M&B spears are pretty much only useful against the initial cavalry charge, the 1257AD mod and especially the Viking Conquest DLC for M&B get spears even better.

[@joeupton99]

Matt, once again a great video. I've been watching you for years and still learn something new every time!

[@IMarcaI]

"Might compromise the socket in a wrestling action using the thicker shaft." Matt you dirty bastard.

[@jeydonfal1]

Matt's talent for shaft wielding is incredibly advanced I must admit.

[@maninalift]

Surely long socket is a significant advantage in robustness against levering forces. I agree in general with your points about the strength of the construction of the socket.

[@Seraphus87]

Ah, Matt is back with the double entendres 😁

[@billb4696]

I just dropped my lunch, Matt. Thank you for a wonderful description of your shaft. I love this channel

[@bear-yv9ew]

Lovely video and backdrop, cheers

[@kage2907]

Matt is the Johnny Sins of medieval weaponary

[@michael3088]

Mat: *talking about his shaft* Me: *smacks like button*

[@sindarpeacheyeisacommie8688]

8 minutes out and 43 likes. Popular guy.

[@rahbee6266]

Never in my life have I been so excited to hear a man discuss the dimensions of his shaft

[@Daylon91]

Love the thumbnail keep up the good work Matt cheers from the prairies in Canada 🇨🇦

[@kavemanthewoodbutcher]

Best innuendo channel on KZbin!

[@nilo70]

Thanks Matt for making this happen

[@-RONNIE]

Good video & information 👍🏻

[@Csarci]

Finally! been waiting for insight on this.

[@I..cast..fireball]

Funny he used to actively avoid innuendos, now he leans into them. He has become one of us.

[@josephfrederic3456]

Another good video. Please discuss Katzbalgers and Baselards at some point.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

Matt, either your t-shirt or yor video title is spelt wrong ;-) But seriously, great to see you out in the sun, and another fascinating topic I'd never thought to think about till now.

[@PeriLlwynog]

Excessively French/Cajun and rather Welsh/Irish commenter here: wonderful video, thanks for slowing down your English so that someone like me can still hear what you're saying in American Perfidious Albion English ;)

[@jankramolis8658]

Please more videos about spears! Very interesting topic!

[@Bob_Lennart]

I'm always relieved to hear that he is still Matt Easton

[@szepi79]

it's always a pleasure to see Matt sliding his hand on the shaft up&down like a pro

[@markadams4593]

This a whole new side of Matt! A sense of humor? Who is this man and what has he done with the real Matt?

[@nefelibatacomingthrough2707]

That is a great shaft on your thrusting weapon. Very nice indeed. +1 and nice on topic short vidya!

[@Zergash]

Great video!

[@nevisysbryd7450]

Local bald man brags about the length and girth of his shaft and claims, "It feels nice in my hand," before whacking it all over his yard.

[@Omniseed]

On camera, broadcast to the whole internet no less

[@jasonalpha]

Great video

[@pierdurin]

Hello Matt! Would you talk about cavalry lances in detail in the future, showing us different lenghts, types and their evolution?

[@philw8049]

Yes sir, your shaft truly is an impressive thing.

[@johnladuke6475]

Other creators: If I think the wrong thought when I'm alone in the dark, yootoobz will find out and demonetize me! Matt Easton: Let's talk about the length and girth of my shaft. Again. You know you like it.

[@rezlogan4787]

The same effect as you mention applied to bullet styles in early revolvers. Roundball projectiles dump more energy and are more blunt (more tissue damage). Conical bullets often were pointed to improve range and penetration at the expense of tissue damage.

[@ashleyoasis7948]

fire arm was henced from a spear the spear was attached to a black powder candle to act as a flame thrower by the chineese.hence fire 🔥 arm you lit up the candle as a flame flower to deter a charge then they started putting sharpnek glass in them to spit out.but you had to light the strech the spear.but if it burnt out you still had a a sharp jabby stick.as to why early guns had huge bayonets europeans then to prevent the light load and flank on the now hand cannon incoperated crossbiw mechanics with a triggering system barrel etc giving you a musket

[@frankharr9466]

I'd never thought of it like that. That's cool.

[@LazyLifeIFreak]

The quintessential pointy stick.

[@barebius]

Yeah, more polearms, please!

[@pimar5654]

I love watching Matt playing around with già shaft and showing off his length and girth

[@samasumo2]

the thickness of this guy's shaft is legendary indeed...

[@Ibosz]

Nice and, informative as always. But I would seriously rethink that thumbnail picture. :D

[@fitthickchic6732]

Hi, there, I'm new to the channel. I love how you handle your shaft. Could you teach us some medieval polearm flow like @11:51? That looked really good!!!

[@404errorpagenotfound.6]

This is a safe place for men to gather and speak heroic tales of their shaft and the pinning of sockets. No judgement, this is an inclusive channel even men with mere quarter shafts are welcome.

[@dsanchez9703]

Bro, thats cool Cheers!🤙

[@mitux447]

Eight and a half feet is 2,59m in normal units.

[@markziff7234]

Do you mean eight and a half feet? Give up lecturing on metric over imperial if you still need to learn to spell! 🤣😂🤣😂

[@mitux447]

@@markziff7234 You didn't have any argument supporting imperial system so you attack a typo instead, nice.

[@CrimeVid]

@@mitux447 we don’t need to support the Imperial system of linear measurement, it is based on real things, unlike the other system invented by the Froggers, just so they could lay claim to something…

[@stormiewutzke4190]

I like to tell my wife pretty much the same thing 😏😉. I'm glad you mentioned heat treatment as one of the diffences in steel quality. The quality of steel along with the understanding of heat treatment all make a difference. Even those who make weapons using traditional methods will likely still use some sort of oven to temper. There are a series of different ways that even very small changes in modern construction we add more toughness to the material. Strangely when we compare materials metal would have been far more fragile but wood likely would have been far stronger. Besides the things that we normally think about with them usually using split rather than sawn wood so the grain would follow through the piece z there were other things that could affect it as well. One most wood that we buy is farmed. Some of these are GMO but many have been planted and those have been bred to produce lumber and tend to grow far faster than wood in the past and tend to be less dense. Wood density affects strength. Depending on how the wood was grown can also affect the density as well. Europeans may be more aware of wood harvesting practices but it was also common to use techniques like pollarding where the rootstock was left and the tree was cut at different levels where beaches would form new tops that could be havested as poles. Since the large rootstock remained it could produce wood that was easier to process and useful for many projects in an era without power tools. Since branch wood has a higher hardness there may have been a big difference in the strength of that wood as well. A spear shaft made from a hardwood branch would be much stronger and more flexible than say what we get from a cut board. It's my understanding that for many weapons they would turn the pieces on lathes. If these were coming from small well seasoned poles they would still have full length fibers running the length of the shaft internally that would have made them much stronger than most modern construction from cut boards even if every other part of construction was matched. Just some speculation for those who find materials interesting.

[@MyCommentsRMaturelol]

Huh. I thought quarter saw would be stronger. Why is every branch I pick up so damn breakable?

[@stormiewutzke4190]

@@MyCommentsRMaturelol try finding a thick hardwood branch and then peel and dry it carefully. What matters is how the tree grows and how dense the wood is. If it grew quickly and the wood is less dense it will be different than something that had conditions that made the wood more dense.

[@fredzoltan784]

very interesting. In fact wood technics to have very hard and flexible shaft have been lost in time. we tend to think that wood pole is easily replaceable and that it's just "wood"... it's so damn hard today to find a good pole for building a good spear... even ash is generally bad because it's planks from young tree that have grow too fast, you can forget to find some dogwood or yew... as you have said wood from the past would have been a lot more reliable than everything we could find now, sadly...

[@GallowglassAxe]

I've been studying Irish spears (the fenian pike) recently as they've had a really, really long history. They were even used in Easter Uprising in the early 20th century.

[@tylercross8877]

I laughed like a fucking maniac listening to this

[@HrothgarTheSaxon]

It's so nice to know, that I'm not the only one obsessed with my shaft! 😁 Absolutely agree with the content, I'd just like to add, that thin blades can also take damage by hitting shields of otherwise unarmoured opponents. And, I have no experience with the following (that I would admit), but also repeatedly hitting bone or getting stuck in flesh and being pulled out at a wrong angle could deform the spears blade.

[@social3ngin33rin]

Beautiful spear tip

[@joshuawalker301]

Matt has these cool moves when handling the *thiccc* spear.

[@LuxisAlukard]

Pure gold, those shafts!

[@dantherpghero2885]

Shameless Innuendo performed by a master. Bravo.

[@tapioperala3010]

I love how Matt shows off his thick shaft

[@jm9371]

I learned something cool. Thanks.

[@jessupshutt3557]

Another amazing video diving into the different designs of spears and what benefits those designs provide. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what's so bad about lion headed Kukri's. Reason being I may have accidentally bought one yesterday (the pommel is partially broken). I only learned about the lion headed Kukri's being terrible after I got home and looked up more info about Kukri's. The Kukri is as dull as you can imagine. So to test it, I chopped it into a dead tree in my backyard (yes, I know that is extremely abusive testing for a sword, much less a knife). But I felt it was necessary to test it before I wasted a whetstone to sharpen it. Surprisingly after chopping into the tree multiple times, it came away completely fine. It had absolutely no damage to the blade of the Kukri. So can anyone tell me what is so bad about lion headed Kukri's?

[@michaellavaughnrobinson]

Your spear video are my favorite.

[@promiscuous5761]

Thank you.

[@BlazingWolfNova]

New drinking game; take a shot every time Matt uses a double entendre in his video.

[@rachdarastrix5251]

We'll talk about the thickness of my shaft in a moment...

[@LLL74123]

Are there any examples of triangular points on spears, like a rondell dagger on a stick?

[@daviddiaz5815]

I think the japanese yari is

[@brittakriep2938]

Socalled ,Awlpike'/Ahlspieß.

[@navigator5426]

@Scholagladatoria, there is evidence that the Scandinavians and others had access to high quality Wootz Iron from India for a time during the Viking Era as evidenced by the UlfBerht Viking Sword but as with all good things the Wootz Iron Mines eventually became depleted. One thing that I am aware of that affected the quality of Spears during Medieval Times and even before is that when an army was being equiped with weapons a lot of the spear heads, arrowheads and most of the swords were Cast Steel and then worked minimally by forging methods. Usually the time consuming ' Forged Swords ' etc, were made for Nobles and Knights and People who could afford to pay for high quality forge work. And the fact is that spearheads and arrowheads were not often made with the same level of craftsmanship as forgeworked swords or axes. Anyway, thanks for the Video, Mat. It's deffinitely a topic worth discussing.

[@eagle162]

There really isn't actual strong evidence of that sword being anything special, check out "11.4.3 Ulfberht Swords" And the popularly of wootz steel is something of a much later phenomenon. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qp7Co4tujsiEd68

[@INTERNERT]

we all love the girth of your shaft Matt

[@SJJensendk]

Shaft and girth - lol. Good old Captain Context - master of innuendos.

[@alexanderguesthistorical7842]

"They don't like it up 'em you know. They DON'T LIKE IT UP 'EM". "Don't panic! Doooon't PAAAAANNNNIC!!!

[@infrared337]

"I love to mention my shaft." Yes we are aware, Matt.

[@lindseyfrancesco4]

I noticed when he was showing off the socket for the spearhead he was careful to avoid pointing the tip right at his face

[@lalbus1607]

Nice informations. Could you talk more about the evolution of the lance throughout the Late Middle Age? I have looked few arts of the time, and quite often in the late 14th and early 15th centuries seems the horsemans usually are holding something that looks like that spear you are holding, at least the tip. Furthermore I have found something that look like a wooden rondel on the lance.

[@hrodvitnir6725]

Diddnt the Italians keep a lighter speer and shiels combo going for a bit well into the 16th century? How did they get around armour with that?

[@danielleriley2796]

Well that’s all so obvious, well once you told us. I’ve seen spears in movies etc and I never really thought they were a weapon that’s more than just the point and the point actually has real design and engineering evolved. Thanks for your time.

[@culture-nature-mobility7867]

One might begin to try to insert the shaft itself into gaps in the armor (and not just the tip(s))... In a wrestling situation it might happen that one has to use a gap on the back of the opponent... In that case often a shaft of only 1 ft length might be more than enough and could be felt as an example much more into the direction of an 8 ft long one by the opponent...

[@yono1986]

Do the 13th-14th century sources show use of the butt-end of the spear? If you are using it as a two handed weapon you could potentially use the butt end to hit joints or sweep legs.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

The ahlspiess is pretty good vs armor. It's like a rondel dagger & a spear had a kid 😂

[@gadyariv2456]

2:17. I'm not sure that this statement is totally accurate, that armor wasn't prevalent until 1000AD without the caveat, in western Europe. Rome didn't fall in the east....I'm sure the Byzantine and Sassanid cataphracts were quit heavily armored compared Europeans at the time.

[@ericwilliams1659]

He continues to reference "the age of plate" later in the video. And if you compare the type and amount of armor in a standing army before and after 1000AD (on avg). One could easily say they had less armor. Yes there are a few exceptions but we all know the cataphract did not make up the whole army.

[@leonardomarquesbellini]

@@ericwilliams1659 the cataphract didn't even last that long, a couple centuries before the crusades they were phased out in favour of somewhat lighter cavalry that could double as horse archers, and then by horse archers that could double as medium cavalry

[@Changdao1644]

@@leonardomarquesbellini They made a reappearance in the 9th century and only died off after Manzikert and the civil wars, when the former Byzantine army ceased to exist and was reformed by the Komnenians. Its true that they had not been used since the 6th century, though.

[@Odin029]

Ohh the innuendo is strong with this one

[@jackkardic5151]

Matt needs to collab with LockpickingLawyer about historic locks. The innuendo would be epic.

[@enki113]

I came for the shaft and I'm leaving satisfied.