The Curve of Convenience

#polearm #hema #martialarts #shorts

[@Shield_OW]

classic guard half asleep leaning on his halberd, perfect for rogues wanting access to some official building

[@nobledragon1714]

Treacherous advice

[@robinrehlinghaus1944]

And the guard will be letting out a comical hrrrrr-zzzz snoring sound

[@robinswords]

Funnily enough, stealing halberds from dozing guards was evidently a popular prank. From The Martial Ethic in Early Modern Germany: "...off-duty city guard Erhardt Ziegler, who became involved in an alter-cation with the watch in 1594 and, according to his accusers, yelled at them, “You’re all desperate rascals, he has never lost a halberd by falling asleep as they had, he is also a servant of our Lords and also has a pike and weapons.” Testimony in the case suggests that after Ziegler had found the abandoned halberd lying around, a colleague of the guard who had misplaced it asked him to keep quiet out of fear of reprisal. In another case, a furrier quietly took away a halberd from a drowsing guard, apparently as a joke intended to draw attention to the sleepy watchman’s inappropriate behavior."

[@Shield_OW]

@@robinswords we engage in a modicum of medieval tomfoolery

[@AnimeSunglasses]

Now I'm imagining some grizzled veteran appearing to be asleep leaning on his halberd, but being plenty alert enough that when some young scamp tries to steal it, he sticks the butt of the poll between the lad's legs and trips him up!

[@danjohnston9037]

I'm just imagining some Medieval Town Merchant complaining about his Tax Money being spent on Town Guards who stand on street corners leaning on their polearms all day 😏

[@ruffethereal1904]

Always overpaid and overstaffed guards till the roaming band of kleptomaniac murder hobos rolls in.

[@Lftarded]

I wouldn't really see why not tho, they're standing there probably 5-8 hours a day before someone switches or their shift ends.

[@danjohnston9037]

@@Lftarded 8 Hour Shifts ? Very 20th Century Conception, ( took unions strikes with dynamite to get that ) I would assume more like Dawn-to-Dusk and also Dusk-to-Dawn duty rounds. You'll learn to sleep standing up 😏

[@justinthompson6364]

​@@danjohnston9037It's before legislated work day limits, but it's also before corporations. Even then, this isn’t the sort of job where you can boost effectiveness indefinitely with more man-hours. Quite the opposite; a tired guard is an ineffective guard.

[@danjohnston9037]

@@justinthompson6364 In an agrarian society your work patterns are going to be much more linked to the seasons and natural daylight. The Night Watch is a long watch in winter, and that is just the way it is

[@cazador7131]

Some weapons just have a presence that says, "I am being carried for one purpose. Do not become that purpose"

[@CDKohmy]

This is why I'm fascinated by shepherd axes as they were often used as canes. The Dane axe is famous for the lean, and is likely the origin of the sparth axe and Hungarian axe, the latter I heard was also sometimes used as a walking stick.

[@robinswords]

That's another convenience curve along the line, certainly. The cane test.

[@woytank2843]

You're 100% right. As soon as I read your comment I thought about a small axe used by polish highlanders called Ciupaga. It was a common self defence weapon and a useful tool used in polish mountains for ages. I myself have some experience with that particular one, because it's a prop for one of polish folk dances I dance

[@aced4fun]

"Sir you can't bring weapons in here." "But this is my emotional support polearm :("

[@gabrielgoes0]

Underrated comment

[@polinaignatenkova3634]

This is fascinating for a writer, cause I can only use my imagination for what is and isn't comfortable and convenient to carry around, YOU get to figure it out by actually carrying those things around. I'm curious about swords and, especially their hilts/guards

[@TotallyNotLoki]

I think it pretty much depends on how it’s worn, but more complex guards will definitely be more bulky. There are ways to wear them so they’re not digging into your side though, so I think overall length is a bigger factor than hilt construction.

[@yoeyyoey8937]

Why “as a writer”? You basically described every person who doesn’t own these weapons

[@TotallyNotLoki]

@@yoeyyoey8937 probably because a writer might actually have use for the information, while most people would just consider it a bit of interesting info

[@breadbread4226]

I mean if you want a decent idea of the thing, get a thick wooden shafts (for a shovel or the like) and attach something of weight to the shaft at different heights(or get several and cut them up into different lengths), there are also some ren fairs where you can get good replicas, both to buy and just to hold.

[@woytank2843]

For a few years I've been working at historical events in Poland (im polish myself) and my role is mostly to be a City guard from different ages, a line common infantry if you will. I can 100% confirm that leaning On your Spears, axes, glaves and all that jazz is perfectly viable and comfortable. Also another thing to point out is the fact that halberds or polearms in general are a great sign of authority in them medieval esque settings, while being good weapons themselves. Sometimes in my area there are nighttime events where tourists get to know the story of a certain city in northern Poland with rich early and high medieval history, while under the watch of me and a buddy of mine as medieval city guards. From this I learned how great polearms are at crowd control, keeping people on the sidewalks at night is pretty hard and would be impossible without my trusty ol' spear😂

[@yoeyyoey8937]

That’s super interesting thanks for sharing!

[@maxsoderstam1482]

After doing a reenactment march we figured out that the greatsword is very comfortable to march with since you can rest the crossguard on your shoulder

[@Steelpoly3dJ316]

"Weapons get less convenient the larger they are." Anime swordsman: 🤨

[@genericuser984]

Cloud, Guts, Kurosaki, etc: "I have no such weakness"

[@purachinachinchin]

Nuts from berk

[@reapordeath]

Just place it on your back like everyone else

[@EmperorZ19]

​@@genericuser984In the remake, there's actually a scene where Cloud can't draw his blade quickly because it's hitting the top of the doorframe he's standing in

[@genericuser984]

@@EmperorZ19 thats hilarious

[@allgomesareevil6121]

Why Roman guards on watch duty weren't allowed to carry their shields 😅

[@johnevergreen8019]

I’m sure they had smaller shields for specific purposes like you wouldn’t give your cavalry a scutum and if you’re on a wall or guarding a narrow space a smaller shield is more useful (this is just personal speculation based around logic it’s also important to remember that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence)

[@POTUSJimmyCarter]

​@@johnevergreen8019the issue there is now you've got TWO shields that have to be transported with an army on the march.

[@martytu20]

All of a sudden, scutum falling out of favour starts to make sense. If you’re just patrolling and stalling an advancing force, a scutum is just going to weigh you down.

[@dudi0_0]

​@@johnevergreen8019They don't. Only standard bearers (and maybe the general) use smaller shields.

[@dudi0_0]

Roman guards did use shields when on watch duty, in case of an assassination attemp or a riot. The Romans never really used spears up until the legions was replaced by the comitatenses.

[@chainsawchanselour5452]

In survival situations, people say never use a spear shorter than you or you could fall on it and die

[@Orangnus]

Hot medieval enthusiasts aren't real, they can't hurt you Hot medieval enthusiast:

[@ragnkja]

He could hurt you if he wanted to.

[@GunShocka]

Lean test is so true. I remember getting my first staff. The optimal height of a staff for users is to be a few inches taller than the user. I used to lean on it all the time or rest my arms on it with it on my shoulders when they were tired. Super comfortable.

[@Wesmin]

I know you're leaning but I can't help but see a "hug" instead and anthropomophize the polearm into a dog. "Who's a good polearm, you are!"

[@duetopersonalreasonsaaaaaa]

Real. That would 100% be me on a battlefield lmfao I pack bond with anything

[@ihavekalashnikovyoudomath9275]

Now I want to see a chart depicting the "Curve of Convince." The x-axis is high/size reletive to one's body, so it's be a percentage (100% being the same height as the weilder). The y-axis is the amount of convenience(you would have to have a graded rubric to give it a measureable score). It starts at 10% someone's height - so if they're 70 inches tall, that's a 7 inch weapon - and have a high amount of convenience. Then as the weapon gets larger the convenience shrinks. When you reach 100% of the high you can then go to even longer weapons like polearms and greatswords. That's when you get leanable weapons like around 130% someone's height

[@danielmobley1]

Over here in Britain, sentries on guard outside military garrisons used to lean on their rifles in a similar way as, with bayonets fixed, the weapons were just above shoulder height and so they used to lean the false edge of the bayonet (not sharp) against their shoulders for a comfortable way to stand with their arms- convenient!

[@Existential_Tempest]

Hmm... Another reason that shorter polearms were frequently used by wealthy knights and other nobility, I suppose - they had other people to carry them around for them!

[@gregory2482]

You’re the main character in a YA novel, just before you are recruited to investigate an ancient tel that turns to be haunted by the ghost of William Wallace. Movie adaptation will star Tom Holland.

[@gregory2482]

Honestly, though, I love your stuff. Please keep up the good work.

[@rottenmeat5934]

Something else to consider, too : carrying bundles on poles was probably more common than backpacks or satchels.

[@CptRyaffio]

Actually, experimentation has shown that if there is any significant weight in the bundle, the pole will dig painfully into your shoulder. Meanwhile, there is a way of suspending your stick for easy accessibility and transport with period accurate "backpacks" (actually a wooden frame to which the bundles are tied) that looks a lot like the bags are suspended from the stick on your shoulder.

[@bigbrowntau]

My naginata is exactly the right length for the lean test! Thanks for codifying something that's felt right for years.

[@d-w-b-c]

based naginata bro

[@VVVHHHSSS]

In my spear, my barley-bread, in my spear, my rich wine. I drink leaning on my spear - Archilochus

[@zaxthedestroyer675]

Another nice thing about the pole axe is that if the handle breaks you still have a decent weapon one handed weapon. That is to say if it snapped in half. I guess you'd still have a pointy stick if the head broke off lol

[@MCYonazz]

"The Curve of Convenience" is also the scimitar wielded by Faerûn's most pragmatic Fighter.

[@wooblydooblygod3857]

Halberds are just the perfect medieval weapon.

[@bobmcbob49]

Learned the same thing in the army on my own when I went from an M16 to an M4 in basic training. M16s might be heavier on paper, but they have much better weight distribution and it's easier to just rest them somewhere, or just shift your grip to use different muscles when you're holding them

[@bloodbond3]

Why's Clark Kent so well-versed in medieval weaponry?

[@teancrumpets5685]

yet again the case for the staff being the ultimate tool and weapon for the traveller!

[@sorashirogami1729]

It costs little to nothing to put a blade on one end of that staff and have a massively better weapon. And if it breaks off you still have your staff. The spear is the true king of all weapons.

[@teancrumpets5685]

@@sorashirogami1729 yes i fully agree, however some policeman dont like people walking around with knife-on-stick's

[@yoeyyoey8937]

Where do people walk around with these outside of hiking or camping?

[@teancrumpets5685]

@@yoeyyoey8937 i dunno, its still less suspicious than a spear, old people have canes, whats to say someone likes to have a longer cane?

[@yoeyyoey8937]

@@teancrumpets5685 that’s true lol I just wished I saw it more often. I hen canes were common, people were using them for fighting and self defense. I knew a guy who would walk around like that but he was a transient and everyone called him “the wizard”

[@empatheticrambo4890]

I wonder if there’s enough records to try and see if this can be studied and charted on a graph

[@mitchelljohnson559]

When your job is a guard its like stand around, mess with anyone foolish enough to mess with you first.😅

[@johnevergreen8019]

I like leaning on my Dane Axe like it’s a cane

[@chrislaws4785]

The same goes for more modern weapons as well. When I was in the Army I found that there are many forearms that are just EASIER TO CARRY and it's not always the smaller ones. Sure a pistol is easiest to carry, but so are some larger ones. Some are more cumbersome than others simply because of their shape more so than their weight. Same goes for other gear as well. For example, I found that I'd much rather carry more bulky items on my best that allowed me to comfortably rest my arms on them than I would smaller items that were too small to allow me to rest my arms on them, but too large for me to even put my arms all the way down and forced me to stand or walk in an backward uncomfortable manner.

[@cattysplat]

My man literally the embodiment of Theodore Roosevelt's great quote: "speak softly and carry a big stick. You will go far."

[@abberss]

Medieval squad leader: "If you have time to lean, you have time to clean"

[@tangero3462]

And thus, Private Schmuckatelli endures through time immemorial, forever slacking off and leaning on duty

[@Gukworks]

When I think of polearms, I now think of this guy.

[@grilledleeks6514]

I could listen to you drop weaponry factoids for days, Clark.

[@lilporky8565]

Now i'm thinking of a war veteran who makes up a bunch of crazy stories for how he lost his eye when the truth is really that he just fell asleep standing and poked it out with his polearm.

[@mizuriiii]

You're like the enthusiastic Clark Kent of weaponry; subscribed immediately 🎉

[@hlommersottana9236]

The hammer on the poleaxe looks comfortable to rest your head on

[@TAP7a]

I didn't expect the image of Robinswords leaning on a polearm to be so adorable

[@Aoitori365]

this is my favorite version of Superman

[@firebolt2775]

You're a classic menswear idol and you're not even trying.

[@SeanCrosser]

For a soldier/guard, a lean-able polearm is good. For the adventure-y sort, I'd take a me-height polearm, good enough for most doorways.

[@thatotherperson2]

It's a nice halbard, I'll admit, but why did he look so... cozy? Don't worry man, you look good together. 😂

[@joelmacha2104]

This guy looks like Clark Kent if he wasn't actually Superman.

[@GUNUFofficial]

You look like if clark kent really got into bladed weaponry.

[@chrisseymour2848]

There is a painting called arrival of the pilgrims to Cologne, with heavily armed men leaning on polearms.

[@kingpatrick1265]

Congrats this coining of this phrase will now be in textbooks forever!

[@jzoer392]

Lol conveniently the guy with the longer pokey is gonna conveniently win against the guy with the conveniently shorter pokey😂

[@Wombattlr]

Evil Mr. Sausage: "Here we come!"

[@Raycheetah]

When did Clark Kent start sidelining as a medieval weapons KZbinr? =0[.]o=

[@quickattackfilms7923]

Love your videos.

[@robinswords]

Glad you like them!

[@MorinoTaiga]

Get someone who holds you like Robin leans on that polearm

[@williammclyr3330]

I think swords are also good example of it, even longsword is more convenient and easy to access than axes or maces which are overall smaller

[@MannerdDesert7]

Pole Axe was usually used while wearing Plate Armor so leaning on it isn’t really a problem in context.

[@brendandor]

A Shepards axe is ideal, especially if it has a sheeth as its walking stick height.

[@CosmicBob11]

Women call me the curve of convenience 😎

[@Fantastic_Mr_Fox]

the _bumpy_ curve of convenience

[@user-zr9hu3tf1y]

ribbed for your pleasure

[@wildbill50]

Beware the man who can comfortably lean upon his own pole

[@davidpopolizio3781]

I do enjoy Robin's Words

[@crabmannyjoe2]

I think the perfect length is just a bit longer than the length of the arm wielded by your combatant.

[@I_Willenbrock_I]

Thibault wrote in length (pun intended) about how long a rapier should be.

[@ovni2295]

Also, man-height polearms can be used as walking sticks, alleviating some of the burden of carrying them!

[@danielcox7629]

Axes are also less convenient than spears, with swords being the most convenient in general, and really weird things mostly being inconvenient.

[@jackunknown1692]

They had spears 2-3 times that length too, pretty interesting seeing the formations they used with them too.

[@mariobosnjak99]

Smaller is more convenient, larger is more deadly. You have to balance that well

[@Sensiblefool]

I want to say this robin i love your style and aesthetic

[@larsmurdochkalsta8808]

I agree wholeheartedly this is why I will be obtaining an elephant gun post haste

[@foolsgold5588]

Does this guy dress up like a 1940s businessman just to film videos, or is this his everyday attire? Massive respect either way

[@kkupsky6321]

This guy is the weirdest financial advisor ever. Or insurance salesman or whatever. Always lookin sharp tho.

[@shazmah]

Lol that shot of you leaning on it is cute xD

[@sheskiefry]

Damn. This dude has to be an economists.

[@diegochavez6322]

Pole Axe: LEAN ON ME

[@kuno3336]

You can't fool me, Clark

[@Baumstumpf.]

Haha but only if your height isn't an inconvenience to begin with. I'm 6,4 and every polearm which is taller than me is really combersome to move around outside of a fight^^. What I would give to be a hobbit!

[@sorashirogami1729]

Get a poleax without the spearpoint, lean on top of it like a cane.

[@nicholashodges201]

That explains why royal guard are given shorter halberds. That way there's no way those guards are gonna lean and nap like the town guards

[@TicySpicy]

I keep seeing your videos and I keep expecting you to open up your shirt and turn into super man. ( love your videos!)

[@CLCasual]

I love how you look like Clarke Kent, with the same poorly hidden fact your actually ripped

[@davidaugustine3686]

Don't let the King catch you leaning on your polearm tho!

[@Calebgoblin]

I'm all about halberd representation in this day and age. My favorite medieval arm

[@angryman1206]

So long as any of the points of attack are high enough to avoid digging into the shoulder, I don't see the problem. My biggest issue with polearms is that while they while they have a good reach, that same reach causes them to swing wide which creates a very large opening that an opponent if fast enough can enter through. And while a longer weapon has more momentum, they also extend the point of percussion further down so any strike below that isn't going to be as damaging. They also tend to be inconvenient in close quarter spaces so a man height polearm is still the better weapon.

[@markmawson3904]

Interestingly enough there is the same phenomenon with concealed carrying a handgun in modern America. The bigger it is, the less convenient, with the exceptions of how you carry it and certain lengths relative to your height. Interesting stuff.

[@osvelit]

reminds me of tierzoo where it shows the inefficiency of steadily increasing weight on mobility up until the point of manatees, which are so dense that they can actually walk underwater, thereby increasing their mobility despite peaking on weight

[@0friend03]

I love the looks of the helmet on the Lil desk thingy

[@OneMindAnyWeapon]

The apsect of convenience... is important but only for wepons you are carrying or wearing every day or in a normal activity. A poll axe is a weapon for a prettu heaviliy armoured man at arms.. a halberd is for some less armoured... in combat... where the less armour you have the longer your primary weapons will be...

[@briankuczynski6884]

The curve of convenience also has to factor in what people's heights were given genetic factors [dutch] and nutrition in that era/place

[@ericthered1154]

Very good point, but I think when dealing with two handed weapons around man height, the design of the head also comes into play. IE: that poleaxe doesn't look too comfy, but a Dane axe might be okay

[@Erikreaver]

I've always had a soft spot for axes. They are just plain more convenient than swords and maces and what have ya in the daily life - I try to keep mine fine enough edge to cut bread, but sturdy enough to fell a tree, hah! Of course, as mentioned elsewhere, being able to use a weapon as a walking stick or staff is a great boon for just existing out in the wild (or not wild!) and adventuring. Vaulting over streams, and I think that some of the Norse sagas even mention using axes for scaling walls! That said, I used a billhook to collect high-up elderflowers a month ago. I like my weapons handy for other things than merely combat. :)

[@thefallenmonk605]

idk if this really adds info but our rules of thumb for our LARP is fingertips when stretching up. So roughly 8ft.

[@Whitecroc]

I think the last one, but with a flattened top and maybe a few inches shorter, would be best, so that you can rest your hand on top of it.

[@FFXI_Addict]

OOOOOOOH dang I've never seen langets stacked like that on a poleaxe before. That's so classy-lookin'.

[@estrogenyumyum4801]

That’s good to know

[@Yeti-db8qd]

Ever heard about the polish mountaineer axes ? Small head but enough to fight with effectively and long as leg to be basically a weaponized cane for Polish mountain folks in the late medival to even present some people from polish mountains don those small head axes called "ciupaga" until present day !!! It's basically part of their folklore dress routine

[@dasamont8274]

I feel like the perfect convenience would add a handle like a farm-scythe in the perfect height for the elbow to rest on, although considering that it would be quite a way up the shaft it would probably be very convenient for an enemy combatant to grab onto while fighting you to disarm you

[@TFZ.]

I LOVE Billhooks in design, but (mostly because of Warhammer...) the Halberd holds top place for me.

[@coltonsheets1414]

I would also consider the dainaxe and that you can lean on it's haed so there is a slightly lower height as well

[@bluehemlock1156]

I'm always explaining why my weapon's size is extra convenient, but so far no woman has believed me ...

[@connortobin3775]

Well, a tripod IS the most stable number of legs an object at rest can have...

[@mikurusagawa6897]

Also another part is the ballance of the piece. It's pretty comfortable to carry decently size longsword but axe of the same size would be cumbersome

[@nightshade4873]

Emotional Support Poleaxe

[@andrewhazlewood4569]

Quarterstaffs are convenient as they don't have an issue with injuring yourself but you are also able to take them into a synchronistic community without appearing threatening.