Weird Weapons from History Flail

[@MartinGreywolf]

I had the dubious pleasure of fighting against some Hussite reenactors armed with these while they were on top of an actual war wagon. Thankfully, they had foam flail heads without any spikes. One thing that didn't happen was the swings damaging our arms - once that wraparound happened, something else, usually your head, was in the way and got smacked first. But that's not the big problem, oh no. The big one is extremely sneaky and dangerous. You see, if your enemy is on war wagon, or just a higher ground, you raise your shield up to cover your head, obviously. And it is at this point that you find out that the flail, upon hitting a shield raised like that, is perfectly capable of wrapping around your shield and head, and hitting you in the back of the skull. Now, we got smacked with foam heads and had mail coifs there, so we were fine, if irate, but I've seen a solid hit from a foam head causing a grown man to sit down. WHat this thing would do to the back of your head with spikes and full weight... What we learned that day was that you have to block the flail head, not the flail shaft - putting that into practice was, however, rather tricky. The grappling did happen, but armor was kind of necessary for that, because getting jabbed in the bare ribs with a stick still isn't pleasant, a gambeson allows you to ignore it. A much better solution was to rush the flailman, if he was out alone, while covering the important bits of you with a shield. Unfortunately for us, those were experienced flailmen, and, well... they do move in herds.

[@nick_steele9790]

They do move in herds!

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks for this Martin - really good insights. Appreciated

[@Musabre]

And there's the JP theme looping in my head for the rest of the afternoon now lol. Great insights to read though, and i'd wonder if there is any stock in the often depicted one handed flail being a legitimate weapon as much as these two handed ones are?

[@budahbaba7856]

That is quite interesting. Those Hussites were not people to be toyed with. And the economic side of producing a flail, even throw a wagon on top of the bill, was very small compared to a full suit of armor. But that combination of flail + elevation! Yeah! Damn those Hussites! while i am not a re-enactor, i do enjoy role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, and i often have wondered what kind of weapon an ogre or giant should use if they think to fight lowly humans & demi-humans. The Hussite lesson of flail + elevation may be instructional! :)

[@NetAndyCz]

@@budahbaba7856 the hussites were often even nastier, they put wagons around hill tops so the wagons were already on a higher ground and whoever was charging uphill in armour was quite exhausted...or they fought in rather wet muddy terrain and the extra weight of armour made movement really hard.

[@tsylvester2523]

Thanks for having me Tod! For anyone interested the flails are ash dowels with two thick eye bolts and a D shackle connecting them to a rattan head covered in pipe insulation I shrank with a heat gun and cable tied. They're probably too large and the head too light in the name of sparring safely, but you know about it when they hit you.

[@tods_workshop]

Not at all Tom and thanks so much for letting us know you had them. The vid was without doubt far better for you guys and your flails being in it - thanks

[@Tarabulus]

Well done all of you lads!

[@bentrieschmann]

Tom those were awesome sparing tools and a pleasure to watch you guys bash each other.

[@johannesmichaelalhaugthoma4215]

Congrats on the build.

[@Lurklen]

@@tods_workshop Nice work, both in the making and using of. I never thought I'd see training flails.

[@jimofthenorth8090]

Excellent idea and excellently executed. Best part is seeing people actual spar with them so we can get a real idea about their use in combat. So much medieval weapon talk is just that, talk & theory. Really looking forward to the continuation of this series.

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks and yes seeing is believing

[@Musabre]

I think even Tod has talked about the idea of using 'living history' to research these things. It offers so much more insight than pure theoreticals can. Just look at how medieval archery understanding has come leaps and bounds since people have begun performing countless practical tests with it. If only more historical subjects could be 'tested' as well as we can with weapons :P, the things we might learn.

[@GummieI]

@@Musabre Indeed theory can only take us so far, really need some practicality in to truly understand how things works

[@MrZaranthan]

There truly is no substitute for putting two guys in a field and having them hit each other with sticks.

[@GummieI]

@@MrZaranthan Or in this case: Stick with sticks attached at the end :D

[@finnmcool2]

I'd bet that the people that, historically, chose the flail were those that had spent thousands of hours flailing grain. Peasants or poor nobility that, of necessity, had more practice with the flail than with a halberd or mace.

[@karelmarkvart1517]

Youre on spot with your guess. Hussites were poor people from agricultural villages so when they need weapons, they used what they already had: their tools. Scythes, flails. They were familiar with them already so there was no need for training. And as MartinGreywolf mentioned, facing herd of skilled flailman was pretty dangerous occupation.

[@finnmcool2]

@@karelmarkvart1517 I sure wouldn't want to trust my life to a flail unless I already had scar tissue everywhere I was likely to hit myself with it.

[@ICanHazRecon911]

Super interesting point - I wasn't familiar with the non-warfare purposes of a flail before reading this comment chain but this seems highly likely

[@finnmcool2]

@@ICanHazRecon911 It's amazing how many agricultural tools have found their way onto battle fields.

[@karelmarkvart1517]

@@finnmcool2 if it chopped/cutted/smashed wood/grass/whatever, theres no reason why it wont work on people ;)

[@Ranstone]

Tod tries every possible way to ask Matt to hook the shield for the first 10 minutes. XD

[@Sleeper-Work]

Thank God someone else noticed lol

[@davidprocter3578]

More like this please. The testing teams make a really positive contribution. What would be interesting is seeing what offensive and defensive moves and blows the lads adapt to after a few months practice. Nice one Tod keep them coming.

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks and I think they really helped put the film and flail into context (sorry Matt)

[@MrYago-xd7um]

Was actually surprised how threatening it's defensive profile was. Just flick into a high guard stance and you get a keen swipe towards their knees off so little.

[@1Mutton1]

@@MrYago-xd7um it's faster and lighter than a pole arm but still with excellent reach.

[@martinshephard6317]

I would imagine that in the hands of someone relatively fit, the sheer force of being struck, even with a glancing blow, would give the assailant a good chance of a deadly follow up clout, incapacitation if not death. It’s quite something to have such a deadly weapon available to many ordinary folk that wouldn’t takes months of training to use and could be used against man and beast. It would be useful to see the actual force of impact measured in comparison to another hand weapon such as a hammer or a mace.

[@Gabrong]

Just please put a mic on Matt too

[@MardukGKoB]

I love that so many of you guys in "the community" are doing collaborations. You're all pretty crazy on your own, but chaos squared is glorious to watch.

[@bologna3048]

oh they're all crazy alright, you gotta be crazy to do this kinda stuff lol

[@ModernKnight]

fascinating stuff, particularly interesting to see how the fighters adapted quickly in sparring techniques.

[@ImElMounstro]

Is this going to be a triple crossover? Because I'd watch the heck out of that.

[@ModernKnight]

@@ImElMounstro lol, who knows, maybe one day!

[@Jarumo76]

Hear, Hear !

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks Jason, yes they were very good actually changing and trying new things and it was great to have them there - a very happy accident.

[@tods_workshop]

Hi Jason, there was something we were thinking about.....

[@SondreGrneng]

Flails become much more interesting weapons when you see how they're actually used rather then thinking they're just floppy maces. Quite fascinating

[@derstoffausdemderjoghurtis]

a quarterstuff with a surprise at one end

[@pannekook2000]

Significantly more graceful than the typical fictional depiction, too

[@user-tzzglsstle585e38]

When people hear flails; they usually think of a short weapon with a long chain and a ball at the end, can't blame them when that its depiction for basically 99% of the time.

[@netoe2983]

I guess you became a flail expert by watching anime, lol weebs.

[@Valchrist1313]

I left a big debunk post on Shaddiversity's flail video, against his claim that flails were basically useless. IMO, you use them like a catapult, landing the shaft at the top of the shield, with the flail head wrapping around to hit the back of the head/neck/shoulders. It'd be so hard to block, and very effective against armor.

[@MattChez]

A lot of people dismiss flail weapons simply because they're difficult to learn and counterintuitive in some cases, so they miss all of the potential. Good job for giving the flail a fair shout.

[@cyrilgigee4630]

Few videos bring a genuine smile to my face, but the sight of a bunch of guys just having fun swinging around staves with flail ends wildly, well, flailing... it made my day just that bit better.

[@tods_workshop]

Great and we all need that

[@tsylvester2523]

I have testing videos of these that consistent mostly of giggling

[@CleverPolarBear]

Me too! I was having a bad day till I saw this. Now I feel a little better. I used to LARP before I had health problems and it reminded me of how fun this is.

[@artemisdarkslayer]

Man the ambiance of swords clashing in the background is so satisfying. Edit: Also definitely interested in more weapon tests and collabs between you two!

[@MagisterMalleus]

As someone who's always been in the "flails are kinda a novelty and mostly look scary" camp, this was extremely interesting.

[@darthkek1953]

I hear AD&D clerics asserting a sense of superiority at the moment.

[@darthkek1953]

@@BluntofHwicce the existence of short-handled flails is proven, however they were (likely) used from horseback. Matt has a demonstration on them. The case AGAINST them existing is a well-publicised article by Paul B Stuartevant, a man who thinks D&D considers Barbarians to be racist and Orcs to be a colonial "othering". Paul says there is NO historic evidence of them in the Middle Ages. But Matt Easton can SHOW you Medieval transcripts with them in. IMO Matt has shown himself to be quite the scholar, and Paul has shown himself to be a Woke Lunatic Numpty.

[@bologna3048]

@@darthkek1953 How dare he speak such nonsense about my favorite class/race combo.

[@darthkek1953]

@@bologna3048 to call him a nutter would be an insult to nutters.

[@vanivanov9571]

@@darthkek1953 Additionally, Skallagrim made a pretty good video summing up sources on military flails, "chain-maces." The idea that they're a Victorian Invention is an invention by hack-writers and pseudo-historians of the present day.

[@martinkuncik7578]

Hi, this weapon was originally a tool for threshing grain, where you can produce effective impacts with a specific circular motion. Now imagine nailing iron nails to the top, climbing to an elevated spot such as a Hussite wagon, and starting beating the heads of enemies like grain.

[@Tennouseijin]

Advantage: easy to convert peasants into soldiers Disadvantage: brains don't make good flour

[@joshuamarvin7400]

@@Tennouseijin ...I mean, have you ever tried it?

[@Tennouseijin]

@@joshuamarvin7400 well... I've made walnut flour as a byproduct of making home-made nut milk. Walnuts look like little brains... does this count?

[@geraltbiaywilk1788]

@@Tennouseijin they make a good addition to scrambled eggs though, rich in fats and protein

[@Capjedi]

Chiming in: I think we're ready for the Zombie Apocalypse! Ahem.

[@samweirich5973]

Matt was absolutely correct when he spoke about the intimidation factor from these types of flail weapons: every time Todd comes anywhere near Matt while he's holding that flail I feel a sense of dread as if Matt is going to accidently hit Todd, I wouldn't feel that dread if Matt were holding a sword or spear, but a flail, absolutely the dread is real.

[@NirrumTheMad]

yeah this is hype edit: Skallagrim did an excellent video on flails and mentioned how horseback and the lack of shock is probably where the flail shines the most

[@LynSain]

I watched his video and I still remember that. Yes, which is why flail is actually a great weapon for cavalry.

[@gottimw]

Imagine you are going to a real life/death fight and you see this first time. The novelty factor -'the I have no training against it' - is not a small thing to consider too.

[@tods_workshop]

To be fair I don't know this, but I imagine you get your placement wrong and the knuckle would end on a shield rim or something as you pass by and get ripped from your hand

[@tods_workshop]

Gottimw - very true and that is what I felt watching them

[@yuritrasimaco5201]

@@neoaliphant That would be epic! Kinda funny too that Jason has become "the knight guy with horses" for all things about medieval cavalry, it's awesome

[@justinpyle3415]

This was an amazing video! The sparring and the shield test were both amazing, thank you for this!

[@tods_workshop]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Riceball01]

Tod, you and Mat need to revisit the flail by testing against armor, Start some padding to simulate a gambeson and maybe some clay underneath to get an idea of the kind of kinetic force it imparts. Then add a piece of mail on top, like you do with your arrow tests, then a piece of curved steel/iron to simulate plate armor. It'd be interesting to see how that flail works against the different armor types and the kind of damage that it can do.

[@steezydan8543]

I think what I'd really like to see is if a flail like they used could break a man in armor's leg. Say the flail hit directly on the knee joint, coming in from the side. Even with armor I can't see someone feeling too good after that lol

[@chickenmadness1732]

They should have given the guys sparring a shield as well.

[@Galphor]

I like the idea of the blacksmith teaming up with the warrior to work on the weapons. return to basics. looking forward to the series of you two working together on a bunch of different & maybe unusual weapons

[@ildlyn8966]

''warriors'' Laughable

[@Mr.MoustacheMan]

Incredibly cool, and informative. I especially appreciated the feedback from our demonstrators. Getting to see not just how a single person tests one of these items, but how an opponent reacts really gives a special insight into these unique tools of battle. Sorry to hear about the bumped knuckles, but as my old man would say in the workshop and around cars: "It doesn't count if you don't bleed on it!" Good on you all, and thank you for your contributions to history, education and fun.

[@eifpr0n]

Tod, I think you've actually stumbled into a really brilliant video format here. The commentary over the sparring was very interesting and engaging. Something to think about should this series continue!

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks and I am guessing it will

[@TheSilent333]

Always excited to see Matt and Tod together. Fascinating stuff, as always. Cheers!

[@maciejcocieto4361]

Are you kidding me!? You put flails and Matt in one video! How am I suppose to not like this!?

[@445supermag]

These things are really peasant weapons, adapted from grain flails (just drive a few spikes through and now you have a weapon). One thing to consider is that some peasants would have many hours of practice on the granary floor using these. Not as weapons, but you get a muscle memory of where the end is in relation to your hands.

[@tomcurran1538]

Yes, the farmers had the practice done already. Lots easier to get proficient with than a bow or sword.

[@patheddles4004]

Good point. Give one of these to someone who's well-practised with a grain flail, and suddenly that's a really terrifying weapon.

[@mazus9398]

in korea , heavy cavalry uses pole flail to tear up infantry formation it is a great cavalry weapon cause the rider dont need to worry about the impact while making a big swing

[@Galphor]

great point. if you had been using one of these around the village for a few hours every now & then you would be able to swing that around with great conservation of momentum & it would land where you tell it to being so familiar with it.

[@Mouse_007]

It is hard enough being a peasant without comments like this. We just want you to be happy with your grain so stop making us out to be some bloodthirst flail wielding mob.

[@sleepy_Dragon]

The flail is a farmer's tool. So when the farmers turned soldiers, they knew how to use them very well.

[@Bacopa68]

Works the same in Okinawa.

[@jbignJesus]

How was it used in farming?

[@sleepy_Dragon]

@@jbignJesus It's used to extract the grains by threshing. After the harvest the eared lays on the barn floor. Then they pound upon them with the flails. That causes the grains to fall out. Here is some footage of it (in German): kzbin.info/www/bejne/ramvoGObe954iq8start=45s

[@HootMaRoot]

Great point, this is why I do t know why they call it a wierd weapon, its like most basic farmers and labourers tools many of them can be easily used/converted into a weapon

[@AhmadFahreel]

I notice within mins. they were getting better and started developing their own techniques with this weapon....... Hmmmmm. All these videos about flails needs to be revamped.

[@senatuspopulusqueromanus3011]

YES! Another collaboration video!

[@AndreasSweden]

Shoutout to the testing team. It was really interesting to hear them talk about the flail. As someone not practicing HEMA it can be hard to see whats going on.

[@act.13.41]

There's nothing like Matt and Tod talking about weapons with people in the background, beating the snot out of each other. :-)

[@lughfiregod16]

Foreground, in this case :)

[@gnaagren]

I love how the fighters get in on the discussion at the end. All of these guys could probably have a decent YT channel of their own.

[@roycewaxenfelter3110]

More like this please! My wife is a history teacher and having the knowledge of this detailed type of information goes great lengths in opening the eyes of teenagers to the brutal realities of medieval battle. Bravo!

[@Khorney]

LOVED this! Super interesting to see the actual physics of it in action. Imagining it is one thing, facing it, seem to be something else else. I'm not sure that I would call it the most effective weapon in medieval history, but definitely one of the scariest.

[@jrodriguez1374]

Aw man, this video was especially great! There was such an excellent combination of knowledge from both sides and their observations and hypotheses of how the weapon is used/counters

[@tods_workshop]

Thanks and we really enjoyed it too - very interesting

[@Entiox]

This is going to be a great series.

[@samuelbhend2521]

"...you've hit yourself in the head, matt's drawn blood on his knuckles...." - "we're doing well!" exactly my kind of humor :)

[@mercab3632]

Great content! The thrill of having watch others perform with an unfamiliar weapon and having heard their insights are very exciting!

[@odied1750]

Always love it when Tod and Matt collaborate. Also that fight demo was excellent. Looking forward to the whole weird weapon series!

[@morty549]

Best use was probably on Hussite's wagon, where pessants were standing on wall made of reinforced wagons. They worked as a small units with spears, slings, crossbows and first guns. With that cheap and mobile defense, few pessants could defeat hundreds of fully armoured knights on horses. Czech it = Hussite's war / Jan Žižka / Battle of Sudoměř They used this bad boy a lot. ...and did with it A LOT of succes. -revolution in art of war with Jan Žižka's victories (one of few NEVER defeated leaders in the history +(he had one eye at the begining and none at the end ...still in lead))

[@siebensunden]

Yes, they did use it a lot. But don't forget they used to use "píšťala" shooting guns, hooks and Morgensterns (kropáč) as well.

[@morty549]

@@siebensunden well ...what was on the hand and cheap i guess :) (halberds from gardening hooks ect.) ...but what i think is interesting, the name Píšťala is ancestor of name "Pistol(e)" ...pew pew

[@siebensunden]

@@morty549 Jo, toto video jsem už viděl, hodně povedené. A co se píšťaly týče, měl jsem použít spíš termín hákovnice, ale i tak píšťala není tak moc od věci.

[@StaleDonutPictures]

With some fortifications to help you protect yourself you would be exceptionally difficult to deal with if you had one of these.

[@PobortzaPl]

Now I'm thinking about a t-shirt: Flail. Czech it out!

[@thechumpsbeendumped.7797]

Boy, am I gonna enjoy this series of vids. A swivel rather than 2 interlocked rings could add a new dimension to how this evil bit of kit could be used, although that may not be historically accurate.

[@jjw5165]

Price and complexity. Or one more link in chain

[@corvaxblackfeather6529]

Weird Weapons Series? Count me in! We Germans LOVE weird Weapons Also ....... it allows me to maybe find something that can be redone for LARP weapons and used as an exotic weapon And may i add ..... the sparing with the Flail was AWESOME ... it's shocking to see how much this 'flailing' end can confuse and distract someone

[@jacobshaftoe8326]

Been waiting decades for this, honestly! When no-one knows, suppositional arguments abound, but even this cursory investigation confirmed points from both sides of the debate while simultaneously, I believe, validating the weapon in the same way as fighting left handed is validated. Most soldiers are trained by experience or drill, and anything that swings around all that and smacks them where they least expect it has a certain value.

[@Hermann1792]

Please make more videos like this. Your videos are always great, but this one was just a little extra fun to watch. Discussion of a historical weapon + showcasing a replica + testing + sparring + commentary = an excellent video. Well done.

[@philwilson4167]

That second guy with the flail really knew what he was doing. Really interesting stuff

[@aebirkbeck2693]

It always surprises me how many of these weird weapons having a farming back ground such as some pole arms like the bill hook and military forks adapted from pitch forks. Something that can be manufactured by the local blacksmith. Fascinating. Well done guys.

[@JerBearTeo]

The best parts about Matt and other practitioners being included in Tod's videos is how the designer/engineer and end-user interactions show us way more.

[@Halinspark]

I love the varied inputs from the different users you guys tested, please keep that as part of the format whenever possible.

[@darraghchapman]

I think the second fencer really had the right feel for the weapon, feeling and using the point of rotation at the pivot to initiate blows, like a moulinet with extended arm, the arm being the shaft and sword being the flail head.

[@sidesaddleintobattle4984]

Yeah he was prodding with the joint, I wonder If a flail could have a bill hook below the chain so you could use it like a pole arm, but swing it like a flail as well. Sort of like the Japanese scythe and chain, but the chain attached to the top of the weapon Instead of under

[@charlesarmstrong1888]

As I understood it the Hussites used flails in their war wagons. The HRE knights kept (pointlessly) charging them, and the men could strike at them from above or same height. If you're standing on a raised platform this weapon seems better than say, a long sword, spear, or even poleaxe. I'd doubt they'd be as effective used in infantry formations despite the interesting results of this duel. Very interesting video and thanks Tod.

[@romgl4513]

Great video! The sparring part added a much needed "real world" demonstration.

[@tods_workshop]

It actually was unintentional at the start, but I wholly agree, they did a great job bringing it to life

[@vanivanov9571]

Indeed, I wish there were more sparring analyses to go with these theories. If Shad had to spar with someone with nunchaku... would've been far more demonstrative, despite the video lasting all of two minutes, instead of 4 hours.

[@jangleleg117]

It's nice to see the two of you together

[@tomogburn2462]

Can see why most flail users wore heavy armor. You're GONNA take a counter blow, but if their weapon cant defeat your armor, they're in a world of hurt. Theres no real way to block it. Can see why it was such an effective, yet niche tool. Great video.

[@gotbaka3]

Truly fascinating stuff guys! It's great seeing the actual mechanics of the flail in sparring matches. I had completely underestimated its potential for blowing past guards. I can't wait to see what's next in the series! Have you considered creating your own strange weapons and testing those out as well?

[@tods_workshop]

I was not expecting it to keep getting through and as regards creating our own? Once day, but right now there is so much we don't know about what actually did exist

[@frokeswinter]

Love the idea of this! Especially if you can get people to try and fight with the weapons like this time, that added so much more to the understanding of what made this things dangerous.

[@KaiTakApproach]

"No 'fence against a flail" was an axiom written into some medieval treatises on combat.

[@Incandescentiron]

That was really fun. I love the discovery phase. Todd's hypothesis that the flail could be used to take down a shield seemed reasonable, but in practice, show not to be the case. Discover, instead, the shield arm becomes vulnerable. Very cool. This is more like weapon science.

[@gleggett3817]

it might take down a shield if when the head swings around the rim the spikes catch on the shieldwielders arm

[@choph9785]

Fantastic video. Kudos to the fighters! More of them they are awesome

[@stevenumerator]

Quite the informative and “impactful” video, it must be said. And Captain Context’s impressive “scholar’s cradle” near the end of the video will no doubt meet Lindybeige’s approval. :)

[@UnknownCat2]

Almost expecting to see Lindybeige testing some sword vs spear combination in the background.

[@Elendalar]

This is one hell of an interesting vid.. the sparring really highlight what a flexible weapon it is and how little we really know of it-

[@smashallpots1428]

ive been training with one of these since i have to come up with a fighting style for a character that uses a flail like this and ive found that just keeping the thing out in front was the best choice since pulling back to charge just left you to open and was slow and instead just go for flick shots to snipe arms and legs maybe a head the end of the shaft still give similar point control and the flail bit kinda offers a little bit of shield protection too which is a great way to fight more defensively but if you want to go hard at them you gotta keep it moving

[@greatnoblelord]

all this is correct, but it is more interesting how it was in real fights, when the opponent did not wait for him to be hit.

Very interesting Video. I particularly liked the contribution and comments of the guys. Well done

[@kellyjones71]

Great video, glad to see a realistic analysis to the flail instead of some nonsense that they were never used.

[@patdavis6383]

How prevalent was flail use? I can see it coming about as the weaponizing of a simple farm implement; cheaper to stick a few nails through your farm flail than pay for a sword. Did people take them in to battle, originally, simply because that was all they had and it became a specialist weapon used by small numbers working in cadres, or was it more widespread?

[@tods_workshop]

Check out Matts original vid - quite widely used is the answer

[@romaliop]

The thing with a simple farm implement is, a peasant would have used that for his whole life while a nobleman hardly even knows what it is (before it's properly weaponized at least). So it's not just that you already have one, but that comparatively speaking it's your best choice even if you had spears, swords and whatnot available, and you have already practiced controlling and using it for hundreds or thousands of hours.

[@mnk9073]

Mostly used by Czech Hussites and in south German peasant rebellions with some Landsknecht use (who originated in southern Germany) later on. There are, I think, some pictures from the Netherlands too but the common denominator seems to be that it's a (very effective under the right circumstances) poor man's weapon, ye olde AK if you want.

[@chengkuoklee5734]

Not prevalent enough. I believe it is more geography dependant than other weapons. We need Shad to build fort wagons and castle to test how effective they are in those scenarios compared to other weapons. Imagine you are attacker climbing war ladder. You are limited in defense capability and facing a weapon that almost never miss. Imagine again if you are attacker after climbing wall fighting in a narrow corridor where the defender has longer reach weapon that doesn't miss if it missed. Imagine again the defenders combo this with pike/spear. Using pike to pin you in place and all flail has to do is just simple hitting, no technique needed to consider.

[@driver8sk]

Probably more prevalent than we think. If you're a peasant whose spent a good chunk of their life swinging a threshing flail during harvest, turning that into a martial skill is probably easier than learning a weapon totally foreign to you. Going out on a wild theory limb, that might also be why there's no ring or notch for indexing on the shaft. The users were so adept at not getting their fingers whacked that it wasn't worth the limitations/awkwardness of hand protection.

[@marcuslewitzki4610]

Really interesting video. To see these weapons being experimented with while Matt and Tod are commenting. Awesome concept. More of this please 😉

[@DouglasMilewski]

It's like flails exploit your trained reaction, turning your go-to defenses into disadvantages. I also have to wonder if they weren't taken up by people who were hopeless with swords.

[@tods_workshop]

I totally agree with your first point. They defended against what they saw the opponent was holding, but then as it swung the length changed and their defence was in wrong place

[@Methodius7]

"taken up by people who were hopeless with swords." Sure they were peasant weapon since they were used to move it around already plus its good vs better equipped opponents.

[@encyclopath]

Like an autist playing poker

[@--Sama-]

I would love to see more of these series with you two. Again, thank you again for the subtitles, your channel is the only one about medieval weapons with subs in all the videos and that is wonderful for people like me.

[@DonatoVicenti]

I loved this!! It was so well done, your expertises complete eachother, then the sparring really shows so many aspects you cannot think about, plus the audio was really good, even if you were at the open. Pls pls pls make it a serie!!

[@GrimrDirge]

One advantage of living in a small country; ease of collaboration.

[@darthkek1953]

A _what_ kind of a tree? I'll get me gambeson...

[@Matt_Alaric]

"The sexual end of it" Oi oi! For once it's not Matt getting cheeky.

[@tods_workshop]

Surely I didn't say that? Do you have sources?

[@Matt_Alaric]

@@tods_workshop It's what i heard anyway :) 4:34

[@mikurusagawa6897]

@@Matt_Alaric God damn you now I can't unhear it :))

[@tods_workshop]

Ah; classic mishear, but I will stick with your original version, its more fun, Burt to be fair makes less sense

[@marvelleonline]

sectional*

[@roffels11-gamingandhistory69]

I'd love to see a series of "weird weapons" built by Tod and tested by Matt

[@Toumoriryuu]

This is my favorite video that either of you have done, and I think bringing in actual fighters had a lot to do with that.

[@billsutherland7486]

If you haven’t developed a defense against this weapon, you’d be toast against a seasoned man. Great video, please keep them coming!

[@texasbeast239]

"And one time, at Fight Camp..." --European Pie

[@QuantumHistorian]

That sky is *peak* British summer

[@tods_workshop]

This summer could not have been more British; an absolute classic

[@therish7169]

I’d just like to commend everyone for saying “shaft”multiple times without a single snigger.

[@reedolfkekler7860]

Without a single what? Canceled

[@teejayaich4306]

It's always so wonderful to find a new interesting channel like this. The internet has done (or should I say, allowed/facilitated) some really horrible things - ridiculous anti-fact conspiracy theories being just one - possible, but between interesting videos like this, and the kind of musical performance that even the richest person in history couldn't have what we do - instant HD+HQ audio-video , tens of thousands of such videos+audio. Paavo Jarvi's Beethoven Project Symphonies (although the Oslo Symphonies and the PROMS 2017 9'th are also just about perfect) on demand, we are lucky in a way.

[@tommylitchfield3450]

Anyone else notice that Matt shifted his grip down the haft IMMEDIATELY after Todd pointed out that it had already got his knuckles? :) Love the collaborations, guys!

[@maciejcocieto4361]

I want to see ROCK IN A SOCK next!!! Actually I would love to see shield with face to be more serious.

[@thekaxmax]

see: bolo perdida, the single-stone bola. Can be used as a flail or thrown with significant force.

[@vanivanov9571]

Makeshift saps are very effective. Particularly for criminals, who can hide these weapons quite innocently.

[@thekaxmax]

@@vanivanov9571 yes, but they are basically a fist load rather than a weapon per se.

[@vanivanov9571]

@@thekaxmax A fist load is something that adds weight to your punch. A sap is a short flexible club. And while they're not military weapons, they are definitely weapons.

[@bokwakernaak3379]

Would've also been interesting to have someone pickup that shield and maybe see how and if blocking with sword and shield works any better than having to make that split-second decision between blocking either the shaft or the head

[@Jakzeen]

It really shows this would be a great weapon for fighting someone with a shield and turning their arm to hamburger.

[@NetAndyCz]

I think it is hard to hit the hand behind the shield, too often their body or head will get in the way,

[@josephburchanowski4636]

@@NetAndyCz So what you are saying is that at worst, you'll hit the hand/arm. But in most cases you'll hit the better target that is the head/body.

[@widdershins5383]

Hard to say. It’s just the forearm and depending on how badly it was cutting up the arm it would be painful but also already strapped in and somewhat immobilized, they could just throw some braces to keep the arm straight and tighten up and back in you go. If you had more cutting edges as opposed to spikes it would definitely savage someone’s arm, possibly lose it depending on how many times you got it.

[@WhatIsYourMalfunction]

@@widdershins5383 The flail may not cut with an attack but it is heavy enough to break a forearm as well.

[@widdershins5383]

@@WhatIsYourMalfunction as I said, that would be the most common case but it would be easily solved by bracing the forearm with heavy sticks and just tightening the straps on the shield, out for maybe 10 minutes possibly longer depending on how quick the medicos get to him. Slash the arm and you’ll lose all the tendons and meat as the cuts criss cross, enough of that damage and you’ll bleed out or lose the arm at the elbow and never be able to hold a shield again at all 🤷🏼‍♂️ it’s the little details in everything that matter lol

[@johnhammond4214]

Superb stuff, more of these collaborations please!

[@angrypotato_fz]

Great idea! It was lovely to hear also the feedback from the fighters, and I'm very glad they tried to fight with the flail, against the flail and flail vs flail - a lot of valuable input :) I'm looking forward to some further collaborations like this one and I hope not only Matt but also some test-fighters will be involved again :)

[@CognosSquare]

Cool stuff. If the trajectory starts off towards the head of the opponent, it's pretty hard to avoid exactly that from happening.

[@Echowhiskeyone]

Flail over the shield into a mailed arm. How well do the spikes pierce mail?

[@jacob1121]

It wouldn't need to pierce through to do enough damage to incapacitate an arm. A hard hit through padding and mail could easily splinter bone or numb the arm, similar pain to being kicked in the shin with steel toe boots it would certainly distract one enough to drop your guard.

[@patryk_49]

In most cases spikes won't be aligned properly to pierce through the mail, but it would still break bones which is more effective at stopping the opponent.

[@wizewizard1840]

@@jacob1121 you do realise that toes are not on the shin, right?

[@tods_workshop]

I think Jacob is right and I suspect he means the kicker is wearing steel toe caps, not that he stores his toes on his shin!

[@Assdafflabaff]

@@wizewizard1840 Try reading it again, buddy. He said "kicked in the shin with steel toe boots" not "kick with the shin with steel toe boots".

[@richardbaxter2057]

Love it! So glad that you questioned the guys who were doing the jousting.....it would be good to let them have a day at it and then reform for a tactics talk....probably from wheelchairs....😂😂

[@gasfrommyanusi0i594]

i loved when he asked ''should we change the fighters?'' and the swordsman immediately says ''yeah'' as he massages his bruised head

[@StevenFox80]

I'm TOTALLY looking forward to this series!

[@tullochgorum6323]

I wonder if the flail was used in formation in combination with other weapons rather than for individual combat? Used solo, you are very vulnerable till you can re-set, as these guys were saying. It would surely be more effective if the user was guarded on either side by, say, pikemen? Then you could be defended while you set up for another blow. Being attacked by a formation like that might be a decidedly intimidating experience...

[@texasbeast239]

The hooking of the flail head over the top of the shield made me wonder whether there were ever any shields with top horizontal shelves, which would effectively leave the flail head on top and not allow it to hook over and behind. That could help defend against OTT strikes from battleaxes too.

[@greatnoblelord]

while he swings the flail, he will be pierced 10 times with a sword. In the formation, a flail strike is possible only from above, it is easy to take it with a shield with a simultaneous lunge with a sword

[@MechaShadowV2]

@@greatnoblelord it didn't seem that way.

[@Musabre]

@@greatnoblelord Did you not take into account the impressive reach these flails offer? You assume alot of ideal circumstance to claim the swordsman would get any strikes in at all before being under attack.

[@NevisYsbryd]

It would not really be necessary. There is a small range of the flail-usually somewhere from the end of the shaft to the end of the weighted end-that if you block with the parry, it will bounce off where the energy is minimized, and become unable to hit you by angulation.

[@texasbeast239]

@@NevisYsbryd - Might stop the flail. But what about a bearded axe with a pronounced lower horn that hooks right over the top of conventional shields?

[@MCTimemaster]

definitely looking forward to Shad's response to this given his recent anti-flail ranting

[@baltazarvok2564]

I thought he ranted on those fake ninja flails. Here they had a propper Hussite flail (maybee a bit on the short side) with long handle and spikes, those worked quite well.

[@nahuelmat]

While I'm not a fan of shad jumping any and all weapon controversy and even starting them on his own (come on, you didn't need *that* much content on those silly nunckucks) in his flail video he specifically talks about the one handed chain flail.

[@00zmb00]

I cannot stand Shad.

[@itskarl7575]

@@baltazarvok2564 Shad ranted about the very principle of the flail, which would apply in equal measure to the Hussite flail as the nunchaku. All the benefits of the flail that Matt points out in this video are benefits Shad specifically said did not, _could_ not exist. And Shad was wrong.

[@baltazarvok2564]

@@itskarl7575 That is where you are wrong. They are very different weapons.The handle, the metalwork on the end, everything is different. Also Hussite flais were used in real combat, they worked to good efect while being cheap to produce with plenty ready bases for conversion from normal agricultural flails. The Hussite flails were usually even longer than the one shown in this video. The bussiness end never got anywhere near your arms or body unlike the the stupid shortsticks that are more danger to the user than the enemy.

[@feanorsforges6410]

This was AWESOME!!!

[@eatman6511]

Please continue these weird weapon films. Thank you

[@JClif]

Great video!!! I hope you continue the cooperation with Matt. I am looking forward to other videos.

[@LionscubSaint]

that flail would do some nasty work to the shield arm from shock alone, break that shield wall! love this channel, both channels really

[@Alulim-Eridu]

Tod's WS is easily one of my favorite dudes out there, making informative videos, on ancient/medieval/etc weaponry!!! -I am super excited to see a series with ScholarGladiatorial & Tod, about weird & unusual weapons!!!

[@robotslug]

I'm late to the party, but I requested that exact collab between you two on several videos and am VERY happy to hear it may be happening. Keep up the great work, I am thankful for you.

[@padalan2504]

That is very interesting, since Hussites seemed to use it quite often against cavalry. And that fits so well, because the flail goes around shield and hits where it would be strapped to the arm. And strapped shields were often used by cavalry, so that all fits together really well.

[@gymmaniac]

Great video! Really like the guys getting involved and showing how they learn what the weapon does. Can't wait to see more.

[@alexandermartinez1318]

Sheesh! Now that's a bad boy! I love seeing the flail get the attention it deserves every so often

[@Offutticus]

Looooved this! It was especially great to see the guys adjust and learn as they went.

[@Neverwas_one]

I'm happy to see this kind of flail be used. This version seems much more plausible than the smaller single handed flails

[@yongelbang]

Great video! Can't wait to see more in this format. Very interesting and satisfying to see the thing put through its paces and get commentary from the users.