What I learned in the navy. Everything is a hammer. Hammer, its a hammer, screw driver? Its a hammer. Wrench? its a hammer. Boot? its a hammer. Axe? its a hammer.
Short answer, to hammer things. Less short answer some things stick that should move. Some times you have to get a stud or bolt out that is rusted in. Some times there are things that are torqued down so hard that you put what is called a slugging wrench on it and beat the shit out of it.
Fun Fact: Pitchforks can be thrown (offensively in a fight of course), similar to a heavy javelin. Not just stabbing and farming. Believe me I used one away from school for a javelin! (And it's effective too!), only problem is well... It's heavy, so I threw it half the distance of my javelins lol...
"You wouldn't thrust against a tree... that's rather...uhm... [*faces camera]... silly!" I don't know what it was but this was simply the perfect way of making this statement XD
I want to compliment you on taking the time to research, and to site your sources. Too many people just start lecturing, and you can never know where their information comes from. Well done, very informative.
The camera quality is fantastic in this video. I was skeptical on whether you really needed a new camera, but this looks fantastic so I understand now.
Exactly my thought when I started watching this video. "Wow, this looks amazing, super smooth and very relaxing to the eyes". Perfect quality. Thanks Skall!
Chaos Shooting Odd-Eyes Ultimate Beyond the Pendulum Quasar Synchro Dragon Victory proof that Sherlock exists.... why would i tell him no shit if he didn't exist?!
Axes are beautiful, both weapon and tool axes, they're stylish, I like swords and maces/clubs too, but I think nothing beat the looks of a well made axe.
Dunno about hammers (there are tool hammers and battle hammers, and I'm not going to be very surprised when there are a few close calls here) or flails (there are two kind of flails, one-handed and two-handed; the two-handed battle flails were developed from agricultural flails, which also may elicit close calls), but I don't think there's a good use of mace out of battles that involves hitting things with the mace (thus excluding ceremonial maces).
SkyPiercerV Well, throwing maces used for hunting maybe? But those would be qualified as weapons, too, albeit hunting weapons. Or maybe tools used for preparation of skins or meat, that usually wouldn't want to have a solid metal or stone head. But I guess those wouldn't be called maces then, but given other names like tenderizer. Then there would be other tools, like belaying pins, that could easily be used as improvised maces. I guess the word "mace" already embodies the martial context, just as a "sword" compared to a "knife" (some butcher knifes and off course machetes could definitely compare to small swords in size)
Great work, I really thought this video was really informative considering it’s length. I’m a bit of an axe enthusiast, coming from the side of forestry purposes. Your collection is amazing and it really helps to hold and display something in order to explain it to people. I like your GB Scandinavian axe, along with that CRKT tomahawk. My roommate actually has that exact tomahawk. For anyone who’s into collecting weapons/tools, you should look into eBay for vintage axe heads for sale. It’s an enjoyable hobby to find and hang an axe, and it doesn’t cost all too much either.
***** manaquri And we know something that Skall doesn't know: if it has a curved blade then it is a saber. I do however agree with Skall that the valaška is a bit confusing, I'm not sure if it is a saber or rapier. =)
I love axes more then other weapons and tools of antiquity. I love how they commend power and UMPF! And versatility, one of our first tools, yet still used today. I think axes are really cool.
The ultimate combat tool is actually the combat shovel. You can chop things, hammer things, thrust, block, throw it. Shovels are badass. Also if you practice shovel combat it would be a great tool for self defense in countries where you have more restrictions. The other wonderful thing about shovels is most have a handle and are easy to use like a spear or club by novices. It's also a great "grey man" weapon - people are a lot less likely to worry about a person with a shovel than a gun/knife/sword.
Battle axes with short heads were very popular in antiquity because of how easy they are to make (compared to long bladed, intricate axes). Later on they became popular again as weapons of war due to their ability to puncture armour more effectively than their long bladed counterparts. Greetings from UK btw :) Love the channel.
The biggest difference between a weapon and a tool is intention of the user. While some tools might be better designed to harm living flesh, while other tools are designed for other purposes. I really like that you talked about this idea.
I loved this video. I have always been a fan of axes because of their multitude of uses. I actually bought a crkt tomahawk after watching your video review and could not be happier with it. I've been watching you videos for some time and really enjoy them. I usually learn something as well. Keep up the good work.
5:16 I usually have something in most my rpgs I run called a "thieves axe" or "Raiding Axe" that looks like that Shepard's axe except with a somewhat shorter handle and a thickish short spike on the other side of the blad. It's meant to be both a weapon and a way to break in between wooden planks, break open cheap locks and work as a survival axe. I even have a history for it that it used to be used by an army or maybe the town guards, but it fell out of use for a variety of reasons and was picked up by the underworld as a tool.
It's funny to see Skall so popular, because I subscribed to him many years ago now for his video game and philosophical rants. lol Now I see his videos pop up quite often.
That A&A Dane two hander is my current favorite medieval weapon. I highly recommend them to anyone interested in Viking weapons. You can cut with it just like a longsword using the standard Liechtenauer methods, or you can hook and prod with it like a pole arm. It must have been particularly effective in left-to-right attacks against sword and shield men, since it can reach into their flank. It's also shockingly nimble for such a large weapon.
Thanks for this awesome video, very informative and crystal-clear, as usual. One thing you did not mention, and which is quite of importance, is why this short black axe for instance, is shaped thus. Such a shape indicates without any possible doubt that it is only designed for combat, and that it is meant to be used by one hand, in complement of a dagger or a shortsword. Or another small axe, whatever. As you see, when held vertically, there is a great amount of steel going downwards, running almost parallel to the wooden handle, but making an angle with it. One of the reasons behind such a shape, is to be able to pull your opponent's shield out of the way : the piece of steel we've mentionned goes beyong the opponent's shield, grips it because of this particular hook shape, and then you just pull the axe back towards yourself, thus pulling the shield out of the way. You then cleared the path for your other axe or dagger that you hold into your other hand. The hungarian axe has the same hook thing, but smaller; it is perhaps more designed for two-handed combat, whereas the short black one is definately designed to be wielded in one hand only. There again, you'd grab the opponent's shield with the axe's hook, pull it out of the way, and then thrust the axe forward, towards the opponent's cleared chest of throat.
Firstly Skall I thoroughly enjoy it when you review or talk about axes on your channel. On to the subject of the video, great video you covered many points to and went into enough detail to answer some of the more common questions asked, while still keeping it short. Top notch video as per usual Skall :)
This is also called a "Ciupaga" which was used in Poland's highlands (Czech and Polish highlanders don't exactly respect nor care for the border, and never did). It is an all purpose tool for them. They use it for chopping wood, walking, and a weapon both against Human and animal. The interesting thing about these axes is that they can also be used for throwing. I personally seen it used that way and it is pretty amazing. A trained user (which is just about everybody there since it is such a prevalent implement) can throw it from a above, just like any other axe (i.e. the axe is held by the pole) OR it can actually be thrown while still on a ground. Which is to say used as a walking stick, by the head and thrown that way. This is obviously isn't as strong, but darn surprising. I've seen a guy thrown this like that and embed it pretty deeply into a wooden target. It is important to note that real ones are very much kept SHARP. Side note, they are in pretty big demand so they are a lot made for the tourist market. Beware of those! they tend to be very cheap, not balanced, and dull. They do LOOK better (typically rather ornate) but are not good representation of this tool.
With it's usability as both a tool and a weapon by combining the characteristics of both I'll be that fucking guy and say that it is an excellent choice of melee weapon for the zombie apocalypse. It's a combined skullcrusher and a wood chopper.
I always really enjoy your videos. As someone who is learning Eskrima and has several friends in the SCA I have never seen a video of yours that was not fascinating or helpful in some way. Keep up the good work!
Aren't linguistics cool? I mean no matter what you are discussing or debating it always comes down to linguistics. What is an axe? Battleaxe? A tool? All it ends up as is defining what words mean :) Battleaxe for a 'grumpy old woman' is a very common term here in the UK by the way. I think the Aussies say that too.
Indeed it is, to both points. I guess an older woman pulls no punches and strikes hard when she sees need for confrontation; you wouldn't want to get into an argument.
Bearded axes are often broad axes in function. A lot of northern Europeans used a bearded ax style for axes used for hewing or carving or carpentry. Models similar to the one you show are available from woodworking companies.
What is it about people who confuse maces, flails , and morning stars , a lot of people think there the same. Please , talk about the ridiculousness it is. Also pleas also tell people not to buy cold steel polyprohene or practice swords or what not, because it stupid how heavy they are.
I think that a small axe with a small head like the one you showed when you were talking about it getting stuck in bones could have been like that on purpose. It could have been used as a trowing axe and as we all know, when you throw something at an enemy, it's generally a good thing if they can't get it out easily.
I generally consider skeggoxes as being designed specifically for crossover between the two functions. The blade tends to be thinner than many modern wood axes and its light enough to be used as a weapon (and also for ease of carry when on the move), but all the design elements of the blade profile seem to be for making it a useful tool as well. The thick square design to the beards reinforces the lower half of the blade so it won't bend under impact with wood and the deep beard makes the axe great for small carving tasks with the hand choked up directly behind the blade. The lack of a horn also seems to point toward being specifically designed to have the structural integrity when used for mundane tasks in addition to battle. I also think some design elements of the axe stem from its need to preform all the tasks your average farmer/raider needs to preform while on the move. A traveler or ship probably wouldn't be carrying an entire set of carpenters axes specifically designed for either small carving or hewing or felling to repair any damage to the boat and set up camps so the axe they had on hand had to do all those tasks.
Hi Skall, I thought it would be worth mentioning a good point about the bearded ax. The "beard" portion of the ax head, while great for hooking a shield, leg, or other bits in combat also comes in handy for wood working. I personally find that if I'm trying to flatten/reduce a section of a log, gripping the axe near the head gives you much more control for more precise strokes. The beard looks like it would act like a saber guard to keep you from barking your knuckles on the wood. I believe I've heard same principle applies to hewing axes. Keep it up!
Peasants have forever adapted household tools suited for such purposes into weapons as needed. Since the average Scandinavian peasant warrior wasn't exactly wealthy they duly liked to use their everyday implements for as many purposes as possible - and the ubiquitous hunting spears and wood axes (if now fitted with new shafts for the role) worked quite well for killing people. Those with dosh of course got purpose-designed weapons instead, and then had them decorated six ways to Sunday with the spare change for additional swag...
Cis White Male With Extra Privilege yeah to agree with that I have to say I remember reading that the bearded axe which is my favorite weapon I've always personally just love to that weapon I like the way it looks the groove in the bearded portion of the axis very useful in combat and also it's very useful in just working as you can grip things and drag them to you etcetera etcetera either way that was used I believe I read that it was used specifically for making their long-ships was for hewing wood
SirKaldar skall's right on this one cutting 3 little holes in a axe will not make it faster. It does however display some skill for the smith. It isn't easy punching holes in heated metal that close together.
Axes and forks are common weapons used in the Fyrd. The common people who can't afford to a good sword, use this tools like weapons. Great vídeo and cheers from Brazil!
I could actually see that horned axe used for wood-cutting; specifically for splitting. The horn would allow for a decent cut through the radius of a log, and can be used as a spike to man-handle around large pieces.
The wider axe head is called a maul. Mauls are designed with an emphasis on splitting logs. Felling axes are much thinner than mauls so that they can bite deep into the wood. However a felling axe isn't as thin as a weapons axe.
Sometimes the distinction is necessary, as you said, other times it isn't. But when choosing a weapon/tool you should make sure you know what you want out of it and make sure that the implement you choose is made for that purpose and/or can function for that purpose. Don't just choose a convenient one to get/use/carry
I think there is a misunderstanding. There are several axe types for woodworking: 1. Forest Axe: Light axe with thin blade to cut deep into wood for disassembling limbs or felling trees. They are NOT for splitting. 2. Universal Axe: Jack of all trades. It’s thin enough to cut and thick enough to split. This is the most common axe and most people would think of this type if they hear the word "axe". Most hardware stores have only this type of axe. The American felling axe is the largest variant of this type. 3. Splitting Axe: As the name tells, it’s made for splitting. In terms of cutting: You can shave yourself with it but it won’t cut that deep. 4. Splitting Maul: Take a Splitting Axe crossbreed it with a sledgehammer and have fun. Needless to say it’s heavy and you need enormous stamina to wield it for longer times but in terms of splitting its unbeaten. Whatever it is; logs, skalls, engine blocks, a knight in armor including horse, etc.: You need one strike and it’s done. 5. And of course several specialized carpentry tools I won’t go into. Of all these axes the light forest axe is the most likely battle axe. Even if the splitting maul would crack even the thickest armor and most likely kill everything on the first proper hit.
From my understanding, if you chock up on a long beard ax, the blade then comes aligned with the hand facilitating control for more precision work, like making wood splints to start fires.
From what I know from the dark ages till around 13th century maybe even bit later battle axes were common in Baltic lands now Lithuania Latvia, the main way to tell apart a battle axe from domestic tool axe would be that battle axes would have things engraved onto the head of the axe like symbols and handle would have sometimes leather wrap for grip and design purposes or sometimes string at the bottom so that you won’t drop it if disarmed. I am not an expert but read some things in books and saw some examples in museums there.
I have always wanted a Valaška, though I had originally heard it called a fokosh. The Chogan tomahawk is just so nice. A highly versatile piece of gear.
bill hooks were village garden tools often used in battle when swords and other weapons weren't attainable so i can see how many axes can end up in battle that were originally meant as tools .
Many of the weapons used (pre-firearm) had their origins in agricultural tools. The flail started out as a grain threshing tool that eventually became a weapon, the battle axe and war hammer also had agrarian roots. As you pointed out; some axes are clearly weapons, some are clearly designed as tools. The others however are possibly, either attempts at a "multi-tool" or possibly a transition from pure tool to pure weapon.
I was in a scout group in Denmark that held both 1-handed and 2-handed axe throwing competitions, and we also fell trees with a bearded 2-handed axe which in my opinion was very effective compared to a normal wood axe because the center of mass aws so close to the area of impact, i kinda miss throwing axes around though, chopping wood not so much.
well there are many axes because there are many uses for these tools. in addition to felling trees (which requires a heavy axe) and chopping firewood (an even heavier and very thick axe) you can do many finer things like flattening boards, carving sculptures etc. if you look at the axes people use for building traditional houses and ships in russia, norway or elsewhere in northern europe, you'll find many tools with long and thin blades. one thing i have noticed about battle axes is that the handle is usually very long and straight.
I have 2 axes(tool), one short(one handed) and a longer one(two handed). Chopping wood with those is so invigorating, and the feels in the upper muscles :D
My understanding of Viking axes is pretty much what you said, that is was easier to get an axe to fight with. Axes were common tools and were used widely for every day tasks. "I'm off to battle but I have no weapon. I do have an axe and that's good for stuff, I'll take that". Dane axes are probably still useful as tools, to an extent. When training for reenactment I've been told that the blunt ones used in reenactment combat can still split logs.
@Skallagrim often a bearded axe was used by vikings as a bushcraft Viking axe they crafted matterials with it and a lot of vikings had one as either main weapon or as a tool/secondary
Nice video! I love axes, best tool and weapon ever. Only problem with the video is you stated the felling axe had a good angle to split wood when in my experience the splitting maul is far superior. Felling axes just like to stick into the wood and don't really split well.
First difference i realized is that tool axes have generally wider joint because you put very high stresses on them while chopping wood but war axes get wider to edge because stresses are less so you don't need much material near the joint. If you try to fall a tree with battle axe with wide edge you more likely to crack the head. Also tool axes are desirable heavier because you can deliver more energy to tree with the same speed. Since this is an evolution, there are species between two.
I also had the thought that outfitting traveling troops or being a warrior/hunter, using a weapon capable of dual purpose use similar to the shepherd's axe would be efficient. Your weapon also is used to make camp. I would suggest that thick headed short bladed straight handled axes in this role would be used more for notching limbs to bend and make shelter or preparing firewood than for felling a whole tree through the trunk.
Nice intro! BTW I now own 2 gransfors bruk axes (Skandi and Swedish carver), and I love both of them. Thanks because I would have never enjoyed these amazing tools if it hadn't been for you.
Interesting, this is mostly about semantics though as you gave quite a good definition of both the weapon and the tool. The tool needs weight to be able to cut into and split wood and the weapon needs agility. As this is a continuum you will find axes all along the line from pure agility to pure brute force. One thing I expect is that the reason the 2 categories were much more overlapping is because of scarcity, now we can afford to have both a specialized tool and weapon, back then, well I suppose most people wouldn't.
From my understanding the bearded axe was heavily used by both vikings and saxons/britans during the raids of the british isles during the 800'. Mostly in the shield walls where the man in front would use the the bearded axe as a hook to pull down the opposing enemies shield and let the man behind himself deliver a blow with either an other axe, spear or sword.
Wow, nice jump in video quality there. That background looks awesome(side from the glare on the left side. I really liked the ending music. Way to step your game up.
If you got used to using a forest axe as a weapon you could build your body up to make your swings faster and get less tired. Plus you can more easily use it for its original purpose as a tool for chopping wood or getting through doors.
I feel like you could use the "tool axe" to fight with as well. Would make for some nasty chops for splitting shoulders, ribs, skulls, and other dense bones. And of course, could still be used effectively against shields, hooking arms, and all the other great qualities that you included in your axe video a while back.
I think you could make a distinction between a weapon and a tool if its base design is primarily for causing efficient flesh wounds or if its designed for efficient wood chopping. When the design is more efficient at one of both things, then you got a weapon/tool.
Hi Skall, good vid, solid facts! And yeah, any stick can be used as a weapon, so when you put a thing (rock,nail, chain, blade..) on a stick you get stick on steroids! From stone age to nowdays axes were used and many variations of them were made (double bladed for berzerkerzz!). In any case it is gonna leave a mark even with the dull side (if you have some). I would love to see flail vid and the viking axe chopping the zombie head off that would be sweet. Keep up the good work!
So Norwegian battle axes (I hesitate to say peasant axes because the English word "peasant" and Norwegian word "bonde" aren't necessarily interchangeable) from the 1600s usually had a shaft that was bent upwards at the end where the ax head was attached. This was done to enhance cutting power, and in my opinion probably also to help with edge alignment. I wonder if at least some of the Viking era axes were made in the same way. Probably hard to know since there aren't many surviving ax shafts.
My father told me a very odd story about his grandfather, one of the last people in our family to move to Canada almost 129 years ago at this point. He said the old bugger would use this Saxon bearded ax to skin deer and moose with draw cuts, all the while sharpening it with what he guessed was what remained of the original owner's helmet. Also more recently my grandfather saved his friend's hide with a wood ax, chopping at an attacking wolf.
just a thought on the small headed battle axe.......to me they seem like they would have been used in conjunction with a dagger or other long thin blade against armoured opponents and they would make good camp axes for splitting kindling and small logs at the fire dressing game and crafting where you need more than a small knife but a larger ae would be to unwieldy.
First off thanks for making another video on Axes. Sword videos are everywhere and so are the opinions on them. Now I am in no way an expert on this but I have some thoughts on the subject I dont think has been discussed too much. For me they became so prevalent by societies that still chopped their own wood not because of just the brutality but because of familiarity. In societies that were advanced enough to have a few individuals who cut wood and sold it, the rest of the population wasn't familiar with using an ax. How ever societies where each person was still in charge of his or her own wood for heat and cooking they would have been very familiar with the ax. Why I think that is important is as you well know with your sword training it takes months or years to build up the muscle memory, stamina, and strength to wield a sword with great effectiveness. Well if you spend everyday cutting or splitting wood then you already have those things with the ax. Making the same repetitive motion everyday with this tool and you already know the feel of it, the balance of it, and probably very good at aiming. If I spent 10 years splitting wood with an ax and a battle was coming up I had to fight in I would chose taking my ax as apposed to a sword I have not had training in cause I was to busy living day to day to train with it. Just my humble opinion. The reason it became such a powerful weapon was because it was a tool first. BTW the ax is my favorite weapon, thank you again for doing another video about them.
In antiquities, especially before common use of metal, it's even more indistinguishable what's a weapon and what's a tool. The only exeptions i can think of off the top of my head are bow and arrow which were always for killing (either man or game) and the wooden swords with obsidian or sharkteeth edges from micronesia
Hey, Skall, first of all I want to say that I'm a big fan. Most of what I learnt about swords, knives, daggers etc I learnt from you, including some tips on turning fantasy weapons into realistic designs. Secondly, I'd like to give you two clip ideas: 1. Using wooden swords for actual combat, not just training. I saw your Weapons without metal: Far from primitive! clip and it got me thinking. More specifically, thinking about the practicability of wooden swords as actual weapons. The first thing I thought was that if one were to make a thick wooden sword to fight with, the mechanics would be a little different from those of a steel sword. Basically, they would be a combination of the mechanics of a sword and those of a club, mace or any other blunt weapon that you can think of (since that's what it would be, a blunt weapon). Please, correct me if I'm wrong with this one. 2. Using swords in reverse grip. You see a lot of video game and anime characters doing this, but in real life, would it give you any advantages over the forward grip, or would it at least serve any purpose besides looking cool? I know that it's good with knives or daggers since, contrary to popular belief, it can give more cutting power at the expense of reach. It's not just the grip of the random criminal who only knows how to stab downwards with it. But at the same time, it reduces the ability to maneuver the blade, which is definitely not something you'd like when using a sword, because you can't parry as well or at all.. Or are there certain techniques I don't know about? I'm really curious about this.
I know you dont asked me but I still like to talk about it :3 in regards to point 1, do you mean an actual sword shaped piece of wood or more like a weighted stick with a crossguard, like a lot of wooden training swords? I think the first one would be useless, as it would weight next to nothing and would have no cutting power at all and only stabbing power if someone is unprotected, as a blunt weapon kills by impact, and I dont think that someone was ever caned to death in combat. a weighted stick on the other hand can easily kill, an 8 year old kid with a 2 meter broom handle can generate enough impact force to crack a skull, so I'd reckon an adult swinging a 1 meter piece of wood with or without weighted tip would be at least somewhat dangerous in a fight. in regards to point 2, reverse grip is almost useless when used as main form of attack/defence, also for knifes, as it dangerously limits your defensive capability. especially when it comes to swords, you cannot parry, you have no defence below the elbow and cannot deflect any stabbing motions. imho reverse grip is only usefull for offhand rondel or dagger when fighting heavy armoured opponents because it makes stabbing into a helmet possible when you close distance and render swords ineffective, it would be very hard to poke into eye holes using normal grip when grappling.
The bearded ax is an odd one because the beard gives it as many advantages as a woodworking tool as it does a weapon. I don't think we know for sure whether the beard was added first to give you a bigger cutting edge with less weight, or to give you the ability to choke up behind the bit to make wood shaving and carving more precise. The one you show specifically seems too small to use as a battlefield ax. It would definitely be fast, and the beard would be useful for possibly disarming someone with a spear or sword, but it seems more useful as a general purpose household or personal defense weapon. As far as a tool, without a pole to counterbalance the blade it won't be very good for chopping or felling. It's a bit too narrow to be good for splitting. It would be OK for deliming. If it can hold an edge, it would be great for slicing, feathering, carving. Overall, it seems like a general purpose homestead tool for a farmer to do general purpose woodwork and for homestead defense.
I would define it like this: A handle with at least one side-pointing blade, with the end of the blade being broader than the part that touches the hand. A weapon is a tool primarily designed to harm or subdue humans, animals, and various other self-propelled systems. Whether an axe is a weapon or non-weapon basically goes down to what the seller tried to market it as, or what the buyer intended it for.
Also not really related, but I will mention anyway. Valaška (shepherd's axe) was also cavalry weapon. It was used by Eurasian nomads, that's other reason why it has such a long handle.
I was sorely tempted to comment along the lines of "Why not both?" before watching. Now I'm glad I didn't make a fool of myself since that's the point you made. Many items were made with multifunctionality in mind. Why pay for two axes? Why carry two axes around? Imagine carrying the stuff you do in role playing games IRL. Most people in the past lacked a pickup truck to throw their axe collection into.
I hope you add some stone axes to your collection eventually. These were commonly made of chert (flint) but can be found in some other stone materials as well.
Dane axes where first used to slaughter cattle as it was effective to slice through the neck of a cow or bull, not really trees or wood. Also they are described to be the height of the user.
What I learned in the navy. Everything is a hammer. Hammer, its a hammer, screw driver? Its a hammer. Wrench? its a hammer. Boot? its a hammer. Axe? its a hammer.
you forgot to add knife in to the list :) I know what you mean. anything with some weight to it can be used to strike with.
Will nonya well this is one of the primary murphys laws: at certain point any tool becomes a hammer.
Nail? Also a hammer!
Sounds like my dad,"Hand the that _(carpentry tool)_".
My question is why are you using a hammer on a metal ship?
Short answer, to hammer things. Less short answer some things stick that should move. Some times you have to get a stud or bolt out that is rusted in. Some times there are things that are torqued down so hard that you put what is called a slugging wrench on it and beat the shit out of it.
I am a tree. So, from my perspective, they're all weapons.
Also, I like the lighting in this video.
Skall, please do a video in the ultimate tool-weapon: THE PITCHFORK! !!!!
Voted up just for the peasant absurdity
It strikes fear into the hearts of mad scientists who are located in isolated Gothic/Germanic styled abodes! It's the ultimate weapon!
/r/pitchforkemporium
7j557j7j5 Eh they're called greips u scrub
Fun Fact: Pitchforks can be thrown (offensively in a fight of course), similar to a heavy javelin. Not just stabbing and farming. Believe me I used one away from school for a javelin! (And it's effective too!), only problem is well... It's heavy, so I threw it half the distance of my javelins lol...
"You wouldn't thrust against a tree... that's rather...uhm... [*faces camera]... silly!"
I don't know what it was but this was simply the perfect way of making this statement XD
Fore everyone else who wants to enjoy this again, here is the time stamp: 3:35
IIIMuerteIII you can start at 3:18 too, for the extra joke
I have to disagree, thrusting against a tree serves for better leverage, and allows more forward momentum in each strike! :D
that moment where you know. oh shit i did it again did i
lol, i thought he was gonna say 'retarded', then thought better of it and went for ' rather silly'
I want to compliment you on taking the time to research, and to site your sources. Too many people just start lecturing, and you can never know where their information comes from. Well done, very informative.
omegasight
Thank you.
The camera quality is fantastic in this video. I was skeptical on whether you really needed a new camera, but this looks fantastic so I understand now.
Patchworkᴴᴰ
Yep. Easily the best possible investment into the channel.
Especially on a 1080p screen. Soon to be 4k, then I can enjoy your videos to the maximum quality level.
Rick1885
The only issue is that this camera can only record 4K in 30fps.
***** To be honest i care more about frames than pixels. 60fpsftw
Exactly my thought when I started watching this video. "Wow, this looks amazing, super smooth and very relaxing to the eyes". Perfect quality. Thanks Skall!
Axes are all tools, they are tools for killing and tools for killing trees and dismembering their corpses.
Alexander Salt no
Rather salty eh?
killing trees? killing AND killing trees... dismembering their corpse.... please get an education...
Guys I think he was just making a joke.
Chaos Shooting Odd-Eyes Ultimate Beyond the Pendulum Quasar Synchro Dragon Victory proof that Sherlock exists.... why would i tell him no shit if he didn't exist?!
Axes are beautiful, both weapon and tool axes, they're stylish, I like swords and maces/clubs too, but I think nothing beat the looks of a well made axe.
Skall, can you talk about maces, flails and hammers, please?
^ This. please.
Dunno about hammers (there are tool hammers and battle hammers, and I'm not going to be very surprised when there are a few close calls here) or flails (there are two kind of flails, one-handed and two-handed; the two-handed battle flails were developed from agricultural flails, which also may elicit close calls), but I don't think there's a good use of mace out of battles that involves hitting things with the mace (thus excluding ceremonial maces).
SkyPiercerV Well, throwing maces used for hunting maybe? But those would be qualified as weapons, too, albeit hunting weapons. Or maybe tools used for preparation of skins or meat, that usually wouldn't want to have a solid metal or stone head. But I guess those wouldn't be called maces then, but given other names like tenderizer.
Then there would be other tools, like belaying pins, that could easily be used as improvised maces.
I guess the word "mace" already embodies the martial context, just as a "sword" compared to a "knife" (some butcher knifes and off course machetes could definitely compare to small swords in size)
I hope he does talk about em, I need a reason to play with a warhammer in Skyrim xD
Ironication Just pick an orc and grab a warhammer.
Well discussed. It's rare to find videos as unbiased and informative as on your channel. Keep up the good work.
Buttspikes also stop the wood from rotting, as they prevent damp coming up the shaft.
Great work, I really thought this video was really informative considering it’s length. I’m a bit of an axe enthusiast, coming from the side of forestry purposes. Your collection is amazing and it really helps to hold and display something in order to explain it to people. I like your GB Scandinavian axe, along with that CRKT tomahawk. My roommate actually has that exact tomahawk. For anyone who’s into collecting weapons/tools, you should look into eBay for vintage axe heads for sale. It’s an enjoyable hobby to find and hang an axe, and it doesn’t cost all too much either.
Those are some nice sabers.
(Sorry, just came from Matt's video.)
Damn, same here. :D
hey, me too ^^
I feel very lucky when they upload something so close to each other, like I've won a prize or something!
***** manaquri And we know something that Skall doesn't know: if it has a curved blade then it is a saber. I do however agree with Skall that the valaška is a bit confusing, I'm not sure if it is a saber or rapier. =)
gurkfisk89 I would argue that it is more of a side sword, is it is something you carry around with you in day-to-day life. ;p
I love axes more then other weapons and tools of antiquity. I love how they commend power and UMPF! And versatility, one of our first tools, yet still used today. I think axes are really cool.
The ultimate combat tool is actually the combat shovel. You can chop things, hammer things, thrust, block, throw it. Shovels are badass. Also if you practice shovel combat it would be a great tool for self defense in countries where you have more restrictions. The other wonderful thing about shovels is most have a handle and are easy to use like a spear or club by novices. It's also a great "grey man" weapon - people are a lot less likely to worry about a person with a shovel than a gun/knife/sword.
I would love to see more videos like this about the advanteges/disadvanteges of different weapons!
1:55 "nope, thats not an axe its a Tomahawk" you remind me of my sister, who keeps insisting a pony is not a horse...
Battle axes with short heads were very popular in antiquity because of how easy they are to make (compared to long bladed, intricate axes). Later on they became popular again as weapons of war due to their ability to puncture armour more effectively than their long bladed counterparts.
Greetings from UK btw :) Love the channel.
I prefer axes to swords.
I like one handed axe, but axe in general is good.
*I'd prefer a butter knife*
Same
The biggest difference between a weapon and a tool is intention of the user. While some tools might be better designed to harm living flesh, while other tools are designed for other purposes. I really like that you talked about this idea.
Great video Skall! Love your axe collection :D
Ayy just came from one of your videos haha
I got blown away by the camera quality, I approve of the purchase! :)
I've always had an affinity for tools that can serve as weapons, especially my machete and my engineer's hammer.
I loved this video. I have always been a fan of axes because of their multitude of uses. I actually bought a crkt tomahawk after watching your video review and could not be happier with it. I've been watching you videos for some time and really enjoy them. I usually learn something as well. Keep up the good work.
5:16
I usually have something in most my rpgs I run called a "thieves axe" or "Raiding Axe" that looks like that Shepard's axe except with a somewhat shorter handle and a thickish short spike on the other side of the blad. It's meant to be both a weapon and a way to break in between wooden planks, break open cheap locks and work as a survival axe. I even have a history for it that it used to be used by an army or maybe the town guards, but it fell out of use for a variety of reasons and was picked up by the underworld as a tool.
what rpg do u play :) ??
A bunch, my favorite system is GURPS but I'm warming up to 5e a little. I also really like Blade of the Iron Throne (and it's predecessor)
Cool Chris! ,)
Chris Dron 5e is fun. I like 5e.
It's funny to see Skall so popular, because I subscribed to him many years ago now for his video game and philosophical rants. lol
Now I see his videos pop up quite often.
I would like to see a video on "halberds" - I always found the combination of axe and a spear interesting.
I would rather fell an axe with a tree than fell a tree with a herring. Just saying.
That A&A Dane two hander is my current favorite medieval weapon. I highly recommend them to anyone interested in Viking weapons. You can cut with it just like a longsword using the standard Liechtenauer methods, or you can hook and prod with it like a pole arm. It must have been particularly effective in left-to-right attacks against sword and shield men, since it can reach into their flank. It's also shockingly nimble for such a large weapon.
Have you ever accidentally struck your camera when you do swings in front of it? :)
Killjoy
Nope.
***** That's good, but please don't edit it out if you do. :-P It would be hilarious.
Erik Rimes if it will happen i'm not 100% sure the camera will live to tell about it
RYTY THE TRIPOD MAN LLA LLA
Of course. But the camera needs to be pretty far away regardless because I currently only have a 35mm lens.
HA HA HA HA YOU HAVE NOW >: )
Thanks for this awesome video, very informative and crystal-clear, as usual.
One thing you did not mention, and which is quite of importance, is why this short black axe for instance, is shaped thus. Such a shape indicates without any possible doubt that it is only designed for combat, and that it is meant to be used by one hand, in complement of a dagger or a shortsword. Or another small axe, whatever.
As you see, when held vertically, there is a great amount of steel going downwards, running almost parallel to the wooden handle, but making an angle with it.
One of the reasons behind such a shape, is to be able to pull your opponent's shield out of the way : the piece of steel we've mentionned goes beyong the opponent's shield, grips it because of this particular hook shape, and then you just pull the axe back towards yourself, thus pulling the shield out of the way.
You then cleared the path for your other axe or dagger that you hold into your other hand.
The hungarian axe has the same hook thing, but smaller; it is perhaps more designed for two-handed combat, whereas the short black one is definately designed to be wielded in one hand only.
There again, you'd grab the opponent's shield with the axe's hook, pull it out of the way, and then thrust the axe forward, towards the opponent's cleared chest of throat.
Awesome video Skall !!!
Firstly Skall I thoroughly enjoy it when you review or talk about axes on your channel.
On to the subject of the video, great video you covered many points to and went into enough detail to answer some of the more common questions asked, while still keeping it short. Top notch video as per usual Skall :)
the walking stick axe was beauitful i really want one how much was it
Google valaška :-)
sucha beauitful axe
This is also called a "Ciupaga" which was used in Poland's highlands (Czech and Polish highlanders don't exactly respect nor care for the border, and never did). It is an all purpose tool for them. They use it for chopping wood, walking, and a weapon both against Human and animal. The interesting thing about these axes is that they can also be used for throwing. I personally seen it used that way and it is pretty amazing. A trained user (which is just about everybody there since it is such a prevalent implement) can throw it from a above, just like any other axe (i.e. the axe is held by the pole) OR it can actually be thrown while still on a ground. Which is to say used as a walking stick, by the head and thrown that way. This is obviously isn't as strong, but darn surprising. I've seen a guy thrown this like that and embed it pretty deeply into a wooden target.
It is important to note that real ones are very much kept SHARP.
Side note, they are in pretty big demand so they are a lot made for the tourist market. Beware of those! they tend to be very cheap, not balanced, and dull. They do LOOK better (typically rather ornate) but are not good representation of this tool.
Sharp Blades lol
With it's usability as both a tool and a weapon by combining the characteristics of both I'll be that fucking guy and say that it is an excellent choice of melee weapon for the zombie apocalypse.
It's a combined skullcrusher and a wood chopper.
I always really enjoy your videos. As someone who is learning Eskrima and has several friends in the SCA I have never seen a video of yours that was not fascinating or helpful in some way. Keep up the good work!
Aren't linguistics cool? I mean no matter what you are discussing or debating it always comes down to linguistics. What is an axe? Battleaxe? A tool? All it ends up as is defining what words mean :)
Battleaxe for a 'grumpy old woman' is a very common term here in the UK by the way. I think the Aussies say that too.
Indeed it is, to both points.
I guess an older woman pulls no punches and strikes hard when she sees need for confrontation; you wouldn't want to get into an argument.
David North Absolutely, it means cantankerous and to 'not suffer fools gladly'. You could see it as a compliment.
it is how one uses it.
a pen can be used as a tool..or a weapon. for me knives are tools to make food..for others they are weapons
Yep Aussie's say it too :)
I've never heard of battleaxe being used in that way. Mostly because terms like "bitch" and "cow" are more commonly used.
Bearded axes are often broad axes in function. A lot of northern Europeans used a bearded ax style for axes used for hewing or carving or carpentry. Models similar to the one you show are available from woodworking companies.
What is it about people who confuse maces, flails , and morning stars , a lot of people think there the same. Please , talk about the ridiculousness it is. Also pleas also tell people not to buy cold steel polyprohene or practice swords or what not, because it stupid how heavy they are.
Thank you, great video! I'm very interested in axes. Maybe you could do a video about how axes were actually used in battle.
I think that a small axe with a small head like the one you showed when you were talking about it getting stuck in bones could have been like that on purpose. It could have been used as a trowing axe and as we all know, when you throw something at an enemy, it's generally a good thing if they can't get it out easily.
I generally consider skeggoxes as being designed specifically for crossover between the two functions. The blade tends to be thinner than many modern wood axes and its light enough to be used as a weapon (and also for ease of carry when on the move), but all the design elements of the blade profile seem to be for making it a useful tool as well. The thick square design to the beards reinforces the lower half of the blade so it won't bend under impact with wood and the deep beard makes the axe great for small carving tasks with the hand choked up directly behind the blade. The lack of a horn also seems to point toward being specifically designed to have the structural integrity when used for mundane tasks in addition to battle. I also think some design elements of the axe stem from its need to preform all the tasks your average farmer/raider needs to preform while on the move. A traveler or ship probably wouldn't be carrying an entire set of carpenters axes specifically designed for either small carving or hewing or felling to repair any damage to the boat and set up camps so the axe they had on hand had to do all those tasks.
more axe vids please. me like axes
Hi Skall, I thought it would be worth mentioning a good point about the bearded ax. The "beard" portion of the ax head, while great for hooking a shield, leg, or other bits in combat also comes in handy for wood working. I personally find that if I'm trying to flatten/reduce a section of a log, gripping the axe near the head gives you much more control for more precise strokes. The beard looks like it would act like a saber guard to keep you from barking your knuckles on the wood. I believe I've heard same principle applies to hewing axes. Keep it up!
Didn't vikings use their axes as tools and weapons?
Peasants have forever adapted household tools suited for such purposes into weapons as needed. Since the average Scandinavian peasant warrior wasn't exactly wealthy they duly liked to use their everyday implements for as many purposes as possible - and the ubiquitous hunting spears and wood axes (if now fitted with new shafts for the role) worked quite well for killing people. Those with dosh of course got purpose-designed weapons instead, and then had them decorated six ways to Sunday with the spare change for additional swag...
Cis White Male With Extra Privilege yeah to agree with that I have to say I remember reading that the bearded axe which is my favorite weapon I've always personally just love to that weapon I like the way it looks the groove in the bearded portion of the axis very useful in combat and also it's very useful in just working as you can grip things and drag them to you etcetera etcetera either way that was used I believe I read that it was used specifically for making their long-ships was for hewing wood
Bearded axes are great woodworking tools because they allow the hand to be behind the blade for greater control.
that "dane axe" is the cutest thing i've ever seen! the "duel axe" of the vikings were 1,82cm long, and the war-axes were about 2m long :)
Why does the hungarian axe have three holes in its blade?
Because every male loves holes.
ruolbu
Decoration.
those sexy holes oh yeah they make it a lot better
Those are speed holes, they make the axe swing faster.
SirKaldar
skall's right on this one cutting 3 little holes in a axe will not make it faster. It does however display some skill for the smith. It isn't easy punching holes in heated metal that close together.
Axes and forks are common weapons used in the Fyrd. The common people who can't afford to a good sword, use this tools like weapons. Great vídeo and cheers from Brazil!
Why do you axe?
I'm Axecited!
We don't axe questions around here.
Guys you need more axercise!
This conversation is axeually quite axetatic
Lets see if we can keep up this axecellence
Very nice description of ancient axle !
I could actually see that horned axe used for wood-cutting; specifically for splitting. The horn would allow for a decent cut through the radius of a log, and can be used as a spike to man-handle around large pieces.
The wider axe head is called a maul. Mauls are designed with an emphasis on splitting logs. Felling axes are much thinner than mauls so that they can bite deep into the wood. However a felling axe isn't as thin as a weapons axe.
Sometimes the distinction is necessary, as you said, other times it isn't.
But when choosing a weapon/tool you should make sure you know what you want out of it and make sure that the implement you choose is made for that purpose and/or can function for that purpose.
Don't just choose a convenient one to get/use/carry
I for one find these videos highly informative. keep up the good work.
I think there is a misunderstanding.
There are several axe types for woodworking:
1. Forest Axe: Light axe with thin blade to cut deep into wood for disassembling limbs or felling trees. They are NOT for splitting.
2. Universal Axe: Jack of all trades. It’s thin enough to cut and thick enough to split. This is the most common axe and most people would think of this type if they hear the word "axe". Most hardware stores have only this type of axe. The American felling axe is the largest variant of this type.
3. Splitting Axe: As the name tells, it’s made for splitting. In terms of cutting: You can shave yourself with it but it won’t cut that deep.
4. Splitting Maul: Take a Splitting Axe crossbreed it with a sledgehammer and have fun. Needless to say it’s heavy and you need enormous stamina to wield it for longer times but in terms of splitting its unbeaten. Whatever it is; logs, skalls, engine blocks, a knight in armor including horse, etc.: You need one strike and it’s done.
5. And of course several specialized carpentry tools I won’t go into.
Of all these axes the light forest axe is the most likely battle axe. Even if the splitting maul would crack even the thickest armor and most likely kill everything on the first proper hit.
Great 📹 about axe's! I have accuired a Danish hand axe and intend to do some wood carving. So this was helpful video indeed!
From my understanding, if you chock up on a long beard ax, the blade then comes aligned with the hand facilitating control for more precision work, like making wood splints to start fires.
From what I know from the dark ages till around 13th century maybe even bit later battle axes were common in Baltic lands now Lithuania Latvia, the main way to tell apart a battle axe from domestic tool axe would be that battle axes would have things engraved onto the head of the axe like symbols and handle would have sometimes leather wrap for grip and design purposes or sometimes string at the bottom so that you won’t drop it if disarmed. I am not an expert but read some things in books and saw some examples in museums there.
finally some more axe video. Great work skall.
I have always wanted a Valaška, though I had originally heard it called a fokosh.
The Chogan tomahawk is just so nice. A highly versatile piece of gear.
bill hooks were village garden tools often used in battle when swords and other weapons weren't attainable so i can see how many axes can end up in battle that were originally meant as tools .
Many tools actually became weaponized.
Many of the weapons used (pre-firearm) had their origins in agricultural tools. The flail started out as a grain threshing tool that eventually became a weapon, the battle axe and war hammer also had agrarian roots.
As you pointed out; some axes are clearly weapons, some are clearly designed as tools. The others however are possibly, either attempts at a "multi-tool" or possibly a transition from pure tool to pure weapon.
I was in a scout group in Denmark that held both 1-handed and 2-handed axe throwing competitions, and we also fell trees with a bearded 2-handed axe which in my opinion was very effective compared to a normal wood axe because the center of mass aws so close to the area of impact, i kinda miss throwing axes around though, chopping wood not so much.
well there are many axes because there are many uses for these tools. in addition to felling trees (which requires a heavy axe) and chopping firewood (an even heavier and very thick axe) you can do many finer things like flattening boards, carving sculptures etc. if you look at the axes people use for building traditional houses and ships in russia, norway or elsewhere in northern europe, you'll find many tools with long and thin blades.
one thing i have noticed about battle axes is that the handle is usually very long and straight.
I have 2 axes(tool), one short(one handed) and a longer one(two handed). Chopping wood with those is so invigorating, and the feels in the upper muscles :D
These videos are perfect for any D&D player. My dwarf's axes are now all officially bearded axes.
My understanding of Viking axes is pretty much what you said, that is was easier to get an axe to fight with. Axes were common tools and were used widely for every day tasks. "I'm off to battle but I have no weapon. I do have an axe and that's good for stuff, I'll take that". Dane axes are probably still useful as tools, to an extent. When training for reenactment I've been told that the blunt ones used in reenactment combat can still split logs.
@Skallagrim often a bearded axe was used by vikings as a bushcraft Viking axe they crafted matterials with it and a lot of vikings had one as either main weapon or as a tool/secondary
Nice video! I love axes, best tool and weapon ever. Only problem with the video is you stated the felling axe had a good angle to split wood when in my experience the splitting maul is far superior. Felling axes just like to stick into the wood and don't really split well.
First difference i realized is that tool axes have generally wider joint because you put very high stresses on them while chopping wood but war axes get wider to edge because stresses are less so you don't need much material near the joint. If you try to fall a tree with battle axe with wide edge you more likely to crack the head. Also tool axes are desirable heavier because you can deliver more energy to tree with the same speed. Since this is an evolution, there are species between two.
I also had the thought that outfitting traveling troops or being a warrior/hunter, using a weapon capable of dual purpose use similar to the shepherd's axe would be efficient. Your weapon also is used to make camp.
I would suggest that thick headed short bladed straight handled axes in this role would be used more for notching limbs to bend and make shelter or preparing firewood than for felling a whole tree through the trunk.
Nice intro!
BTW I now own 2 gransfors bruk axes (Skandi and Swedish carver), and I love both of them. Thanks because I would have never enjoyed these amazing tools if it hadn't been for you.
Interesting, this is mostly about semantics though as you gave quite a good definition of both the weapon and the tool. The tool needs weight to be able to cut into and split wood and the weapon needs agility. As this is a continuum you will find axes all along the line from pure agility to pure brute force. One thing I expect is that the reason the 2 categories were much more overlapping is because of scarcity, now we can afford to have both a specialized tool and weapon, back then, well I suppose most people wouldn't.
From my understanding the bearded axe was heavily used by both vikings and saxons/britans during the raids of the british isles during the 800'. Mostly in the shield walls where the man in front would use the the bearded axe as a hook to pull down the opposing enemies shield and let the man behind himself deliver a blow with either an other axe, spear or sword.
Wow, nice jump in video quality there. That background looks awesome(side from the glare on the left side. I really liked the ending music. Way to step your game up.
If you got used to using a forest axe as a weapon you could build your body up to make your swings faster and get less tired. Plus you can more easily use it for its original purpose as a tool for chopping wood or getting through doors.
I feel like you could use the "tool axe" to fight with as well. Would make for some nasty chops for splitting shoulders, ribs, skulls, and other dense bones. And of course, could still be used effectively against shields, hooking arms, and all the other great qualities that you included in your axe video a while back.
I am thankful you made this video!
I really like you informative episodes its very relaxed but also accurate keep it up dude.
I think you could make a distinction between a weapon and a tool if its base design is primarily for causing efficient flesh wounds or if its designed for efficient wood chopping.
When the design is more efficient at one of both things, then you got a weapon/tool.
Hi Skall, good vid, solid facts! And yeah, any stick can be used as a weapon, so when you put a thing (rock,nail, chain, blade..) on a stick you get stick on steroids! From stone age to nowdays axes were used and many variations of them were made (double bladed for berzerkerzz!). In any case it is gonna leave a mark even with the dull side (if you have some). I would love to see flail vid and the viking axe chopping the zombie head off that would be sweet. Keep up the good work!
So Norwegian battle axes (I hesitate to say peasant axes because the English word "peasant" and Norwegian word "bonde" aren't necessarily interchangeable) from the 1600s usually had a shaft that was bent upwards at the end where the ax head was attached. This was done to enhance cutting power, and in my opinion probably also to help with edge alignment. I wonder if at least some of the Viking era axes were made in the same way. Probably hard to know since there aren't many surviving ax shafts.
My father told me a very odd story about his grandfather, one of the last people in our family to move to Canada almost 129 years ago at this point. He said the old bugger would use this Saxon bearded ax to skin deer and moose with draw cuts, all the while sharpening it with what he guessed was what remained of the original owner's helmet. Also more recently my grandfather saved his friend's hide with a wood ax, chopping at an attacking wolf.
just a thought on the small headed battle axe.......to me they seem like they would have been used in conjunction with a dagger or other long thin blade against armoured opponents and they would make good camp axes for splitting kindling and small logs at the fire dressing game and crafting where you need more than a small knife but a larger ae would be to unwieldy.
First off thanks for making another video on Axes. Sword videos are everywhere and so are the opinions on them. Now I am in no way an expert on this but I have some thoughts on the subject I dont think has been discussed too much. For me they became so prevalent by societies that still chopped their own wood not because of just the brutality but because of familiarity. In societies that were advanced enough to have a few individuals who cut wood and sold it, the rest of the population wasn't familiar with using an ax. How ever societies where each person was still in charge of his or her own wood for heat and cooking they would have been very familiar with the ax. Why I think that is important is as you well know with your sword training it takes months or years to build up the muscle memory, stamina, and strength to wield a sword with great effectiveness. Well if you spend everyday cutting or splitting wood then you already have those things with the ax. Making the same repetitive motion everyday with this tool and you already know the feel of it, the balance of it, and probably very good at aiming. If I spent 10 years splitting wood with an ax and a battle was coming up I had to fight in I would chose taking my ax as apposed to a sword I have not had training in cause I was to busy living day to day to train with it. Just my humble opinion. The reason it became such a powerful weapon was because it was a tool first. BTW the ax is my favorite weapon, thank you again for doing another video about them.
In antiquities, especially before common use of metal, it's even more indistinguishable what's a weapon and what's a tool. The only exeptions i can think of off the top of my head are bow and arrow which were always for killing (either man or game) and the wooden swords with obsidian or sharkteeth edges from micronesia
Hey, Skall, first of all I want to say that I'm a big fan. Most of what I learnt about swords, knives, daggers etc I learnt from you, including some tips on turning fantasy weapons into realistic designs. Secondly, I'd like to give you two clip ideas:
1. Using wooden swords for actual combat, not just training. I saw your Weapons without metal: Far from primitive! clip and it got me thinking. More specifically, thinking about the practicability of wooden swords as actual weapons. The first thing I thought was that if one were to make a thick wooden sword to fight with, the mechanics would be a little different from those of a steel sword. Basically, they would be a combination of the mechanics of a sword and those of a club, mace or any other blunt weapon that you can think of (since that's what it would be, a blunt weapon). Please, correct me if I'm wrong with this one.
2. Using swords in reverse grip. You see a lot of video game and anime characters doing this, but in real life, would it give you any advantages over the forward grip, or would it at least serve any purpose besides looking cool? I know that it's good with knives or daggers since, contrary to popular belief, it can give more cutting power at the expense of reach. It's not just the grip of the random criminal who only knows how to stab downwards with it. But at the same time, it reduces the ability to maneuver the blade, which is definitely not something you'd like when using a sword, because you can't parry as well or at all.. Or are there certain techniques I don't know about? I'm really curious about this.
I know you dont asked me but I still like to talk about it :3
in regards to point 1, do you mean an actual sword shaped piece of wood or more like a weighted stick with a crossguard, like a lot of wooden training swords? I think the first one would be useless, as it would weight next to nothing and would have no cutting power at all and only stabbing power if someone is unprotected, as a blunt weapon kills by impact, and I dont think that someone was ever caned to death in combat. a weighted stick on the other hand can easily kill, an 8 year old kid with a 2 meter broom handle can generate enough impact force to crack a skull, so I'd reckon an adult swinging a 1 meter piece of wood with or without weighted tip would be at least somewhat dangerous in a fight.
in regards to point 2, reverse grip is almost useless when used as main form of attack/defence, also for knifes, as it dangerously limits your defensive capability. especially when it comes to swords, you cannot parry, you have no defence below the elbow and cannot deflect any stabbing motions. imho reverse grip is only usefull for offhand rondel or dagger when fighting heavy armoured opponents because it makes stabbing into a helmet possible when you close distance and render swords ineffective, it would be very hard to poke into eye holes using normal grip when grappling.
As usual VERY interesting. Thank you Skall :)
The bearded ax is an odd one because the beard gives it as many advantages as a woodworking tool as it does a weapon. I don't think we know for sure whether the beard was added first to give you a bigger cutting edge with less weight, or to give you the ability to choke up behind the bit to make wood shaving and carving more precise.
The one you show specifically seems too small to use as a battlefield ax. It would definitely be fast, and the beard would be useful for possibly disarming someone with a spear or sword, but it seems more useful as a general purpose household or personal defense weapon.
As far as a tool, without a pole to counterbalance the blade it won't be very good for chopping or felling. It's a bit too narrow to be good for splitting. It would be OK for deliming. If it can hold an edge, it would be great for slicing, feathering, carving.
Overall, it seems like a general purpose homestead tool for a farmer to do general purpose woodwork and for homestead defense.
I would define it like this:
A handle with at least one side-pointing blade, with the end of the blade being broader than the part that touches the hand.
A weapon is a tool primarily designed to harm or subdue humans, animals, and various other self-propelled systems. Whether an axe is a weapon or non-weapon basically goes down to what the seller tried to market it as, or what the buyer intended it for.
the shepherd's axe is cool, I've never seen one of those before and now I want one.
Wow thanks for the informative yet fun videos!
Great video, as expected of Skallagrim the Mighty!
Also not really related, but I will mention anyway. Valaška (shepherd's axe) was also cavalry weapon. It was used by Eurasian nomads, that's other reason why it has such a long handle.
Loving my Skall in full 1080P and 60fps!
Great video skall, keep them coming mate :)
Awesome video quality, really like it!!
About damn time you talked about about axes!
You quoted oaky´s "The archeology of weapons".
Thats a like.
I was sorely tempted to comment along the lines of "Why not both?" before watching. Now I'm glad I didn't make a fool of myself since that's the point you made. Many items were made with multifunctionality in mind. Why pay for two axes? Why carry two axes around? Imagine carrying the stuff you do in role playing games IRL. Most people in the past lacked a pickup truck to throw their axe collection into.
I hope you add some stone axes to your collection eventually. These were commonly made of chert (flint) but can be found in some other stone materials as well.
Dane axes where first used to slaughter cattle as it was effective to slice through the neck of a cow or bull, not really trees or wood. Also they are described to be the height of the user.