![]() ![]() This is the same penetrating force as a rifle bullet. A powerful swing from a war hammer can hit its target with a force of several hundred kilograms per square millimeter. The blunt side of a war hammer was usually used first to knock out and stun an enemy and, once they were on the ground, reversed to punch a hole through the helmet and deliver the coup de grâce. If against mounted opponents, the weapon could be directed at the legs of a horse, toppling the armored foe to the ground where they could be more easily attacked. The spike end could be used for grappling the target's armor, reins, or shield. Later war hammers often had a spike on one side of the head, making them more versatile weapons. War hammers, especially when mounted on a pole, could in some cases transmit their impact through helmets and cause concussions. Long war hammers were pole weapons, or polearms, meant for use on foot, whereas short ones were used from horseback. The length of the handle may vary, the longest being roughly equivalent to that of a halberd (five to six feet or 1.5 to 1.8 meters), and the shortest about the same as that of a mace (two to three feet or 60 to 90 centimeters). Design Detail of the head of a war hammerĪ war hammer consists of a handle and a head. The war hammer could inflict significant damage on the enemy through their heavy impact without the need to pierce the armor. It became somewhat of a necessity in combat when armor became so strong that swords and axes were no longer able to pierce and ricocheted upon impact. The war hammer was a popular weapon in the late medieval period. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the war hammer became an elaborately decorated and handsome weapon. It is a very old weapon and gave its name, owing to its constant use, to Judah Maccabee, a 2nd-century BC Jewish rebel, and to Charles Martel, one of the rulers of France. ![]() Indo-Persian war hammer, heavy iron head with a hammer in front, a 4.5-inch (11 cm) curved spike on the other side, cut channel decorations, hard wood shaftĪ war hammer (French: martel-de-fer, "iron hammer") is a weapon that was used by both foot soldiers and cavalry. ![]()
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