Polearms ( also termed as pole weapons ) are close combat weapons
developed in warfare for battling mounted soldiers and those with heavy
armor. These long and hafted instruments arose from an agricultural
enforce but became a weapon of its own style. Major fighting part of the
polearm is located on the end of a long shaft mainly made up of wood
extending the user's effective range. History
With the arrival of armored fighters, polearms oftenly combine the spear point for thrusting with an axe for a swinging strike which could break armor. During historical times , in organized warfare massed men carry these pole weapons with pointing tips of either spear or pikes , greeted as efficient military units.
Design
When the weapon is swung in air , main use of polearm is either to extend reach or to increase angular momentum and hence striking power. Simple and easy to make , pole weapons are effectively derived from hunting or agricultural tools. Long and hafted weapons mainly designed for two handed use , pole weapons are innovated to give the foot solider a weapon capable of dealing with the heavily armored knight. Contrived for maximum striking power , they generally attack very slowly but cause large amounts of damage on a hit.
Varieties
Few varieties of polearms or pole weapons are :
- Glaive : It is a polearm consisting of a single-edged blade on the end of a pole whose blades was around 18 inches (55 cm) long and on the end of a pole they are around 6 or 7 feet (180–210 cm) long.
- Fauchard : From around 11th to 14th centuries , it is a type of pole weapon used in medieval Europe. Fauchard design consists of a curved blade of around 6–7-foot long and cutting edge is there at the the concave side.
- Halberd : During the 14th and 15th centuries , halberd or Swiss voulge is a two-handed polearm that came into large use consisting of an axe blade exceeded with a spike mounted on a long shaft.
- Guan dao : Also known as kwan dao , it is a chinese type of pole weapon that is currently used in some forms of Chinese martial arts.
- Guisarme : Between 1000–1400 , it is a a pole weapon used in Europe developed by peasants by combining hand tools with long poles.
- Nagamaki : It is a pole weapon traditionally used in Japan consisting of a longer blade and shorter grip .
- Naginata : It is a polearm used in traditional times consisting of a wood shaft with a curved blade on the end which is quite similar to the European glaive.
- Voulge : Also called as a pole cleaver, it is a type of polearm whose blades are attached to the shaft by binding the lower two thirds of the blade to the side of the pole.
- Nethack : Also termed as bardiche , it has a long axe blade on a stick.
One of the type of polearm named as spikepike is very old and dated to stone age. Major purpose to use polearm is to increase angular momentum , striking power and extending reach . Pole weapon shaft is made up of various materials such as bamboo, allowing the head to hit behind a block or could be used to confuse the enemy with a circular oscillation obtained by a breeze of the leading wrist combined with a straight driving force. Depending on the country of origin or the style of blade or period, pole arms are variously known as bills, glaives, halberds, lochaber, naginata, nagamaki, pikes, partisans, spears, tridents, etc.
