What is the difference between a spear and a halberd?
- The spear is a weapon composed of a sharpened and pointed tip in addition to a shaft. The shaft is normally wood while the tip of the spear is made of metal to be able to be stabbed without being broken.
The spear was mainly used as a weapon as a throwing weapon but also for hitting the opponent from a safe distance.
Because of its length it became an excellent weapon to be thrown, however its functionality was very limited in the melee battle by the same motive. This is a very ancient weapon since the first hunters used it as a stick whose tip was a stone.
A huge number of nations throuhput History have used them, among them we can remark Romans, Japanese, Greeks and some African tribes.
- Halberd; is a weapon consisting of a shaft and a point in its extreme, a transverse blade and a point in its opposite part..
The ahaft is normally made of wood and its head of metal. The shaft is normally made of wood and the armed head is made of metal. It is never used as a weapon because it was used in hand-to-hand combat. It was very effective against cavalry and infantry who used short weapons that could not hit their opponent. It was a very effective weapon for mid-distance combat, but very inefficient in short runs and quite useless in long-distance combat. It was used by many villages: Chinese, Germans and Scandinavians.
Later it was adopted by Italians, French, Japanese (with the famous Naginata) to become progressively a ceremonial weapon designed for the defense of the most important members of a state. Nowadays it continues to be the main weapon of the Gr. Suise, the soldiers who watch the Vatican.
Types of Spears and Halberds
There are some kinds of spears and halberds according to the time and the people. Here are some examples:
- The Viking Spear, which has the fine point.
- The Roman Pilum has the tip very thin and very long.
- The Greek Spear that has the short point.
The most used metals in the swprds making process are:
- Steel, carbon steel and stainless steel.
- The Japanese Yari who has the tip with four holes forming the letter X.
- The Corcesca spear which shows a different design with its lateral points. It was used as a halberd.
- The Guisame Spear which has two curved blades. It was used as a halberd.
- The Swiss Halberd, the Spear, the Portuguese Halberd and the Spanish Halberd.
All Halberds are very similar with a design that changes slightly between them.
If you are looking for a different and decorative weapon, do not hesitate to choose a spear or a halberd. These are historical weapons that have shown an essential effectiveness in the result of battles, nowadays we can see them in the most famous armies of Europe, such as The Swiss Guard. If you need more info, do not hesitate to contact us.
