Battle Axes
Battle axes are those axes that have been especially designed so as to serve the purpose of a weapon. A battle axe may be regarded as a specialized version of the utility axes. These battle axes may be used single-handedly, or may require one to use both hands. Battle axes that can be used with just one hand are much shorter in length. Battle axes, which are specifically meant for the purpose of fighting wars, generally do not weigh more than about 1lb to over 6lbs. The length of these axes may also vary greatly, ranging from over just about one foot, to about five feet. Examples of such axes are the Sparth axes and the Danish axes. Axes that are more than five feet in length are considered to be belonging to the family of the pole arms.
A battle axe would usually weigh much less than the modern splitting axe, especially a maul. This not only made handling the battle axes easies, it also ensured a quicker combat. Since these axes were meant to cut into flesh, instead of chopping wood, they had slicing blades that were much narrow. This allowed the user to cause the enemy to have much more severe wounds, especially when the blades were made of better metals, and were well designed and sharp. Often the axes were reinforced with the help of metal bands, (popularly known as langetts). This ensured that the enemy was not able to easily damage the axe by cutting the wooden handle. In fact, there were many battle axes designed for the army that had handles that were completely made of metals.
During the medieval times, battle axes were quite specifically designed for the men using them. Since battle axes had very important uses in the army, they were specifically designed to meet the needs of army men. For instance, axes that were designed for the cavalry were much longer than the axes that had been designed for the infantrymen. Similarly, horsemen too used to have specifically designed battle hatchets for their use.
Battle axes had been used for centuries by a number of armies and countless army men. Though battle axes are not used anymore, and like all other weapons, its use is strictly prohibited to the people, it still continues to amuse many. Especially the ancient battle axes that are now regarded as pieces of treasure continue to fascinate both the young as well as the old.
