Ahlspeiss

By Crusader1307

Developed in the 15th/16th Centuries, and seen primarily in Germany and Austria - the Ahlspeiss was a stabbing/piercing weapon. Basically a long steel (or iron) slender spike (40 inches) in length. The shaft would be mounted onto a wooden shaft. A metal rounded hand guard would be installed to separate and protect the hands. This was considered a two-handed weapon. Often the shaft would be upwards of 5 feet long. Some shank styles were even known to be three-sided or hexagonal shaped. The Ahlspeiss was also known as a "breaching pike" - by removing the rounded hand guard. Many examples have survived into the Modern Age.