Our group is looking at starting some pike combat training. Are there any suggestions on what we need to get started? Tips? Texts? Etc? So far, I've only been able to find some short passages in di Grassi on the topic.
I would think this would be tough, as pikes weren't so much an individual weapon but rather a weapon used in a mass formation. Your tactics and skills were meant to complement the guy next to you in line...so they might not make as much sense when you were one on one.
My understanding is that once combat got too close for pike use (pikes were usually pretty darned long, 12-18 feet or so) the pikemen had a backup weapon - some sort of short sword or something. The Landsknechts, for example, used their katzbaelgers at this point, and other units had similar weapons.
Are you planning small unit tactics using pikes or what?
Alfieri, F.F, La Picca, e la Bandiera, Padovo 1641 Gaya, Louise de, Traite des Armes, 1678 Gheyn, Jaques de, Maniement d´Arme...., Amsterdam 1608 Meyer, Joachim, Grundliche beschreibu......, Strasburg 1570 Paschen, J.G, Beckstein 1661 Pistofilo, Bonaventura, Oplomachina, Siena 1621 Pistofilo, Bonaventura, Il Torneo, Bologna, 1627
I've yet to see a 16th Cenury drill book for pike but I do 17th Century pike. The group I'm with brought tapered and shaped pike 2 years at 16 foot length. Properly made pike, in Ash, can be balanced on the palm of one hand. You can thrust, charge to rear, shoulder, recover from charge to port, to shoulder with no real effort at all! If you try www.jmkemp.demon.co.uk/johnfox/pictures/pike/index.html that will show 17th Century drill
"The group I'm with brought tapered and shaped pike 2 years at 16 foot length. Properly made pike, in Ash, can be balanced on the palm of one hand. You can thrust, charge to rear, shoulder, recover from charge to port, to shoulder with no real effort at all! "
Cool! Could you be so kind as to tell me what the diameter of those shafts were at butt and tip? I'd really appreciate it! I've made a number of staffs/spear shafts with a tapper, but can never get a good balance. They always seem way to tip heavy to me. I'm probably not making them tappered enoufgh.
If they come out anything like those gauntlets you made they will be very nice indeed! I'm continually amazed at just how downright "handy" some of you guys are.
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Thin!!!! Off the top of my head about 2cms. We use smaller almost Bodkin shaped pike head with long langets about 2- 3 foot long. The butt is about 2.5cms, closed with a ring. The taper seems to be about under 4cms at eye level on most people and tapers off very quick. I'd say that the thickest area is within the lower 6 feet. Half pikes are, odly enough, about 12 feet long with the same taper shape, just a shorter head length to them!
Thanks, David. I was making mine alot thicker than that. It makes sense that the lower 6ft would be the thickest, that way more mass would be near the hand to make it less "tip heavy". Also, you say "closed with a ring." How thick or about how much weight is that ring IYO? Thanks again!
Shane: You're too kind <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" /> Just wait till you see my new turn shoes!
Just a small ring, about 2cms width, thick enough to close the end of the pike off. It's more to protect the butt end of the pike from splitting and breaking
Thanks, that's what I needed to know. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> I wasn't sure if it was to be used as a counter weight or not.
Hey, great pictures on your site! Nice to see matchlock's being put to good use and to see how the pikemen/musketeer's would work together.
Carlo said "How about throwing in the big two handed sword, the weapon designed to face the pike, into your pike training?"
Now THAT would be interesting to be sure! Is anyone currently working in this area of study? I've been thinking of picking up a two hander and doing some research into this underappreciated (I think) weapon form but I've been very busy with armoured research for the last year or so and haven't found the time. <img src="/forum/images/icons/frown.gif" alt="" />
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