Guisarme
Like most polearms, the guisarme was developed by peasants by combining hand tools with long poles: in this case by putting a pruning hook onto a spear shaft. While hooks are fine for dismounting horsemen from mounts, they lack the stopping power of a spear especially when dealing with static opponents. While early designs were simply a hook on the end of a long pole, later designs implemented a small reverse spike on the back of the blade. Eventually weapon makers incorporated the usefulness of the hook in a variety of different polearms and guisarme became a catch-all for any weapon that included a hook on the blade.
An alternative definition is given by Ewart Oakeshott in his book European Weapons and Armour. He sees the guisarme as a "crescent shaped double socketed axe" on a long shaft.[1]
Variations
| Item | Source is | Rare item | Is incomplete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coralite guisarme with a tamboti handle | Halberdashery | ||
| Guisarme (crafted) | false | ||
| Spike-tipped steel guisarme | Krrikt'k's Forge | ||
| Steel guisarme with a copperwood handle | Halberdashery | ||
| Steel guisarme with a walnut handle | Halberdashery | ||
| Weapon:Guisarme | |||
| Weapon:Guisarme (crafted) | false |