Weird weapons - FOLDING FLICK SPEAR?!

I found the amazing and weird weapon in a book and there is only one to discuss this with. Matt Easton of Schola Gladiatoria. It is a folding staff weapon from 1550 - yes it really folds up, but what the heck is the point?

So I made a reasonable reproduction, with some aspects missing (watch to find out) and took it along to chat it through with Matt and maybe, just maybe we came up with why someone thought it was a good idea.

[dougd]

It’s obviously a briefcase weapon for those occasions when a business meeting that goes wrong.

[domenigo]

Tod unfolds the spear,
Matt:"Now it makes sense",
Tod:"No, it doesn't"

[HeadCannonPrime]

I love that Todd spends time researching and building a super elaborate weapon, and then is just like "The whole thing is UTTERLY POINTLESS".

[agurdel]

If I had to make a guess I would say that these might be used by some kind of royal guard traveling with an official. Imagine a carriage arriving at a palace, two guards jump out and deploy these to stand guard. Everyone around would know that the next person coming out will be someone very important.

[__Filippo_]

Regarding his function there's an entry in the 1543 inventory of Francesco Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua for "un spedo da forbeso che se desnoda " (meaning literally a "scissors"  spetum that can be dismounted) probably refers to this kind of weapon.
Another reference is an illustration in the "Inventario Illuminado 1544 " of the Emperor Charles V's armoury suggesting that it may have been used as weapon by an aristocratic bodyguard . The fact though that they are listed as a single  item  in both sources and not as multiple ones would also suggest as stated in  the book "nine centuries of hunting weapons " by L. G. Boccia that  they may be also high status  hunting weapons.

[kencoffman]

I think this weapon demonstrates that, even in early times, there were mall ninjas 🥷 😅😅

[edandrew]

I find myself thinking of folding rifles, SMGs etc for paratroopers. Clearly they were preparing for Leonardo's proto helicopters to become effective.

[silverjohn]

I'd agree that it was most likely just a gadget that wasn't intended for practical use but in the late 1800's into the early 1900's a lot of American rifles, like the Winchester 92, came in a take down version. They were intended to used by people in the city (often quite well to do people like doctors and lawyers) who traveled by train out the countryside to hunt and wanted a gun they could pack into a regular suitcase so they wouldn't attract the attention that carrying a full sized gun case would. The spear, with it's wings, looks a bit a boar spear so maybe it was intended for a merchant or other professional who might not necessarily have his own carriage but could afford something fancy like this.

[kevinmorrice]

i absolutely love the weird weapons, some of them are so out there that it shocks me they were real

[mikurusagawa]

I mean, Matt makes an interesting argument with the carriage use. If we assume the original had spring locked latches so you can deploy it quickly I can imagine that a potential band of brigands trying to 'carjack' you carriage will probably shit themselves when your personal bodyguard suddenly deploys a polearm out of thin air. Now, I still think it was mostly a show-off piece but maybe it had some practical quality for the particular rich noble who ordered it

[Reyvinn]

It's maybe one of the first examples of tacticool gear, not practical but looks cool and is flashy

[Jimmynuts]

Now you have given a fantasy film maker ideas for a HERO OR ARCH ENEMY weapon, just place a spring on the main middle and top latch, and when they draw it out - the middle unfolds by spring, top unfolds by spring, curved blades then spring out - COOL FACTOR X100

[hobowithashotgun]

If the originals did have an easy deployment mechanism as Tod suggests, then I think Matt's idea that it could have been meant to have with you inside a carriage in case of something like a highway robbery sounds convicing.

[Skorpychan]

It seems like it'd be good for hauling into a dungeon, carrying through town, carrying on a saddlebag, etc etc. So, presumably it was for an officer's baggage, when they wanted a polearm available but didn't want to have a long stick all the time. Long poles are a pain in the butt to haul around, and don't fit in portable holes easily. And, of course, it folds to be non-pointy and good for a bag of holding or even a quiver of holding as well. Perfect for adventurers!

[thepagan]

Interesting concept, is it collapsible ease of carrying. The one at Worcester Art Museum folds in half, one half being the handle and the other half being the blade and wings. That one has a spring actuator which locks the septum halves together virtually instantly. Some weapons from that era seem to be ridiculous until you stop and think about the whole way life was lived back then. Good post, appreciated 👍

[kahn]

My first thought was that it’s a travelling bodyguard weapon, purchased by whoever needs the bodyguard. meant to fold away for easy packing and set up when you get wherever you’re going, and look imposing while you are standing outside a palace somewhere that you’re not expecting to do a LOT of active fighting.

[BonesyTucson]

It's a regulation so you can carry concealed in Medieval California

[romaliop]

Surely a foldable and portable spear makes sense in a context where most people carry daggers and/or swords as personal defense weapons. Think like a bodyguard who can reasonably be inconvenienced to the degree of carrying one of these around, but not to the degree of trying to navigate a regular spear or polearm through every narrow doorway, hallway, staircase and alley.

[chrisjones]

These videos are great, you two make a great team. You can really tell that Matt knows weapons just the way he handled it right away.

[davidmodiclan]

I believe the Higgins spetum ended up going with most of the collection to the Worcester Art Museum. That one just has the blade fold down over the shaft and the wings fold in, rather than having the shaft fold as well, so it's interesting to see that there's an even weirder version of it out there.