Weird Weapons - 'Bike' chain flail

Weird Weapons with Matt Easton returns with a 1530's German chain flail that appears to have a modern bike chain connecting it together......But it isn't a modern fake, it is a real 16thC weapon.

Why use a 'bike' chain rather than a conventional chain? Let's find out whilst Tod and Matt talk about it, Matt uses it and his students spar with it.

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[scholagladiatoria]

Such fun - having this flail sitting here at the moment (for future videos) makes me giggle every time I see it. Thanks for putting this one together Tod!

[SamBrownBaudot]

Matt: I was expecting this to have a thick shaft inside!
Tod: <silent>
Matt: I can see... it's got a knob at the end.
Tod: <silent>

Tod, when your costar sets you up with lines like that, you don't leave them hanging.

[ModernKnight]

Great to see this sort of experiment. Fascinating discussion and demonstration, and as usual, great weapons made by Todd!

[DavidCollinsRivera]

"It would be fun to go at someone's kneecap with that!" Matt Easton channels his inner loanshark.

[Khadgadhara]

Pairing it with a buckler or shield would be interesting to see

[scarletcroc]

This seems to fix one of the biggest issues with these chain weapons, which is the chain itself. Once it hits a target, god knows where it will bounce to but a chain like this it only has one way to bounce back. All while still keeping its core attributes the same

[Hin_Håle]

Matt's fit of giggles when he's bashing that tree stump is just pure joy!

[beezo]

The way it accelerated around the tree for a rear strike is mad. Well done Todd.

[bobdrenan]

Fighting with just a flail seems kind of silly, a shield or at least a buckler seems almost mandatory to make up the lack of defence compared with something rigid like a sword or a longer pole.

[daroth]

You guys have really struck gold with this series, thease are just so entertaining, For all parties involved i might add.

[tbladesmith]

I’ve suddenly realized I have everything I need for one of these in my shed

[upcyclemichael]

I love how in one small session with the flail an understanding of the weapon was evolving. Holding the head and using the whole weapon to guard, whilst still being primed to strike was great to see. Fantastic video, thanks for sharing.

[leoscheibelhut]

I think pairing the flail with a shield would make a really strong combo.

[IsaacKuo]

Wow, the gleeful laugh at bashing a tree and not feeling it "hit back" with handle shock!

This thing is so nuts ... I would never have thought it was a good idea, but what do I know?

[lrdstrahd]

Wow, can hardly believe they has compound chains and other ideas like that back then. Goes to show the imagination and engineering skills of peoples of the past. Very interesting concept.

[johnhammond]

I so enjoy these weird weapon video's and having actual combatants use them the weapons and comment adds so much to the video.

[pendantblade]

There must be something wrong with the video, Todd is talking to someone but no one is there?? Some sort of invisible man?? The voice sounds like Matt Easton.

[skoatros]

5:45 "it's almost accelerating it", well, it IS accelerating it my friend. when something is rotating with a center of mass that moves inwards the speed of rotation increase, and decrease when center of mass goes out. ice skate dansers have used this for a long time, they spin with their arms out and pull the arms in and they spin faster.

you can easily test this by gently using a rope as a whip on your arm, let the end of the rope strike your arm and it's not so bad, strike at the same speed but at the middle and let the rope wrap around your arm and the end of it will strike harder.

this might be where ppl get the idea that chained/roped weapons have more striking power, they do but only when striking at the middle and letting it wrap around something.

[Adam_okaay]

that is one of the coolest most interesting "weird weapons" I've ever seen. I mean all of them have been cool but this one is just extra neat.

[pendantblade]

Now we need another exercise with the flail user with a shield!