Melee Weapons Of The Past
Today, weapons that fire hot lead across thousands of yards, destroy cities in a single blast of insane fury, or disable a man without harming him at all are the bread of butter of conflicts the world over. But even though they no longer have a place on the battlefield, there is something noble about the melee weapons that once ruled the battlefield.
It is the weapon of duelists, the sword, that has maintained the greatest popularity in the public eye. Every fantasy hero, every cartoon warrior, has a sword. Using a sword against gun-wielding opponents is particularly popular.
Be it gracefully curved katana from Japan, or brutally efficient zweihander’s from Germany, their is no denying that the sword is the single most dominant melee weapon in popular culture. Even in movies filled with firearms, it is never a surprise to see a suitably epic sword duel between the hero and the villain.
The sword isn’t the only melee weapon to talk about though. The spear in particular needs special mention; a weapon regarded by many to be superior to the sword in every way except for being easy to carry. There is an old saying: To defeat a spear user takes three times the skill it would take to defeat a similarly talented sword wielder.
It is for this reason that polearms, from lances to pikes to glaives, have almost always served as the primary weapon of armies everywhere. Add in the relative ease of producing a spear, and it is no wonder they were so popular with the armies of days past.
The last of the popular melee weapon types is bludgeoning and bashing weapons. Maces, morningstars, flails, even some bladed weapons such as axes fall into this territory. While these weapons have their own flaws, their simple efficiency means they cannot be ignored.
In particular, a bludgeoning weapon can have devastating effect when employed against armored foes. It is for this reason that at several points in history, western knights preferred maces and flails over swords as their sidearms.
Though not really a weapon, I feel this article would be incomplete without a mention of shields. Despite being even less popular in popular culture than other melee fighting weapons, the fact remains that the man with a shield is often the last man standing.
A skilled fighter can defeat almost any attack with a good shield in his hands, and the best can use them as a brutally effective bludgeon. Dual-wielding may be popular in movies and games, but I’ll take a shield for my off hand any day in real life.
I hope you’ve learned a little about melee weapons. While they are hardly practical in a world where gunpowder and more rule an ever more technological battlefield, we can’t forget the weapons that defined the world for centuries.
If you are still curious about ancient arms, you should to check out my article about Roman Swords and other arms of the Roman Legions.
Tags: gun, rome, maces, armies, flail, Martial Arts, weapons, history, ski, war, spears, Martial Arts, Other, swords, spear, game, collectables, mace, games, NFLCan I Pack a Bowie Knife in My Suitcase When Flying?
Air travel has certainly become more troublesome since 9/11. However, most travelers would agree that the new restrictions are not without cause. That said, understanding these new restrictions can be a bit problematic. For instance, are you allowed to carry a bowie knife aboard a plane? You might be surprised by the answer to that question – yes, you can. However, you’ll have to follow some special rules setup by the TSA to maintain safety aboard planes.
First, you will need to make sure that your bowie knife is not packed in your carryon luggage. While you can take bowie knives aboard planes, your carryon bag is most certainly not the right place for them. Where can you put them? The only place that the TSA allows bowie knives is in your checked baggage – your suitcase, for example. This type of baggage is checked at the ticket counter, and then sent down a conveyor belt to be loaded in the belly of the plane. While this will certainly keep you apart from your knife for the duration of the flight, it does allow you to travel with your weapon.
However, the news is not all bad. The TSA does allow you to carry a bowie knife with you if it is packed in your suitcase, so long as that suitcase is checked at the ticket counter and is not a carryon item. Of course, there are a couple of further caveats to this, as well. Your knife must be securely packed, sheathed and safe. It cannot be left loose inside your suitcase, nor can you pack it without its sheath. Interestingly, the same rules apply to swords, razors and other knives. If this seems a bit inconvenient, remember, you shouldn’t have any need for your knife during the flight, so packing it away before hand should be no issue.
Next, you will also need to wrap the bowie knife in something – bubble wrap works well. Actually, if you can manage it, you should box your knife, wrapping and all. This will provide the utmost protection for baggage handlers and inspectors who might come into contact with your luggage and the knife itself. As long as you follow these precautions, you can carry anything in your suitcase from a bowie knife to scissors, swords and even firearms (broken down into component pieces, of course).
You should also understand that your bag will likely be inspected during the loading process. No matter how well packaged it might be, it will show up in the x-ray machine. Therefore, having bowie knives wrapped securely will prevent injury to the inspectors, as well as potential injury to baggage handlers. You will find that traveling with bowie knives or even with swords and other bladed weapons is not a problem so long as you follow the proper procedures.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie hunting knives store featuring the Cold Steel training knife. Additionally, Dylan is also the President of an online humidors store.
Tags: King, hunting knives, recreation, outdoors, swords, Case, weapons, Survival, Other, Fishing, Hunting, bowie hunting knives, Camping, bowie knives, bowie knife, steel, rubber, Hunting, travel, owner