16Th Century Weapons Essay

16TH Century Weapons
During the 16th century much of England and Europe found itself in war. These conflicts lead to the development of new and improved weaponry. The rapid development of weapons in this time was a trademark in time. This time period , also know as the Renaissance or re-birth on the battle field.
The Mace was one of the most deadliest weapons of this time. This was a simple weapon that used a heavy head on the end of a handle to deliver powerful blows. The mace was influenced heavily , or based on the “club” or blunt object. The mace differs from the hammer, instead on the power being directed to a single point, the mace is designed to deliver equal amount of power from any side of the head. This weapon can be constructed from different materials such as; many different types of wood, metal- reinforced, or metal shaft, with a head made of stone, copper, bronze, iron or steel. The head on the mace is normally about the same size or slightly thicker than the diameter of the shaft. The head was shaped with flanges, or knobs to allow greater penetration of the armor. The length of the mace differed from the rank that you were. Foot soldiers used maces that were 2 or 3 feet long. Maces used by cavalry men were much longer and better designed for blows from horseback. The Flanged mace was formidable hand-to-hand combat weapon in medieval times, capable of smashing even the heaviest armor.
Developed around the 1500’s, the word rapier refers to the relatively long-bladed sword characterized by a complex hilt, which was constructed to provide protection to the had while wielding it. While the blade might be broad enough to some extent to cut in some degree, not nearly capable as the heavier sword, but the rapier was known for its ability for thrusting .The blade might be sharpened along its entire length, sharpened only from the centre to the tip, or completely without a cutting edge, which was called, “Estoc”
Throughout the 16th century, a variety...