wackiest historical weapons?

[alsih2o]

I have been wondering something for about 20 years and this seems like as good a place as any to ask it: what is a Bohemian Ear-Spoon? I realize this is a non-silly weapon with a silly name, as opposed to a silly weapon but what the hell.

a polearm, i have seen several references but never a picture....

 

[Crothian]

I have been wondering something for about 20 years and this seems like as good a place as any to ask it: what is a Bohemian Ear-Spoon? I realize this is a non-silly weapon with a silly name, as opposed to a silly weapon but what the hell.

http://www.militaryrelics.com/photos/story.cfm?id=306

That's the best reference I could fine.

 

[d4]

re: Bohemian Earspoon

http://www.militaryrelics.com/photos/story.cfm?id=306

That's the best reference I could fine.

well that's... disappointing. it looks so normal.

weirdest looking real historical weapon i know of is the African throwing knife, detailed in Monkeygod's From Stone to Steel:

The most striking weapon of Sub-Saharan Africa was the throwing knife. Fearsome and fanciful in design, these often had two or more abruptly jutting curved blades that were useless for regular striking... The African throwing knife has a variety of shapes, depending on the region of its origin. Some are Y, U, or K shaped, and often with hooked or crescent blades. This design actually makes it more likely that a blade will strike your opponent when you throw it.

the description doesn't really do these weird things justice... i'll see if i can track down a picture.

[edit]
i managed to google up a few pics...

this site has a couple of pics of them.

is that Buffy with an African throwing knife?

 

[haiiro]

the description doesn't really do these weird things justice... i'll see if i can track down a picture.

Those throwing knives are also called hunga munga. Here's a good example: http://www.atlantacutlery.com/ethnic.html.

Eyewitness Books puts out a book called Arms & Armor that -- apart from being generally excellent -- has several odd weapons in it. My favorite of them is probably the fork and knife pistol set. Each utensil has a tiny flintlock pistol set into the handle, although I'm not sure how anyone could have thought that this would be inconspicuous enough for assasinations.

For wierd weapons in general, I'm a big fan of the duck's foot pistol, an example of which can be seen here: http://www.p4a.com/itemsummary/136743.htm. I've seen them statted out for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, and they're quite entertaining.

In a more modern vein, it's hard to beat the KGB's poison gas cane -- when pressed up against the target, it fires a small ricin capsule down a hollow needle and into their body. Death would have been instantaneous and (initially) difficult to explain. You just can't make up stuff like that.

 

[d4]

For wierd weapons in general, I'm a big fan of the duck's foot pistol, an example of which can be seen here: http://www.p4a.com/itemsummary/136743.htm. I've seen them statted out for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, and they're quite entertaining.

now that is a cool pistol.

 

[Alejandro]

Can anyone find a historical basis for a sword-axe? Looks like a sword, hilt and all, except also with an axehead (top heavy) at the point.

 

[Tetsubo]

Can anyone find a historical basis for a sword-axe? Looks like a sword, hilt and all, except also with an axehead (top heavy) at the point.

I believe that might be Indian, which is a great source for odd weapons in general. As is China.

 

[d4]

As is China.

i like that one Chinese sword with all the little rings in it. i think it's even in OA.

 

[Tetsubo]

i like that one Chinese sword with all the little rings in it. i think it's even in OA.

I've sketched a version of that myself.

 

[TheAntiSummit]

I always heard about the KGB assasination tool as an umbrella, not a cane, because it was much easier to poke someone inconspicuously with an umbrella than a cane.