Austrian halberd

Victrix · 4th June 2020, 04:36 PM

Has anyone seen this type of Austrian halberd before? It was described as from end of 15thC and is rather sturdy. Overall length is 275cm of which the sharp spike alone is 67cm long. The concave blade has been sharpened (could easily cut my finger on it) so this thing is clearly meant for business. The hook is stamped with the mark of smith Pankraz Taller from Bad Hall in Upper Austria. The langets are held together with a zwinge (collar) and decorated with brass rosette studs. Despite the functionality the halberd is clearly not munitions grade as the outline is quite elaborate and the piercing looks like a burgundy cross? The wooden pole is replacement. Any comments? Will clean it.

Victrix · 6th June 2020, 04:19 PM

According to research I did for another item halberds were produced in Upper Austria (Bad Hall, Waldneukirchen, and Steyr), Carinthia (Himmelberg), and Lower Austria in Wiener Neustadt. Pankraz Taller in Bad Hall and Peter Schreckeisen in Waldneukirchen in particular became some of the biggest halberdproducers in Europe at the time and supplied the armoury in Graz with thousands of halberds and other pole arms in the second half of 16thC until the first quarter of 17thC. No halberds were produced in Styria itself. Graz is the capital of the Styria region in Austria and was a line of defence against Ottomans from 16thC. The Austrian capital Vienna itself was besieged twice by the Ottomans in 1529 and 1683.

The Celts produced iron from the Erzberg mine in Styria which was known in Roman times. Industry formed in the area to the North of the mine with an interconnected transport system named the ”iron road.” Steyr became an arms manufacturing centre supplying the Imperial Habsburg army until end of WWI. It’s still around today as Steyr Mannlicher.

Peter Scheckeisen was a main competitor of Pankraz Taller and the mastermark looked like this:

Victrix · 6th June 2020, 04:32 PM

This general info about halberds appear in George Snook’s excellent ”The Halberd and other European Polearms” (1998). The shape generally puts my halberd more in the 16thC which fits with Pankraz Tallers known operating period (1575-1625?) as well.

Victrix · 7th June 2020, 06:04 PM

I found these two halberds similarly adorned with the cross of St Andrew.

They are described as:

German halberd ca 1580, and

Styrian halberd ca 1580

Victrix · 19th June 2020, 11:46 AM

After some gentle cleaning. I like to uncover some glint of steel again.

corrado26 · 19th June 2020, 01:45 PM

In the yearbook of the "Bernisches Histortisches Mueseum 1932, you can fin the mark in question under number 1503, unfortunately without a foto of the pole arm

4th June 2020, 04:36 PM	#1
Victrix Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Sweden Posts: 711	Austrian halberd Has anyone seen this type of Austrian halberd before? It was described as from end of 15thC and is rather sturdy. Overall length is 275cm of which the sharp spike alone is 67cm long. The concave blade has been sharpened (could easily cut my finger on it) so this thing is clearly meant for business. The hook is stamped with the mark of smith Pankraz Taller from Bad Hall in Upper Austria. The langets are held together with a zwinge (collar) and decorated with brass rosette studs. Despite the functionality the halberd is clearly not munitions grade as the outline is quite elaborate and the piercing looks like a burgundy cross? The wooden pole is replacement. Any comments? Will clean it. Attached Images Last edited by Victrix; 5th June 2020 at 03:23 PM.

6th June 2020, 04:19 PM	#2
Victrix Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Sweden Posts: 711	According to research I did for another item halberds were produced in Upper Austria (Bad Hall, Waldneukirchen, and Steyr), Carinthia (Himmelberg), and Lower Austria in Wiener Neustadt. Pankraz Taller in Bad Hall and Peter Schreckeisen in Waldneukirchen in particular became some of the biggest halberdproducers in Europe at the time and supplied the armoury in Graz with thousands of halberds and other pole arms in the second half of 16thC until the first quarter of 17thC. No halberds were produced in Styria itself. Graz is the capital of the Styria region in Austria and was a line of defence against Ottomans from 16thC. The Austrian capital Vienna itself was besieged twice by the Ottomans in 1529 and 1683. The Celts produced iron from the Erzberg mine in Styria which was known in Roman times. Industry formed in the area to the North of the mine with an interconnected transport system named the ”iron road.” Steyr became an arms manufacturing centre supplying the Imperial Habsburg army until end of WWI. It’s still around today as Steyr Mannlicher. Peter Scheckeisen was a main competitor of Pankraz Taller and the mastermark looked like this: Attached Images Last edited by Victrix; 6th June 2020 at 05:23 PM.

6th June 2020, 04:32 PM	#3
Victrix Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Sweden Posts: 711	This general info about halberds appear in George Snook’s excellent ”The Halberd and other European Polearms” (1998). The shape generally puts my halberd more in the 16thC which fits with Pankraz Tallers known operating period (1575-1625?) as well. Attached Images

7th June 2020, 06:04 PM	#4
Victrix Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Sweden Posts: 711	I found these two halberds similarly adorned with the cross of St Andrew. They are described as: German halberd ca 1580, and Styrian halberd ca 1580 Attached Images

19th June 2020, 11:46 AM	#5
Victrix Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Sweden Posts: 711	After some gentle cleaning. I like to uncover some glint of steel again. Attached Images Last edited by Victrix; 19th June 2020 at 12:42 PM.

19th June 2020, 01:45 PM	#6
corrado26 Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Black Forest, Germany Posts: 1,204	In the yearbook of the "Bernisches Histortisches Mueseum 1932, you can fin the mark in question under number 1503, unfortunately without a foto of the pole arm Attached Images