iron hand grenade

M ELEY · 24th September 2010, 03:04 AM

Wow, Michael, I don't know how I missed your earlier thread, but thank you so much for reposting it! Incredible! Too bad we don't have finds like that here in the States. Eftihis, again, you are a lucky chap to own one of these. Very nice!

Gav, the effectiveness of these old grenadoes could be unpredictible. Somewhere in my reading, I heard of a modern equivilent being set off in an earthen trench. In that test, one side of the wall was raked with shrapnel, while the other somehow missed most of the blast. No two results were the same. In that incredibly accurate show 'Deadliest Warrior' (

), in Knight vs Pirate, they demonstrate a blast with one with good effect. Finally, I would direct your attention to the battle between John Paul Jones and the Brits off Flamborough Head during the Amer Revolution. It is said the entire turn of battle was from some enterprising chap up in the top-sails with a budge-basket of these little nasties, dropping them down strategically on groups of the enemy.

M ELEY · 24th September 2010, 05:07 AM

www.alderneywreck.com/?page_id=190

I've seen ceramic "Persian" vessels with rounded bottoms as well. I'm assuming these fire pots came in many different shapes depending on nation??

eftihis · 24th September 2010, 02:54 PM

Speaking of hand grenades, there is another great item in the the "history and folk art museum" of Rethymnon!
A hand greenade (larger than the iron one, but propably same weight) made from paper. They were kind enough to take it out for me, so you can se the size on my hand. When you shake it, you hear sound like something is inside (not completely full ( i guess powder with some iron nails..)

fernando · 24th September 2010, 04:20 PM

Hi Eftihis,
An extremely curious item, for sure.
But you shouldn't have shaken it; we never know how 'nervous' these things are, even after some centuries

.

M ELEY · 26th September 2010, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fernando

Hi Eftihis,
An extremely curious item, for sure.
But you shouldn't have shaken it; we never know how 'nervous' these things are, even after some centuries

.

Quite right, if it had blown, you might have gotten a nasty paper-cut!

Never knew they were made from paper as well! Even some of the modern equivelants were made from odd materials. Some of the WWII Japanese examples are ceramic, as are some of their land mines.

Rick · 26th September 2010, 04:21 PM

Was the age of the paper grenade stated ?

And yeah, about the shaking .....

eftihis · 27th September 2010, 09:57 AM

Hi, in Greece we are used in shaking, we drink our coffe this way! ("frappe"!)..
Anyway,luckily i am still here writting and i promise not to shake anymore, and if i ever shake again, at least i will have a photographer near by to send you the results guys....

About the age nobody knows, but i would guess is propably early to mid-19th century, when Crete was constantly on uprising against the Turkish domination.
So this should be actually a revolutionaries home-made grenade.

In contrary, (and regarding Michael's question) the iron grenade could no be identified as Greek, since it needed a more organised manufacturing facility, which Greeks didnt had. Also, if we asume that it dates from Venetian times, all iron workers were on strict regulations from the Venetian authorities and they even had to be working inside the cities in order to be better controlled.

24th September 2010, 05:07 AM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,196	One of the oldest of incendiaries... www.alderneywreck.com/?page_id=190 I've seen ceramic "Persian" vessels with rounded bottoms as well. I'm assuming these fire pots came in many different shapes depending on nation??

24th September 2010, 02:54 PM	#3
eftihis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chania Crete Greece Posts: 512	Paper hand grenade Speaking of hand grenades, there is another great item in the the "history and folk art museum" of Rethymnon! A hand greenade (larger than the iron one, but propably same weight) made from paper. They were kind enough to take it out for me, so you can se the size on my hand. When you shake it, you hear sound like something is inside (not completely full ( i guess powder with some iron nails..) Attached Images

24th September 2010, 03:04 AM	#1
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,196	Wow, Michael, I don't know how I missed your earlier thread, but thank you so much for reposting it! Incredible! Too bad we don't have finds like that here in the States. Eftihis, again, you are a lucky chap to own one of these. Very nice! Gav, the effectiveness of these old grenadoes could be unpredictible. Somewhere in my reading, I heard of a modern equivilent being set off in an earthen trench. In that test, one side of the wall was raked with shrapnel, while the other somehow missed most of the blast. No two results were the same. In that incredibly accurate show 'Deadliest Warrior' ( ), in Knight vs Pirate, they demonstrate a blast with one with good effect. Finally, I would direct your attention to the battle between John Paul Jones and the Brits off Flamborough Head during the Amer Revolution. It is said the entire turn of battle was from some enterprising chap up in the top-sails with a budge-basket of these little nasties, dropping them down strategically on groups of the enemy.

24th September 2010, 04:20 PM	#4
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Hi Eftihis, An extremely curious item, for sure. But you shouldn't have shaken it; we never know how 'nervous' these things are, even after some centuries .

26th September 2010, 04:21 PM	#6
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,365	Was the age of the paper grenade stated ? And yeah, about the shaking .....

27th September 2010, 09:57 AM	#7
eftihis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chania Crete Greece Posts: 512	Hi, in Greece we are used in shaking, we drink our coffe this way! ("frappe"!).. Anyway,luckily i am still here writting and i promise not to shake anymore, and if i ever shake again, at least i will have a photographer near by to send you the results guys.... About the age nobody knows, but i would guess is propably early to mid-19th century, when Crete was constantly on uprising against the Turkish domination. So this should be actually a revolutionaries home-made grenade. In contrary, (and regarding Michael's question) the iron grenade could no be identified as Greek, since it needed a more organised manufacturing facility, which Greeks didnt had. Also, if we asume that it dates from Venetian times, all iron workers were on strict regulations from the Venetian authorities and they even had to be working inside the cities in order to be better controlled.