In the 13th and 14th centuries great strides were being made in the fabrication of body armor. Wealthy, progressively minded knights were abandoning chain mail in favor of the more effective plate armor. Impervious to sword cuts and all but the most carefully aimed arrows, plate armor was, as we say these days, "the bomb"!
But progress sometimes happens quickly and new advances in warfare technology invariably inspire new counter measures and weaponry. In this case the invention of the Pole Axe, with an axe blade at one end and a hammerhead at the other, became the perfect weapon of offense against plate armor. The hammer/axe head, mounted on a 6-foot shaft, could crush the heaviest plate armor and split the thickest helmets as if they were made of cheese!
Cold Steel's modern rendition of the Pole Axe is drop forged out of 1050 high carbon steel. The axe blade and hammerhead are differentially heat treated leaving the "business" ends of the weapon hard, and the body a little softer to absorb shock and resist breaking under impact. The shaft is made of ash and is "flattened" on the sides to resist twisting in the hand. To enhance the weapon's structural sturdiness and to resist breakage, it has been equipped with a pair of steel langettes. There is little on this planet that can withstand the might of the Pole Axe or the man that wields it.
