Today we bring you a little lighthearted murder to get your competitive juices flowing for our Pumpkin Destruction Contest 2022! We announced the contest last week and are looking forward to receiving some awesome submissions (here's the legal claptrap).
Today we use javelins and a Celtic Spear, as well as a mystery science fiction weapon to destroy a pumpkin at the end of a long day of making swords. Both the javelins and Celtic Spears are designed for throwing, though the Celtic Spear is large enough to be used in the hand or with a shield.
Both of these weapons feature hand selected hardwood ash poles and the steel heads are pinned to the hand tapered shafts. Additionally, the Celtic spear features a differentially hardened point and edges.
We hope this little video helps to get you in the Halloween spirit!
Nathan Clough, Ph.D. is Vice President of Arms and Armor and a member of the governing board of The Oakeshott Institute. He is a historical martial artist and a former university professor of cultural geography. He has given presentations on historical arms at events including Longpoint and Combatcon, and presented scholarly papers at, among others, The International Congress on Medieval Studies.
Craig Johnson is the Production Manager of Arms and Armor and Secretary of The Oakeshott Institute. He has taught and published on the history of arms, armor and western martial arts for over 30 years. He has lectured at several schools and Universities, WMAW, HEMAC, 4W, and ICMS at Kalamazoo. His experiences include iron smelting, jousting, theatrical combat instruction and choreography, historical research, European martial arts and crafting weapons and armor since 1985