Build a Mace? Why not!

The fun thing about free time is you have the time to consider odd things to do. I’ve been doing a bit of metal fabrication at work. Welding, cutting and mangling of steel can be very therapeutic. If you screw up, you chop some off and start over in the worst case. Mostly you just chop off the offending bits and try again.

I’m not about to attempt to cast metal into a mold. Yet I was thinking a medieval weapon…fun way to extend my skills. A mace seemed a reasonable weapon — simple yet complicated. Much easier with modern tools. I’m not aiming for historical accuracy just a project for fun.

You can buy a “mace” online. Ranging from complete crap to obviously modern. I could buy one but I want it to mean something just in case gnomes invade my basement. I want a wooden shaft and an iron head.

After a slight amount of research, I found inspiration. Historical photos, measurements and descriptions. Not some hack like me selling something to tourists. The images are inspiring.

I settled on the English Flanged Mace circa 1300.

Visit Shawn’s amazing site for more information.

The beauty of the weapon is in its simplicity. The head elements can easily be imitated as can the haft. I’m not convinced I’m up to the challenge but a hand built reproduction is going to be much more interesting than a cheap replica.

Hello plasma cutter! Let’s carve some metal. Wish me luck!

Tags: Medieval Recreations, Ramblings of Mark