By Ben Morris
Circa. 1775-1780
This American Pike was modeled after the standard French pike used in the Medieval ages (900-1400 ad). The head is made of a single piece of iron measuring 31 cm long, 6.2cm at its widest and 1.6 mm in depth. The entire pike is made up of a 14" pole and the head.
Though unusable by cavalry it was widely used by infantry and sailors allowing them to attack from a distance while remaining safe and was extremely effective against cavalry when protecting cannons and officers.
It was most likely created in the western states due to the iron deposits and sea access. This and similar models was unreliable compared to others and were prone to snap when hitting armor or other metals. But when forged of steel it was devastating.
The head is attached to the pole by three rivets on the stem of the head. The small cross pieces were then rapped around the pole to help secure it. Similar weapons were more commonly used for ceremonial purposes then fighting. Though if the head snapped the pole could still be used and the head cold be easily reattached.
Similar weapons include: Halberd, Spontoon, Spear, and Pole arm.