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Home » Weapons » Poleaxes & Polehammers » Pole Axe Head
$53.05 – $58.95
Shipping $8 - $45 in the lower 48 states, excluding PO/APO. Shipping calculated at checkout.
This Pole Axe replicates a late 15th. to early 16th. C. museum piece. It is supplied as an unmounted head only. The blade edge is unsharpened. Its socket is approximately 1-1/4” dia. Ash wood shafts (OX005) are available separately.
| Overall Length | 25 3/8'' |
| Blade Length | 6 1/8'' |
| Weight | 1 lb 13.7 oz |
| Width | 6 1/2'' |
| Dimensions | Top Spike Length: 6 5/8'' |
| Type | Poleaxe |
| Class | Battle Ready |
| Manufacturer | GDFB |
| Country of Origin | India |
Take advantage of our deposit option and pay only a deposit (+shipping) at this time. The cart will process this as a normal order and calculate your shipping costs so you know what to expect. When the item is available to ship we will contact you for the balance.
Please note: this deposit is non-refundable. Turn around time is an estimate and can vary depending on the manufacturer’s given work load.
This option is not for in stock items, it is only for special orders with long turnaround times. If you do order something marked as in stock, the stocked model will not be held for you. A new special order with the listed turnaround time will be started for you instead, to allow you the time to pay off the full price.
Swords listed as “Sport Combat” (also known as “Stage Combat”) are specifically designed for combat reenactment, stage and film fights, and other activities where they will be hit edge to edge together.
Using a sword in this capacity is very different than how a sword would have been used historically, and as a result the sword must be made differently. Sport combat swords feature extra strong tangs and thick blades with thick edges. Sport combat swords will generally weigh more than a “Battle Ready” equivalent and are not made to be sharpened.
Swords listed as “Sport Combat” will hold up to a fair amount of usage, but will wear out with time. No sword is indestructible, and “Sport Combat” swords are no exception.
Our sharpening service will provide a good serviceable edge on the blade. The result is typically “very sharp” with a small secondary bevel and a bit of an “apple seed” profile. The resulting edge is somewhat dependent on the particular blade. Some blades will take and hold sharper edges than others and the thickness of the blade will determine how wide the bevel will need to be. We adjust the angle of the edge to suit the specific blade and attempt to get as close to a bevel-less edge as possible without marring the surface of the blade.
The sharpening service is done with a belt sander. The process involves many passes with sanding belts of various grits. The blades are rested between passes to prevent them from becoming hot and damaging their temper. By default we will sharpen as much of the blade as possible including any false edges if appropriate. If you have a different preference, feel free to make that request in the special instructions at check out. We can sharpen only the last half or third of an edge, for example. Our sword sharpening expert has personally sharpened several thousand swords at this point, so will provide you with a professional service.
The resulting edge will be “sword sharp” not razor sharp. Our goal is to provide you with a usable edge for cutting practice that will hold up to some use and not require constant re-sharpening. In other words, we intend to provide you with a serviceable weapon, not a personal grooming implement. The service will not provide a completely bevel-less edge. To create that type of edge will necessarily scratch up the blade surface and we lack the machinery and time to provide a full re-polishing of a blade’s surface. A service of that nature would be significantly more expensive as a great deal more time would be required. We do not offer this type of service at this time.
We make no guarantee that the resulting edge will meet with your expectations. Every blade is different and some will take and hold a sharper edge than others, due to the blade material, heat treatment or geometry. Some customers can also have incorrect assumptions about sword sharpness and improper expectations as a result. All we can say for sure is that the resulting edge will be sharper than the default edge, in most cases, significantly so. We can not provide any refunds for the service once it has been completed, so consider it to be provided “as is”. That being said, if you are unhappy with the product for any reason, we do still allow you to return the item for a full refund, including the sharpening costs under our normal return policy. This does not apply to special sharpening requests, for example if we sharpen something specially for you that does not normally list that option on our site. The vast majority of our customers are happy with the results of the service, so as long as you keep the above mentioned in mind, we are confident you will be pleased with the results as well.
A factory blemished model will have small cosmetic defects but no issues that will affect its function. Examples include, small surface scratches, scabbard dents or cracks, minor blade pitting, etc. Larger issues like blade chips, cracks, warps or anything else that will affect performance will not be included with these. Please note that we do not keep track of every specific minor blemish, so please do not contact us asking for details, we will not have them available. We are offering these items at a further discount for customers who are not overly concerned with cosmetics and intend to put them to some use.
A munitions grade item is not up to our normal high standards. Munitions grade items will typically have various bends or twists in the blades, basically rendering them as 2nds quality. These items are still a great choice for collecting and re-enacting and functional pieces will still be functional. Please keep this in mind when ordering.
Swords marked as “Battle Ready” are made to a higher standard than your average display weapons. The blades are usually made of carbon steel, as opposed to the more brittle stainless steel and feature longer and stronger tangs.
“Battle Ready” does not necessarily mean the blade is sharpened, this depends on the manufacturer. Some sell them sharp like Cold Steel, some dull like Windlass Steel Crafts, and some do both like Hanwei. So if you need to know if it is sharp or not and it is not mentioned in the description, just ask.
In general “Battle Ready” swords are functional weapons that will live up to actual combat usage. They are closest to historic examples in the fact that when properly sharpened they can cut as designed. However, “Battle Ready” does not mean indestructible. Any sword can be broken. Use common sense with your sword, and it will last for generations. A sword being listed as “Battle Ready” does not constitute a guarantee that it will withstand any abuse you can throw at it. “Battle Ready” swords are not designed for blade to blade type combat, you will want to select “Stage Combat” swords for this activity.
On blades, the “Width” is measured in millimeters and is taken where the blade leaves the hilt. A second measurement is provided when a blade widens further down, such as in a leaf shaped blade. The second measurement is taken at the blade’s widest point.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of.
“Country Of Origin” refers to the coutry where the product was manufactured. This is not to be confused with the “Culture” spec. For example, a culturally “Japanese” Sword could be made in India, a culturally “German” sword could be made in the US or a culturally “Indian” sword could be made in China. The historic “culture” associated with a particular sword and the country a reproduction is currently being made in, are two separate things and should not be confused.
The Pommel entry refers to how the pommel, and usually by extension the whole sword, is held together. Possible values include “Peened” where the blade tang goes through the pommel and is hammered flat at the end, Threaded” where the end of the tang has threads and the pommel is screwed on, or “Nut” where the tang goes through the pommel and is secured by a separate threaded nut at the end.
On a sword, knife or dagger, The “Blade Length” spec is measured from the tip of the blade to where the blade enters the hilt, this will include a ricasso portion if present. For katanas, this measurement includes the habaki.
On a spear it is a measurement of the edged portion and does not include the socket. On an axe, it is a measurement of the axe edge itself, in a straight line from point to point.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of.
As you’d imagine, “Overall Length” is the full length of the item in question. It is the length of the main item itself, not including any accessories. For example, this measurement for a sword would be for the sword itself, from the tip of the blade to the end of the pommel. This measurement will not include any scabbards, sheaths, boxes etc.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of.
“Thickness”, not to be confused with a blade’s “Width” is measured in millimeters on the blade where it first leaves the hilt and will refer to the thickest portion. For example the back edge on a katana or the mid section on a diamond shaped blade. Sometimes you will see two entries here, in that case it is usually because the blade is “distal tapered” meaning that it gets thinner towards the tip. The second measurement is taken approx. 1” from the tip.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of.
P.O.B. stands for Point Of Balance, this is measured in inches from the hilt down the blade. It refers to the point on the blade where the sword achieves a perfect balance. A number of 0” would balance exactly at the guard, while a negative number will have a POB in the hilt itself. In theory a sword with a POB of 0” is perfectly balanced. In practice however, there are many reasons why you may not want this for a particular sword. A POB of 3”- 5” usually results in a well balanced sword, but does depend on the type of sword. In general, a low POB results in good point control well suited to a thrusting blade, while a higher POB adds impact to a cleaving blade. A very high POB will result in a sword that feels heavier than it actually is and is difficult to wield.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of.
The “Weight” spec refers to the item itself and does not include any packaging or accessories. For example, it would be the weight of a sword not including a scabbard.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of.
The “Edge” spec will tell you about how sharp a blade is. Possible values could be “Rebated” meaning the edge is intentionally thickened for safety, “Blunt” meaning the edge is fairly thick with little to no taper, ‘Unsharpened” which would taper to the edge but stop short of having any real cutting ability, “Slightly Sharp, Moderately Sharp , Sharp, or Very Sharp” Sharp or Very Sharp are considered good for cutting swords. Moderately Sharp is close, but may need to be touched up to get the best performance. A common misconception is that swords should all be “razor sharp”. However for reasons we won’t get into here, this is not the case.
Please note: Due to the hand made nature of these items, all specs should be considered as approximates. This info is provided to give you a good idea of the product being presented, the one you receive may vary from the specific one we took measurements of. The Edge ratings in particular are somewhat subjective and each blade can vary. Consider this as a general guideline only.
The “Class” spec can have four possible values:
The “Culture” spec will denote if the item is associated with a specific group of people, conflict or geographic area. For example, “Viking”, “Crusader”, “Pirate”, “Indian” “WWII”, and so on. Please note that many items will not fall into a specific culture like this and were used by many peoples or across many time periods.
As you would imagine, the “Manufacturer” spec refers to the brand or company the item is made by. Not all products will have a manufacturer listed. Some products do not fall under a specific brand.
Unsharpened edges will be thinner than a “blunt” edge, but will not offer any cutting ability. They will typically taper towards an edge, but then stop short.
Mike M. –
Straight from Talhoffers manual! If you are on the fence so to speak, hop down and get one! This is a nice piece for any collector, especially since it is made by GDFB (bought a German halberd off eBay and it sucks, but they don’t have the same standards as Kult of Athena) Looks authentic and functional once attached to a shaft. Item arrived quickly and intact (which is more than I can say about other online retailers) For the price, you really can’t go wrong with this polearm that The Grand Master Hans Talhoffer would be proud to use! Get one!
Chris –
Great for the price Picked up one of these to use as a presentation piece for HEMA armored demos. A few hours, a few nails, and a 12$ wheel barrow handle later and we have a nice looking poleaxe!
Greg –
Not “Battle Ready” at all. i built an ash, riveted, build for this thing, i gave it one good thrust into a block of wood, about 70lbs, that’s in my driveway. The point of the spike on the end of it bent like it was a beer can. The “weld” joining the pole to the ferrule connecting the langents to the axe, hammer, and spikes, broke off, it look as though the actual attachment points of the steel pieces that make this weapon up, weren’t even cleaned up. it was a rusty pocket, where the spike broke off.
I will repurpose the langets, ferrule, and pole to make a great flail, i think.
kenneth nancolas (verified owner) –
The good … the head is actually welded not brazed this time. The langets , spikes and head are welded and smooth finished,with no lines showing in the finish product . The bad… ??? the axe, hammer and head are half the thickness of steel in the pictures . The actual thickness is .103 , or between 7/64 and 3/32 of an inch ,a little light for battle ready . Langets thickness of material .150 / 5/32 ” or 1/4 ” material should have been carried out ,through the whole piece . I am not smashing my piece into a log or plate armor , battle ready,probably not ! Final thoughts , the fit finish and welding seems to have been greatly improved ,but the thickness of the material has decreased ,and that’s really too bad .
David W –
Hi Kenneth – thanks for posting – a quick note on battle ready vs sport combat. Sport Combat swords are made for really banging into things – like martial arts, hitting armor, or taking out a piece of wood. On the other hand, a Battle Ready blade means that it is sharp enough that it doesn’t classify as a wall hanger… you should be able to use it on plastic bottles, pool noodles, or rice mats. No matter what, blades are at risk when they hit anything hard, and historically, honing or sharpening a blade was often done to maintain the functionality of the item. Confusing terms, we know. But they are used across the industry and we’ve tried – with mixed success – to describe this accurately in our FAQ’s.
nancolaskenneth (verified owner) –
Second time , I’ve tried to submit a review on this item , here goes . The fit and finish on this , has been vastly improved. The piece is now welded not brazed and the bead is cleaned up and polished and looks pretty good. The hammer ,socket and axe steel ,is now thinner ,than what’s in the picture ,by 50% ??? , Battle ready ,probably not . It really is to bad, the improvements in manufacturing , would have made this a nice ,functioning piece … but reducing the thickness of the steel, has created a nice wall hanger.
Dom (verified owner) –
Don’t know really where to start with the issues on this piece. On the hammer side of the pole axe where the design is grinded in, the grooves are in even and one line is not completely ground in. Secondly the axe portion is smaller than what was in the specifications. Its not 6 1/2 long but instead 5 1/2 long, which makes the price seem very small. Lastly the decorative clover like hole on the blade is scuffed looking along with the langets being scuffed and slightly rusty. I could go into much more detail on the other issue I noticed, but that maybe me just nitpicking. Overall the price fits the quality. If you’re not a picky person like myself, go for it.
Jeramy Rich (verified owner) –
Don’t waste your money. Side spikes fell off while lightly hammering the nails through the pre drilled holes in the langets. Had to sand the newly formed langet holes in the side which helped match the poor finish on the piece. Which it was going to be used to practice solo drills anyway so whatever. Put an annealed rivet through it and the final hammer swing the top spike fell off. Kult of Athena was once the place to go for their quality control but not anymore. This is the third item in a row that has been below an acceptable quality (over hardened spear buttspike cracking like glass and a smashed and scratched bascinet that had a misaligned visor being before this junk).
nox_crow –
Really got it because of the price. Picked up an ash pole to attach it to. Got it mostly to run hema drills with.
Took it over to a friend’s place on the 4th of July to smash a few cantaloupe. On the first strike with the axe the top spike bent forward with the second strike the spike came completely off.
The bottom of the hammer head bent after bouncing off the cantaloupe.