Flails...
 

Any fans? I think those are just about the coolest things in the world. I'm also partial to axes. Is it just me?

I sell all varieties of ancient weapons- flails, axes, swords, ect- I have found that nomenclature is very nonstandardized- different arms books and museums will call the same thing different names- For example I have heard a flail of the type that i refer to as a morningstar flail ( spiked ball on a chain attached to a stick) called that, as well seeing it refered to as a spiked flail, mace and chain, ball and chain flail, ect... we build a few in house and it seems that the length of the chain greatly affects controll of the weapon- either realy short or realy long seems the best choice.....

Great weapons. I've made a few different styles made out of hardwoods. Looking forward to this semester when the foundry will be back open in the IT building at school.
I hope to get a few handles, spikes and tools made.

I've got a flail in a box somewhere.

Not a wall hanger either, I had a friend replace the crappy eye hook with a decent one and I tried to break it on a telephone post w/o success.

Anyway, after mistakenly calling it a morning star for many years, I learned that any weapon where the hitting body is separated by a chain or cord can properly be called a flail, (originally a farm implement).

Excellent weapons, if tough to learn. The SCA does not allow Flail use as they've not found a safe way to make a mock-up flail that won't cause injury. Even a tennis ball on a thick cord has been known to knock a man in plate unconscious. While I'm not in the SCA, I would tak ethis as testament to the efficacy of the overall design.

To add to that, I'll observe that flailing weapons are illegal to carry in most locations... yet absurdly easy to improvise. The striking force of the shaft of a nunchuka is often greater than that of a pistol round (compared in ft/lbs).

I can agree to this. I am by no means an expert with them but I can shatter cinderblocks, poke holes in soda cans, snap 2x4s, and much more.

It is all in the wrist!

I saw some shows on the history channel that suggest they are very tiring to use. They have to be moving constantly or you are pretty much dead. I'm sure they would be very intimidating though.