Product description
The weapon known as the war flail developed in the 12th century from the peasant threshing flail and remained in use until the 17th century. This medieval weapon is often, though incorrectly, referred to as a morning star, especially the variant where the head is connected to the handle by a chain (ball-and-chain flail).
The medieval war flail was a shorter weapon consisting of a wooden handle connected by a chain, rope, or leather strap to one or more striking heads. Variants such as the kisten—sometimes smooth, sometimes spiked—spread from Eastern Europe to the West from the 10th century onward. Illustrations from the 15th to 17th centuries show both large two-handed flails and shorter one-handed versions. Well-known examples can be seen in the painting Battle of Orsha (1520–1534), in The Travels of Marco Polo (c. 1410), and in the military treatise Bellifortis (c. 1450).
This replica features an approximately 52 cm long ash wood handle, topped with a metal socket and connected by three metal chains to heavy, star-shaped high-carbon steel balls. The surfaces of the steel balls, chains, and socket are intentionally left in their natural state, displaying a characteristic forge patina that gives the weapon a rustic, authentic appearance. The medieval military war flail has been designed as a collectible or decorative piece and, in addition to its value as a collector's item, is particularly well-suited to use as a prop — for example, to complete a costume.
