Quote Originally Posted by BlackAxe3001
I would be interested in your results. What did you find out?
Ok then, here it is :

First, the tools o' destruction :



Test method : I tried to see how many hits I could apply within 20 seconds, swinging as fast as I could. Smaller axes were used one-handed, the bigger one (no.3) and the hammer - two handed.

Note - the weights listed below are approximative, as I don't have a way to measure them exactly. They're pretty accurate, though, as I compared the tools with different household items the weights of which were known.


1. Small meat axe - one handed. Weight 0.4-0.5 kg (~1 lb). Length 32 cm. Speed 25-30 hits in 20 seconds, avg. 1.4 hits/sec.
This one is small but easy to use, and I think it would make an excellent weapon versus not too heavily armoured opponents.

2. Small wood axe - one handed. Weight 0.9-1.1 kg (~2 lbs). Length 47 cm. Speed 19-24 hits in 20 seconds, avg. 1.1 hits/sec.
I think this is about the right size for a one handed battle axe.

3. Big wood axe - two handed. Weight 3-3.5 kg (~7 lbs). Length 91 cm. Speed 12-14 hits in 20 seconds, avg. 0.65 hits/sec.
Probably accurate enough a representation of a two-handed battle axe, although those seem to usually have longer handles and wider heads.

3. Heavy hammer - two handed. Weight 11-13 kg (~26 lbs). Length 87 cm. Speed 6-8 hits in 20 seconds, avg. 0.35 hits/sec.
Much too heavy for a weapon, I included it for comparison only.


A big issue was how long you can actually swing such weapons. With no.1, I felt like I could hack forever. No.2 got my hand somewhat tired in 20 seconds. With no.3 I definitely needed some rest after testing. With the hammer, well, I nearly fainted after 2 test runs.

Finally, as you've probably guessed, I'm not any kind of athlete. I'm also below average in size and strength. There's no doubt a trained medieval soldier would go at it much faster & longer than me. But this is hardly rellevant for the purpose of this test, which wasn't to see the absolute speed of the weapons, but their relative "rate of fire".