Question How effective?

While watching DS9 reruns (WOO H&I Channel!) I had the urge to throw a Bat'leth wielding mook into the mix, and I was wondering how effective would the Klingon weapon of choice be in real life?

In my view...

I'm sure it COULD be effective... but it's a clumsy shape to work with... essentially if you hit with the end near your grip (assuming holding it at one end OR the other) you're using an odd-shaped punch dagger... if you hit with the end away from your grip you're hitting with an odd-shaped axe... trying to attack with two hands on it isn't going to allow for enough force to do much more damage than the punch dagger-like attack and limits your maneuverability. On top of that the thickness from centerpoint of hilt/handgrips to the cutting edge side would mean you'd have to use wrist strength to keep it from rotating if your strike is deflected from anything but a perpendicular hit...

Having said all that, as I started it COULD be effective... it would just be more effective and easier to use a more traditional weapon.

To be honest, my first impression when I first saw the Bat'leth was 'Rule of Cool': to wit, it was TV, and it was far more important to look alien and dangerous than it was to actually be effective in close combat.

I haven't seen anything to persuade me that that first impression was wrong.

On the other hand, some fanboy trying to use a bat'leth in actual melee combat might make for an amusing scene.

My general rule of thumb for analyzing fictional weapons is "why wasn't it used in real life? "

Unless there is some technological limitation (for example, lightsabers), there's a good chance that the answer is "because a sword is more effective at killing people. "

Arcanist Lupus wrote: My general rule of thumb for analyzing fictional weapons is "why wasn't it used in real life? "

Unless there is some technological limitation (for example, lightsabers), there's a good chance that the answer is "because a sword is more effective at killing people. "

I've been watching a reality contest showed called Forged in Fire. Four knife makers/blacksmiths are given random material and the challenge of producing a knife in six hours.

Two finalists are given a week to duplicate a historical weapon. Viking axe. Claymore, rapier, and so on.

Turns out there were some really weird historical weapons. The Chakram so beloved of Xena fans for instance was based on a genuine weapon, though it differed from the version that Xena used being just a ring with a sharp outer edge with no internal handle.

And there were more than a few hand weapons that outdo the Bat'leth in the weird weapon category.

www.history.co.uk/shows/forged-in-fire/a...st-swords-in-history

There is also the manufacture time. How many normal swords can be made in the time it takes to make one Bat'leth.

peter wrote:

Arcanist Lupus wrote: My general rule of thumb for analyzing fictional weapons is "why wasn't it used in real life? "

Unless there is some technological limitation (for example, lightsabers), there's a good chance that the answer is "because a sword is more effective at killing people. "

I've been watching a reality contest showed called Forged in Fire. Four knife makers/blacksmiths are given random material and the challenge of producing a knife in six hours.

Two finalists are given a week to duplicate a historical weapon. Viking axe. Claymore, rapier, and so on.

Turns out there were some really weird historical weapons. The Chakram so beloved of Xena fans for instance was based on a genuine weapon, though it differed from the version that Xena used being just a ring with a sharp outer edge with no internal handle.

And there were more than a few hand weapons that outdo the Bat'leth in the weird weapon category.

www.history.co.uk/shows/forged-in-fire/a...st-swords-in-history

A lot of the weirder ones are blade breakers, really the Katar shouldn't be in that list, most blade breakers are more unusual.

Regarding the "Why didn't they use it for real?" argument, at least one Trek author did do his home work some and speculated that wielding the bat'leth is more like using a quarter staff or other pole type weapon rather then a sword.