Leather-Wrapped, Steel-shafted Roman Pilum (spear)

Note: These do not come with the leather-wrapped shaft anymore. Also, These Pilums come with a separate wooden pole that needs to be inserted into the head-block of the spear. This pole can sometimes swell slightly due to humidity and make it difficult to fit into the block. Unfortunately the manufactuer, Windlass, cannot do anything about this. If this happens, you can sand the head of the pole down to fit into the block without too much difficulty.

There were four things every Roman footman was sure to carry into battle. His gladius, scutum shield, a monkey, and the legendary Roman Pilum spear (yeah, I know, they never carried monkeys, but I just love that word and look for any excuse I can to drop it into conversation).

This Pilum is a re-creation of later Roman footman styles (circa 100 A.D.). It features a long steel shaft wrapped with black leather and a heavy steel triangular tip. The shaft is riveted powerfully to an angular wooden guard that is reinforced with the standard wide and flat tang of the shank. This guard would have protected the legionnaire's hand. The legionnaire could also have wedged this gaurd against the inside of his shield, making it more difficult for someone to pull the pilum out of his hand. The heavy gaurd and long wooden shaft gives the weapon a nice weight and would have helped a Roman soldier penetrate his opponent's shield.

The Pilum comes in two pieces -- the shank and gaurd are one piece and the wooden shaft a separate piece. This is great for transporting the weapon. If you prefer it permanently attached, the shaft can be driven deeply into the gaurd and either screwed or simply cemented together for a very strong union.