--
.
                   /^\
          _.-`:   /   \   :'-._
        ,`    :  |     |  :    '.
      ,`       \,|     |,/       '.
     /           `-...-`           \
    :              .'.              :
    |             . ' .             |
    |             ' . '             |
    :              '.'              :
     \           ,-"""-,           /
      `.       /'|     |'\       ,'
        `._   ;  |     |  ;   _,'
           `-.:  |     |  :,-'
                 |     |
                 |     |
iron-age         |     |
battle           |     |
axe-head         |     |
14mar99
--
.
.
                   /^\
          _.-`:   /   \   :'-._
        ,`    :  |     |  :    '.
      ,`       \,|     |,/       '.
     /           \\...//           \
    :             \\'//             :
    |             .\\/.             |
    |             '/\\'             |
    :             //.\\             :
     \           //"""\\           /
      `.       /'|     |'\       ,'
        `._   ;  |     |  ;   _,'
           `-.:  |     |  :,-'
                 |     |
                 |     |
iron-age         |     |
battle           |     |
axe-head         |     |
14mar99
--
.
                                                       /^\
                  /^\                                 / | \
                 / \ \                                ) | (
                /   \ \                               ) | (
         _.-`:  \   / /                       _.-`:   ) | (
       ,`    :   )   (                      ,`    :   ) | (
     ,`       \, |   | ,/\                ,`      :   )   (  /\
    /           `-...-`   \              /         \, )   ( ,/\\
   :               />      '.           :            `-...-`   \'.
   |              </         `-._       |              </      ___`-._
   |               />        .-'`       |               />        .-'`
   :              </       .'           :            ,-"""-,   /.'
    \           ,-"""-,   /              \         /' |   | '\//
     `.       /' |   | '\/                `.      :   |   |  \/
       `._   ;   |   |                      `._   :   |   |
          `-.:   |   |                         `-.:   |   |
                 |   |                                |   |
                 |   |                                |   |
                 |   |                                |   |
                 |   |                                |   |
pike - 6ft-8ft pole or spear with 18ins-2ft span axe-blade,
definitely 'tallarms' ideal for dealing with horsemen.
can still be seen in use today by Yeomen-of-the-Guard
(infantry) at the 'Bloody' Tower of London - England
16mar99
--
.
.
            /^\
            |:_`-._                      _____
            |:_    `'-..__             _|     |
            |:_           ``'''---'''``:`-...-`\
            |:_                       _:  .'.   :
            |:_                       _: . ' .  |
            |:_                       _: ' . '  |
            |:_                       _;  '.'   :
            |:_         __,,...---...,,;,-"""-,/
            |:_   _,.-""                |     |
            |: .-'                      |     |
            \_/                         |     |
                                        |     |
                                        |     |
medieval                                |     |
axe-head - 9ins span blade on 4ft pole  |     |
used at the Battle of Hastings in 1066  |     |
16mar99
--
.
.
       .-''```''-._
       `'-;_;,     '.
            ':;,     '.
              ':;      \
                \:      :
                 :;      ;
                  :       .
                  ;;      |;
                   :       .
                   ;;      ;
                   ;       ;
                   |;      |
                   ; )     ;
                   . )     |
                   | )     |
                   | )     |
                   | )     |
                   : )     :
                   : )     :
                   | )     |
                   | )     |
                   : )     :
                   : )     :
                   | )     |
            3ft    | )     |
            blade  |       |
                   /\...../\
                   ; \\'// ;
                   ; .\\/. ;
                   ; '/\\' ;
                   ; //.\\ ;
                   \/_____\/
                    |     |
                    |     |
             4ft    |     |
             handle |     |
                    |     |
                    |     |
iron-age            |     |
tallon-arm          |     |
axe-head            |     |
sythe-claw-like weapon could reach
over the top of a Roman's shield.
the army of Roman emperor Trajan
reinforced their helmets as result
17mar99
--
.
.
                                                        ___
                                                       |_  |
                                                         | |
 __                      ____                            | |
 \ ````''''----....____.'\   ````''''--------------------| |--.               _____      .--.
  :.                      `-._                           | |   `''-----''''```     ``''|`:  :|
   '::.                       `'--.._____________________| |                           | :  :|
     '::..       ----....._______________________________| |                           | :  :|
       `'-::...__________________________________________| |   .-''-..-'`-..-'`-..-''-.L :  :|
            ```'''---------------------------------------| |--'                         `'--'
                                                         | |
                                                        _| |
                                                       |___|
23mar99 - not happy with this ...
the blade is too short and the curves are crap
this pic does _not_ do justice to it's majesty
.
--
.
.
.
                                   ______________________________
                            _.-''``-------------------------|`. |``''--..__
                       _.-'` ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '| : |          ``'';';--..__
                  _.-'`                      _________      | : |             :';       ```;
             _.-'`                    _.-''``_________/\_/\_|.'_|_           :';          /
        _.-'`                    _.-'`_.-''``                     ``''--..__;';          _|
      .'`                    _.-'_.-'`                                      `'`''-._    /
    .`                  _.-'`_.-'                                                   `'-/
  .'             __..-'`_.-'`
 /``'''---'''````__..-'`
 ``'''----'''````
.
                                   _____________________________
                            _.-''``------------------------|`. |``''--..__
                       _.-'` ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' | : |          ``'';';--..__
                  _.-'`                                    | : |         '   :';       ```';
             _.-'`                           ________/\_/\_|.'_|_       '   :';           /
        _.-'`                         _.-''``                    ``''--:.__;';           _|
      .'`                        _.-'`                                     `'`''-._     /
    .`                       _.-'                                                  `'-./
  .'                    _.-'`
 /               __..-'`
 ``'''----'''````
.
24mar99 - gurkha
it is _so_ hard to get the gentle curves to look right
.
.
.
.
             _____                                _______
           ,/_    ``-._                          /       \
          ,|:          `'-..__               ___|         |_
         ,|:_                 ``'''-----''''`_::~-.......-'~\
        ,|:_                                 _:    . ' .    :
        |:_                                  _:  .   '   .  |
        |:_                                  _:  '   .   '  |
        |:_                                  _:    ' . '    :
        |:_                    __,,...---...,,:_,.-'''''-.,_/
        |:_              _,.-``                 |         |
        |:_           ,-`                       |         |
        |:_         ,`                          |         |
        `|:_      ,'                            |         |
         |:_     /                              |         |
         `|:_   /                               |         |
          `|:_ :                                |         |
            \: |                                |         |
             \:|                                |         |
              ~
                       norse viking axe
                          cjr4may99              _
     |         |                                |:\
     |         |                                | :\
     |         |                                : _:|.
     |         |                               /   _:|.
     |         |                              /     _:|
     |         |                            ,`       :|.
     |         |                          .`         _:|
     |         |                      _.-`           _:|
    _|         |___            __..-'`               _:|
   / `'-.....-'` :_`'''---'''``                      _:|
   :    . ' .    :_                                  _:|
   |  .   '   .  :_                                  _:|
   |  '   .   '  :_                                  _:|
   :    ' . '    ;_                                 _:|`
   \_,-''"""''-_:;,,....-----...,,__               _:|`
    `|         |`                   ""-.,_        _:|`
      \_______/                           '-.._____/`
.
.
.
--