"Watz a Fire Pike?" Topic

Historically, that is. I was reading about a siege in the ECW, and the author wrote "they charged them with fire-pikes".

Best I can figure its a pike with a 17th century road flare attached.

A pike with tar soaked rags etc. wrapped around the head.
Probably to stop the defenders grabbing the heads from behind fortifications or such,and I suspect of limited use.

A pike with a combustible and/or explosive head intended to clear defenders from walls and other obstacles.

Actually also called a 'buccinator' from the noise they made – a large – say 3"-4" (75-100mm) diameter – tube filled with low grade gunpowder, arsenic, pine resin, broken glass, chunks of iron etc. Light the blue touch paper and apply to those who have been naughty – it burns like a 'Roman Candle' but much larger, with toxic smoke and it shoots chunks of sticky burning stuff & red hot metal bits. For more info. see the gunpowder volume of 'Science and Civilization in China' which also covers early European devices.

The idea was still in vogue into the late 20th Cent. with some European armies using single shot flamethrowers with charges of red phosphorous & similar incendaries.

It's good intimidation stuff!

If you're approaching a defended wall or ditch, you have up to 12 foot in reach (if you're using proper length pikes) to jab and prod musketeers, who by their very nature of the substances they carry, either in little wooden flasks or in cartridge bags, have a tendency to go 'pop' when you apply flames to them. It tends to distract them from reloading properly as well, and you have a few hundred fellow pikemen at close order around you with the front two ranks all with fire-pikes… well, makes taking prepared defences a little easier, and any front-on rush counter-attack by horses just never happens!

Use ragstrips or cord to fix straw bundles along the pike head and langets. Drizzle a blend of pine oil, fish oil, saltpetre solution and tar, then hold up in the air at 'charge' while a friendly musketeer fires a blank charge at the pikehead… then light up your friends and advance!

Hi

One of the few weapons I read about that I decided to NOT try making a working replica of it!

R