Polearms Buying Guide: Spears, Halberds, Naginata and Glaives Compared

For most of history the polearm, not the sword, was the weapon in most hands. A blade on a long shaft is cheap to make, quick to learn, and gives an ordinary man reach against a horseman or a knight in plate. That is why the spear is the oldest weapon there is and the halberd was still on parade when the musket had made it obsolete. This guide sorts the family out, explains what separates one type from the next, and covers what to check before you buy one.

The polearm family

Spear and javelin

A point on a shaft. The spear is the base form: a leaf-shaped or diamond-section head, socketed or tanged onto a shaft of anything from four to nine feet. The javelin is the short throwing version, and the Zulu iklwa and the Greek dory are regional forms of the same idea. Spears are the simplest polearm to display and the easiest to fit in a room.

Halberd and poleaxe

The halberd puts an axe blade, a spear point and a rear hook or spike on a six to seven foot shaft. It appeared in Switzerland in the 14th century, made the Swiss pike squares feared across Europe, and survived as a ceremonial weapon into the 18th century. The poleaxe is its shorter, heavier cousin, four to six feet with a hammer or axe head and a spike, favoured by armoured men on foot who needed something to dent plate.

Glaive and naginata

A single-edged curved blade on a long shaft. The European version is the glaive; the Japanese version is the naginata, the weapon of the sohei warrior monks and, later, of samurai women defending the household. The yari is the Japanese straight spear that sits alongside it.

Chinese polearms

The qiang spear, the ji halberd with its crescent side blades, and the guandao with its heavy curved head. They are a tradition of their own and have their own collection and own guide.

Halberd versus poleaxe

People ask this one most. Both put an axe, a spike and a hook on a shaft. The halberd is longer, with a larger axe blade, and was an infantry weapon for use in formation. The poleaxe is shorter, with a smaller head and often a hammer face instead of an axe, and was a knight's weapon for the judicial duel and the dismounted fight. If you want the shape most people picture when they hear polearm, it is the halberd. If you want the knightly piece, it is the poleaxe. Our poleaxe versus halberd article goes into the history.

What to decide before buying

Length

This is the decision that matters most, because a polearm is the one weapon that can be too big for the house. A standard interior door is 80 inches. Anything past about 72 inches overall will not stand in a corner without touching the ceiling in a low room and will not go up a stairwell without care. Our range runs from a 36 inch javelin to an 84 inch fangtian ji. Measure the wall or corner first, and if the answer is close, choose the shorter piece.

Steel

Heads come in 1095 high carbon, pattern-welded Damascus, and on a few pieces stainless steel. 1095 is the traditional monosteel, typically 56 to 58 HRC, with a satin or antiqued finish. Damascus is layered high carbon steel forged and folded so the pattern shows through the head; on a large halberd blade that is a lot of visible forge work. Both are high carbon and want to be kept clean, dry and lightly oiled, and a spear head is easy to neglect because it sits at the top of the shaft where you do not touch it. Stainless heads need less upkeep and suit a piece that will hang untouched for years.

Head to shaft fitting

Check how the head is fixed. A socketed head slides over the shaft and is pinned or riveted through. A tanged head runs a spike down into the shaft. Either is sound if the pin is tight and there is no play between head and shaft. The listing for each piece states how it is built.

Shaft

Hardwood is traditional and what ours use. Look at the grain: it should run straight along the shaft, not across it. A shaft with the grain running out at an angle will be the weak point of the whole piece.

Displaying a polearm

Horizontal on the wall is the usual answer. Two hooks, one under the head and one near the butt, and the head-end hook into a stud rather than drywall anchors, because that is where the weight is. Upright in a corner stand works for pieces under 72 inches. A pair of halberds crossed behind a shield is the classic arrangement and needs a wall about six feet wide. Our wall mounts collection has hooks sized for shafted weapons.

Where to start

If you want one polearm, make it a halberd: it is the most recognisable silhouette and the one people ask about. If you want a spear, the leaf-bladed war spear is the historical norm and the hoplite dory the most striking. If the room is small, a javelin or the short 43 inch halberd gives the shape at a scale that fits. Everything is gathered on the polearms collection, with family pages for spears, halberds and poleaxes and naginata, and the custom spear builder if none of the catalog heads is quite right.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a spear and a pike?
Length. A pike is a spear of ten feet or more, used in dense formation. Anything shorter is a spear.

What is the difference between a glaive and a naginata?
Origin only. Both are a single-edged curved blade on a long shaft. Glaive is the European term, naginata the Japanese.

How long should a halberd be?
Historical halberds ran six to seven feet. Ours run from 43 to 84 inches. Choose by the room, not the history.

Do polearms ship assembled?
Each listing states how that piece ships and how the head is fitted to the shaft.

About the author
Owen Juarbal is Director of Marketing and head writer at Battling Blades. He has been with the company since 2021 and writes or reviews every guide the team publishes. Read more about Battling Blades.