Dwarven Weapons



The Dwarves of Middle-Earth were strong but short. They used there strength to thier advantage by wielding heavier weapons such as axes rather than favouring a sword.



The Axes of the Dwarves


(From top to bottum:) Two-Handed Axe, Throwing Axe, Battle-Axe, Throwing Axe (left) and a Hand-Axe.


(From left to right:) Throwing Axe, Hand-Axe, Battle-Axe, Two-Handed Axe and another Throwing Axe.





Battle-Axe:

The nature of Gimili's fighting style altered considerbly when the fellowship entered the benighted catacomb of Moria and was attacked by Orcs; fortunate favoured Gimili, however, in that they were in the tomb of his forefather, Balin, and when that tomb was destroyed by a cave troll Gimili was able to to retrieve a mighty two-handed battle axe that had once belonged to the dwarf-lord. The Battle-Axe had a broad double-bladed head that made it considerably heavier than the walking axe; its shaft was also a little shorter which meant there could be less movement of the hands on the shaft. However, this was more than copensated for the greatley increased striking power by the massive head. Also, because it was double-bladed, it could be swung in both directions with virtually no need to adjust the stance or grip. From this point on, Gimili used Balin's battle axe for all close combat.



Two-Handed Axe:

When travelling, Gimili always carried a long-handeled axe, which would serve both as a walking staff (something especially useful to a heavy-set Dwarf covering long distances by foot) and also would have been his primary attacking weapon: havingit constantly to hand would avoid him being taken by suprise by enemies. This 'walking axe' was nearly three feet long; like all Dwarven axes it had a square shaft which had been wrapped in tightley interweaving strips of water-soaked leather that covered all of the wood up to the point level with the outer-edge of the blade. This allowe dthe dwarf to keep his hands when using the axe to parry enemy blows and also to transfer as much of his strength to his own attack as possible. when beggining a swing his hands would be as far apart as possible, then during the arc of the blow the left hand would slide down the shaft, controlling the axe even if it generated speed. Such was Gimili's skill and power, however, that it could also be used single-handedly in a chopping motion: while reducing levels the level of impact it would allow him to vary the angle and speed of his attacks.



Throwing Axes:

The need to hunt would have necessitated the inclusion of throwing axes, and Gimili carried two in a leather hoop on his left-hand side of his belt. The throwing axes were also used as a distance weapon, especially useful if the dwarf faced an opponent using a bow, or close-quaters prevented Gimili from swing his battle-axe. The throwing axe was designed to maximize the impact of the throw: the shaft was a about a foot long and relatively light, thereby keeping the wieght of the blade: this pulled the axe forwards in the air, increasing the speed and rotation of the spin so that it hit the target with the greatest force possible. When combined with a Dwarves strength throwing axe was acccruate and deadly.
 


Hand-Axe:

On the right-hand side of his belt was a metal ring which held Gimili's hand-axe. This would have been used for normal day-to-dat activities: cutting branches to make kidling,chopping up any game that had been hunted, perhaps evn skinning them aswell. this weapon could also be used for attcking, however was not as effective as some of the other axes Gimili kept.



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