Why do many (eastern) helmets have spikes?

[Sir_Senior_the_Eldest]

Hi guys,

I've thought about this question for some time now.
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Why do they have this stylistic spike on their head? And I don't want to discuss about design or the "terrifying" look or so.

I train 1h and shield irl from time to time and I thought that this spike could probably be a pain in the wearer's neck (literally).
If you make a side swing above the guys head there are 3 options:

1) The helmet goes with the strike and falls off the guys head or

2) The helmet fits firmly and the strike makes the head move in a not so healthy position or

3) The helmet turns in a way, the guy cannot see anymore or at least becomes confused.

Both are not that good for the guy with the head. Why is this spike still so popular?

Is this impression right? What is your opinion?

[Osiris]

 Something i wondered too, its the reason Viking helms with horns are stupid, perhaps its something religious or from the forging process?

[donib]

I think it is really aesthetic, you can ask the same why do samurai have a crescent or any other shape on their helmets.

Only logical answer could be, (and i dont know how the smithing techniques were back in the days) is that when they would forge the helmet, they would pour the metal in to a mold, so that is the piece were the metal has been poured in and maybe they just make it look cool in the end.

Take a look at this one

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you can clearly see a tip on the helmet, might be because of the same reason, molding process.

Again i am just speculating on this, seems as a plausible answer.

[Sir_Senior_the_Eldest]

Ah ok. Thanks so far. Seems possible to think about the moulding process. After all there are also some eastern helmets without this gigantic spice on top (like for example one like donib's avatar) I think one can cope with such a small spike and still looks awesome 

So maybe it was kind of a status symbol for knights on horses (who don't have to worry about lots of side strikes above their head).

A sidenote:
I've read about a problem for British soldiers in the WWs. Their usual helmet was derived from the one my avatar wears, with a wide edge all around. The problem was that it was no rare event, that a soldier who was just wounded by a bullet and fell to the ground could possibly break his neck because of this rim. So even in the 20th century the style played an even more important role than the actual benefit.

[Latvian]

probably same reason why they made helmets like this   

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its for style to be swag

[Abay]

you better use this my friend, you will see more than you expected 

If you want more specialized answers, you can also use its forums. It is active and supoorted by some professors

(click to show/hide)

http://www.theottomans.org/english/index.asp

[Adamar]

They could charge forward with a headbutt in a desperate move, or take their helmet off and use it as a weapon if they ran out of options, I suppose...

[Prinz_Karl]

Fighting with your head could end very stupid: You will lose your protection totaly after the charge and it's easy to charge you back and it's unlike to even create enough impact.

I read that it should deflect hits with swords but I too don't think that the helmet is tight enough on the head to do that. More likely that it was for aesthetic purpose only as you could also attach a hair tail or plumes on it.

Something i wondered too, its the reason Viking helms with horns are stupid, perhaps its something religious or from the forging process?

I don't think vikings really had horns on their helmets...

[Osiris]

Fighting with your head could end very stupid: You will lose your protection totaly after the charge and it's easy to charge you back and it's unlike to even create enough impact.

I read that it should deflect hits with swords but I too don't think that the helmet is tight enough on the head to do that. More likely that it was for aesthetic purpose only as you could also attach a hair tail or plumes on it.

I don't think vikings really had horns on their helmets...

i know they dont hence the viking helms with horns are stupid. i meant modern day ones but i could have been clearer

[djavo]

This is how buttplug got invented

[Paul]

Two words: Flying Headbutt

[BlindGuy]

I think it is really aesthetic, you can ask the same why do samurai have a crescent or any other shape on their helmets.

Only logical answer could be, (and i dont know how the smithing techniques were back in the days) is that when they would forge the helmet, they would pour the metal in to a mold, so that is the piece were the metal has been poured in and maybe they just make it look cool in the end.

Take a look at this one

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


you can clearly see a tip on the helmet, might be because of the same reason, molding process.

Again i am just speculating on this, seems as a plausible answer.

No, you dont pour steel into a mold to make armour.


Only realistic answer is: So 2handers can hold a left swing, look at the floor, and run fullspeed into enemies to do 100 pierce dmg.

[the real god emperor]

Eastern helmets have "spikes" cuz we re thousands of kilometers away from the server

[Penitent]

The helms mentioned above (the bascinet and the avatar helm) have a small point on the top to deflect blows...not due to a molding process.  If the helmet is a perfectly shaped dome, you would try to land a blow directly perpendicular to the helm's "crown" to try and crush it or whatever.  If the top of the helm is slightly angled, creating a point, its harder to land an overhead blow that is perpendicular to the top of the helm.  It is more likely that the blow will glance, or at least have some of the force re-directed so it doesn't all go directly to your skull.

It lessens one of the helms "weak points", in other words.

I have no idea why eastern helms have GIANT spikes though.

[Zanze]

Stupid obsession with penis-like shapes probably. Who's got the bigger stick = superior. Supposedly.