Plançon a picot

The plançon à picot, or simply plançon (also spelled planson), is a medieval infantry weapon designed for smashing and thrusting. It consists of a stout iron-shod baseball-bat-like shaft (length 1-1.5 m) and a steel spike attached on top. It was cheap and easy to make, and was extremely efficient on heavily armoured opponents, as it would be easily driven through armor. The weapon is a relative of the goedendag, a popular weapon of Flemish militias of the 14th century. Given that the plançon à picot is recorded at several times as being carried alongside the goedendag, they may not be identical.