Painted pikes

[Sandinista]

Would pikes in late 15th/early 16th century be natural wood or painted bright colours?

Cheers
Ian

[d_Guy]

Ian, the only thing I'm sure of is I don't know 
It seems like the few contemporary paintings that show them suggest natural wood. Logic would suggest that maybe they were oiled.

I'm currently away from my source books but I'd be inclined to do whatever the Funckens have done in their "Age of Chivalry" illustrations.
Hope you get a definitive answer on this, I would be interested too.

[FierceKitty]

Somewhere, I once saw an illustration of Landsknecht pikes with a foxtail tied just below the head. Sorry I have no idea where!

[d_Guy]

Hi Sandinista,
Back among my books and did look at Fucken "Age of Chivalry", specifically vol 2, the illustration of individual 16th C. pikemen (maybe you've already seen this?). They show the Swiss pikeman(1530) with a pike shaft a bright red. Also the German Pikeman with the same bright red pike. In volumn three in the tactical section the show all the Swiss pikes bright red (as well as their opponent).

Was all of this done just to enhance the illustrations? I don't know (but they generally illustrate all pikes and polearms with natural wood colors). I saw your thread at TMP and that you had decided to go with the unpainted look. Still you could use Funcken as the authority (I think they are as good as any) for at least red!

Hope this gives you more food for thought.

[Sandinista]

I will be using 15mm miniatures in 48 figure blocks per unit with 6 standards per unit,. The flag staffs will be painted as will the halberds, this will add a smattering of colour, especially amongst the armoured troops, as we all know the Swiss of the period were so drab 

Cheers
Ian

[Sandinista]

Somewhere, I once saw an illustration of Landsknecht pikes with a foxtail tied just below the head. Sorry I have no idea where!

Back in the '80s in the ECWS, we got into trouble for sticking the head of a suckling pig onto one of the pikes, no sense of fun some people 

Cheers
Ian

[toxicpixie]

48 figure blocks in 15mm? Crikey!

I hope you've reinforced the table