🔸 Is Gendry's War Hammer Realistic?
Gendry's War Hammer, How Realistic Is It?
Short Answer: Not Realistic
Before I get into the criticism, just want to make something clear. I do enjoy the show, and I am a big fan. Seeing unrealistic weapons or armor or clothes doesn't prevent me from enjoying the show, but I guess I'm somewhat of a historical arms and armor enthusiast ad it's always fun to review Game of Thrones, so let's begin.
Let's take a look at an actual historical example of a war hammer.
Image Source
Now this one has a shorter handle, most-likely used as a one-handed weapon, maybe on horseback. The one's carried by infantry in formation would more likely have been two-handed pole weapons with handles typically 6-7 feet long (1.8 - 2 meters). The head of the hammer would be almost identical except there would be a longer spike at the top end of it.
As you can see the hammer has 2 sides, a blunt side and a beak. Although some had an axe blade on one side and hammer head on the other. Primarily an anti-armor weapon, the blunt hammer head would be used to deal a percussive blow to hopefully bruise and fracture or break the bones of the target. The beak would be used to actually pierce through the armor, although unlikely to pierce through thicker plates it would be capable of severely damaging and even piercing chain-mail.
AN important thing to note is that this historical hammer head is actually pretty small. The size is comparable to the heads on the average hammer used for carpentry. Gendry's hammer head on the other had looks more like a sledge hammer, and probably weighs about as much as a sledge hammer would weigh.
Let's put them side-by-side:
First off all we notice the gigantic size difference. Gendry's hammer head is ridiculously bigger than the historical version. You'd only be able to swing that monstrous weapon once. Even if you were strong enough to reset it, an opponent using the historical hemmer would be faster and more nimble, they would counter-attack while you tried to reset that sledge hammer.
Another thing is the rounded edge on Gendry's hammer. Usually war hammers will either have a pointy center or sharp studs on the head so that it bites into the armor preventing a glancing blow. Gendry's rounded edge actually encourages a glancing blow which would waste a lot of energy, energy you would desperately need to keep swinging that heavy weapon.
Also the spike on Gendry's hammer is completely worthless. It has no reach and isn't pointy enough to be used as an effective thrusting weapon. The historical pole weapon is far more versatile, you can use the hammer for a percussive blow, you can use the beak to break through chain-mail or thin armor with a swing, or you could thrust it like a speak using the long narrow spike at the top.
Final verdict? Gendry's war hammer is more like a sledge hammer and would be a a pain in the ass to use. A wooden shaft would legitimately make for a better weapon since it's lighter, therefore quicker and more nimble.