A
fauchard is a type of
polearm weapon, which was used in medieval
Europe from the 11th through the 14th centuries. The design consisted of a curved blade put atop a long pole. The blade bore a moderate to strong curve along its length, however unlike a
glaive the cutting edge was only on the side. This made the fauchard blade resemble that of a
sickle or a
scythe. This was not a very efficient design for the purposes of war, and was eventually modified to have one or more
lance points attached to the back or top of the blade. This weapon is called a
fauchard-fork, but is very often erroneously referred to as a
guisarme or
bill-guisarme since it superficially appears to have a "hook".
