Throwing a Pilum: How Far Can a Pro Throw?

And here we go. Hi it's Tod from Tod's Workshop and Tod Cutler here and today we've got a film about Pelum, these Roman throwing spears, javelins. Now the thing is this is my third attempt at making this film. I have messed up and the reason is I have an idea, I get excited about the idea, I go into it possibly sometimes faster than I should, but I do it without a script because I like to explore. I like to find out what's going on and react to that and talk about that and find new things to look at and think about. That's what I do but what that means is that it can mess with my filming sometimes. Things can go wrong and this is my third attempt. It's great when it works but sometimes it doesn't. It's really annoying because it's a great subject, I had an amazing guest and the location where I first did it was absolutely fantastic. I messed up so I went for it a second time, same guest, different location and I messed up. But this is the third one and we're putting everything together now to turn it into a film that really is worth watching. So watch out for the weird editing, I get it, but it's worth it, stick with it. So let's start again. It's a simple question, how far can an experienced Roman legionary throw a Pelum? Well it's actually a surprisingly difficult question to answer because as far as I know they don't actually list that in any of the original accounts. So you have to try and work it out, you have to try and extrapolate. Well the problem is I am no good at throwing, so I can't find out if I throw it, I can't find out how far an experienced legionary would throw it and if I can't see how far he's going to throw it, I can't find out how powerful a throw is, how much energy it carries and therefore what it does to flesh, what it does to armour, what it does to shields. So I need first step to get somebody who can throw one of these things properly and to throw it a distance that actually means something. So I was lucky enough to be able to recruit Michael Allison, he throws for the GB under 20s team. He's a fantastic experienced thrower and exactly what I needed. These are heavier than a modern javelin, this weighs in at about 1.3 kilos, modern javelin's about 800 grams. Now when I went around on the web looking for how far these things could be thrown, I came up with numbers like 15, 18 meters, that seems to be what people are talking about. Well that's pretty close, but on the other hand these are heavier than modern javelins, so there's really only one way to find out and that's what Tod's Workshop channel is all about. Let's go do it. So I went and contacted Michael, went to see him at the Ifley Road athletics field which is where Roger Bannister did the four-minute mile back in the 50s. It's also the home to Oxford University Athletics Club who allowed me to film there, so thank you very much everybody who was and I gave one of these to Michael and this is what happened. Now he has to be the best legionary in the legion at throwing peelum, so I'm going to give him a peelum, we're going to talk to Michael and we're going to find out his first thoughts. So the javelin that you've got, tell me about it, how long, how heavy? These javelins are 800 grams and they're about two and a half meters long with the grip in the middle balancing point about there just on the front of the grip. All right, that's interesting. The key with these javelins is that the center of mass is slightly in front of the center of lift so there's a moment so it tips out the air. Right, ah okay, I didn't realize that. So they are actually designed to have lift? Yes. So what I'd like you to do is hold this, tell me your thoughts. So this is a, well, Roman peelum. It is, I think it's about 1.2, 1.3 kilos, so 1300 grams, so significantly more. Get a feel for that, tell me what you think. Yeah, a little bit heavier. You can, the center of mass seems in a pretty similar point, so, but then I don't know what the lift is going to be doing, so we'll see if it tips out or not. That will be interesting because I've thrown it a bit and it works in a certain way for me and it'll be interesting to see if it does the same. So basically, can you just take it away Michael? I'll stand back a bit so we can get it. Very first throw for Michael ever having touched the peelum. What does it do? Right, so what distance is that? It's about 22 meters, so nice throw Michael, that is for sure. So how was that to throw then? It feels quite strange being used to the nice modern javelin. I think the main difference was that in a modern javelin, most of the weight is in sort of this portion of the spear, whereas here, because obviously it's a very skinny point, it doesn't have much of the weight here and obviously it's thickest here. So overall, whereas I'm used to sort of feeling the weight at this end of the javelin, I don't get that feeling, which is sort of, it's a strange feeling. Do you think perhaps you, I mean part of this experiment over a few weeks is try throwing it from different balance points? And the experiment I'm referring to is to take the numbers, the distances that Michael throws and to feed them into this machine here, so I can use it, my spear throwing machine, to throw javelins, peelum, the same distance. It's a simple concept that I completely failed to explain in the film. So now back to Michael for where to hold the peelum and the balance points. We don't have a grip on this, whereas we would with the normal javelin, so I'm not told where to hold it. So I think that's going to be part of getting used to it, where do I hold it, where do I want my hand relative to the centre of mass. Yeah, no because I mean they had fighting spears as well, but these were very much their throwing spears and my understanding of them is that the distance is relatively short, sort of 15-18 metres, but you cleared out about 22-23 with a static throw there on throw one. I think there's a bit more distance there. Was there a bit more? No, no, I think we've got more to come. No, I would agree with that and I'd love to see it, you know, with a running start. Yeah, yeah, we can give that a go in a few. Yeah, just go for one and see what you do. Now that was beautiful. That one I caught a little bit better, so it went straight, but even on that, the flight on that was much nicer. That was beautiful, but that's the same one you threw before. Yeah, I don't know, just a second throw got a bit more used to it. Do you feel that you did something different? I mean that couldn't have been a better throw, basically. No, I mentioned before how these javelins seem a little bit more sort of unstable in the air. It just means you have to be technically perfect and make sure you're hitting it really nice and aligned, otherwise any slight deviation and it's going to spin out of control like the last one. Okay, so in a way that says to me you've got to be calm and controlled, like if you're panicked and you're worried. Exactly. It's not the throwing weapon for you, perhaps. So I've just measured those throws and it was 27 and 28 metres, in fact, that Michael did, which is fantastic with this and those were genuinely throws two and three. Sometimes I get so excited by a film, a concept, an idea, that I rush into it before I'm fully ready. Now I realised that I'd messed up the first one, so I went and organised a second film with Michael down here, but then the weather was really cold and I didn't realise actually that makes such a difference to an athlete. I'm not athletic myself and so I didn't realise he couldn't put the energy into throwing the second filming day because he's worried about being injured. You know, this is just a trivial little YouTube film compared to his career. It's not important, but what it did mean, it highlighted to me in fact, I didn't realise it was a thing, that actually the range of a pilum, the effect of range of a pilum, will be different in hot and cold weather. I mean I get it with bows, but I wasn't expecting it with spears. Anyway, we've not quite made it to 30 metres yet, so here's your incentive. You see right at the 30 metre mark, GoPro number eight, commonly known as Graham, replaced GoPro seven, which was this one. So this was Graham the second or first, I forget which. So we've now got Graham the third out there, fourth, I don't know, I've killed too many. Right, hit that, extra case of beer for Christmas. All yours. Oh, it's about a metre and a half away. Oh, that far, that far. Right, okay, I think we'll up sticks, we'll go and have a look at that and we'll talk about aiming. Are you disappointed? Well, I saved you a GoPro, but not by much. You did save me a GoPro, but that is, well, 30 centimetres, one foot away, which is fantastic. How aimed was that? I was aiming for the GoPro. So, first one about a metre out, maybe a metre and a half, second one, yeah, 30 centimetres. So actually that's probably about as accurate as I can shoot with a bow, to be honest, and I'm not a bad shot, I'm not amazing, but that is really quite accurate. And so, in terms of legionaries, barbarians and all that kind of stuff, when we were talking the other day, you were saying that, I can't remember your phraseology, but it was, you were talking about not really aiming, just, I don't know, zen in the art of throwing or something, you just feel your way or? It's more that you don't think about how high you're going to throw, you just look at a point and try and throw it at that point. So, I was looking at the GoPro and trying to throw it at the GoPro, that's how you aim in javelin. And to find out if Michael can throw more than 30 metres, we have to go to warmer weather back in the autumn. The first film I did, Adifley Road. You reckon you got more in it? Yeah. So, yeah, go again and then, because I really, really have to see you doing a running throw as well. Again, I'm going to have to move the GoPro back because I keep on missing the shot. So, we're up in the early 30s now, on throw four. Yeah. I mean, how does that feel? It's a very different weight to your javelin. Yeah, it's, I mean, although the weighting is different, it is still a spear. So, like, although it will take a little bit of getting used to, I'm still fairly comfortable throwing that, it is my implement. But, yeah, I think it's going to be about getting used to the difference in the position of the centre of mass and, as I mentioned also, the fact that the main weight of it isn't in the tip. Yeah. I'd say you're doing pretty well after your fourth throw. Thank you very much. So, let's go again. Oh, I love working with professionals. Brilliant. That one came out a bit wrong. So, Michael just pulled this one out and this has happened and he got all worried, bless him. But, the bottom line is, as anybody who's interested in Pelham knows, this is supposed to happen, isn't it? Well, this is an interesting point. Is it supposed to happen? Is it supposed to bend so that people can't throw it back or so that it dangles out of shields? Well, at least as far as I know, we don't really know the answer to that. But, as a weapons maker and filmmaker, my belief with this is that this is armour piercing. The idea of this long, thin shank is it goes through a shield, for instance, or it goes through mail. And if that goes through a shield, it's now going to, even if it hasn't actually hit you, it's going to encumber you on the inside. That's why the shank was long, that's my belief. You make it long, well, it can't be too heavy because otherwise you can't throw the thing, so it's quite thin. It's quite thin, made of soft iron, it bends and I think that this has got everybody hot under the collar and all excited because it bends and therefore it must have a function. I don't think it has got a function, it's just, well, part of the function of it being to be long and thin and light-ish weight. But the question is, can you throw it? Because apparently you can't throw them back. Part of the problem with the first film was I left the filming too late in the day, it got too dark, so another awkward cut, please forgive me, back to the second film. Either way, they're quite easy to bend, so we've got that one now as well, so a matching pair. So, Michael, take those two lovely projectiles away and we'll give it a go. This is really quite bent. That really is quite bent. Well, that still would have gone in somebody. Absolutely. So, I mean, that was still a dead straight throw, that was the important thing. It didn't cause it to tumble or buck or do anything, it just still went straight. Again, perfect, absolutely perfect. So, I think for me, the conclusion there is does it stop them going straight? No, it doesn't. Would it be unpleasant at the other end? Yes, it would. Because I foolishly chose to do filming on such a cold day, or ignorantly perhaps, I didn't actually realise the implication of it. We weren't able to do an energetic throw when Michael came down here just before Christmas. So, we're back to Iffley Road again, back to the autumn for a running throw. How far can he go? Of course, you don't really know how they were thrown or how they could be thrown. Of course, in war, anything happens. So, I'm sure people ran up and threw them. Can you run up and throw it? Let's see. Oh, that is awesome. I know he's supposed to be good because he throws for the UK, but again, that was the first time he has done a running throw with one of these and it was a little point heavy, but it was awesomely good, awesomely good. Fantastic. How did you feel? Yeah, slightly mishit it, that's why it tipped out, but there's more distance there. Throw one. Come on, give yourself a break. I'll give him a break as well. Throw two. Oh, beautiful. Oh, perfect. You used the word ambling earlier on. Come on. So, what were you doing? Tell me about it. I think, give me two weeks and a bit more practice. Do a few harder throws. I think we can get well over 50 metres with these. So, we were getting 42. We love it. You were getting 42, which again is just, that is way beyond what I thought these things would do actually. So, we'll see you again and then we'll dial in Michael's numbers, we'll put it into our spear thrower and then we can run some tests because, well, I want to see these things go through mail and shields and whatever else we're going to do with it. And here I introduce Michael to the spear thrower. The reason that he's here is to get a distance for how far this thing will throw a peelum and then I completely don't do it. Michael, never work with amateurs, but we're going to rectify this fault. Spear thrower, obviously. Basically, we've got the back half of a crossbow there, a whole load of bungees here, but what's important for me is you can adjust the power of this thing. You can adjust the actual length that it shoots over the power stroke. You can, a bit like your big thrower, a wiry thrower, you can change the power of the bungees as well. So, you can put thinner ones, thicker ones on it. So, the whole thing is completely adjustable. So, I'm just setting it up now and it means that, you know, if you throw 42 metres, I can make this thing throw a peelum 42 metres. Unfortunately, today the peelum is not yet set up for it, but we have these which are, I'd love to see you throw another time, but we have these which are sort of 400 gram the Fletch javelins. So, we can do this. So, basically, we pull the thing back. So, we're in. Looks a little bit Heath Robinson, but really you just shoot it as you would on the other. So, that's it. That's so good. So, are you feeling the urge? Oh, absolutely. All right, so that's what? That's 35 metres, something like that, at what's that? 30 degree elevation. That's so good, but it's like I say, it's not at full power by any means. Oh, yeah, no, but I can just see how, yeah, you put some big bungees on this and you've launched something. Yeah, but it means that I can replicate your throw now without having to actually be good at throwing. Right, let's load her up. One of the weirder and crazier things I've felt. Right, all yours. Trigger is live. Nice shot. So, that is the whole reason that you were down here today, but there is nothing as glamorous as actually throwing it the real thing. So, we will get you a mannequin, mail and a shield. I'll make that as a promise. Michael, thank you very much. No worries. It's been a lot of fun. Good. Another time. So, this is the part that should have been there all along. Throwing a pilum with our spear thrower. So, I've modified the back of this pilum here because it has a butt spike. So, I've put a little wooden bit that will catch the string and now we're going to load this thing up. Not exactly a handy battlefield weapon, but it does the job. And here we go. Lovely. Oh, fantastic. What a way to end. So, what that now gives us is accuracy, distance, the right speed, the right angle and we can now look at shooting at mail, at flesh, at plate, at shields. Oh, whatever. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Bit of a weird mess around with the edits there. But anyway, thank you very much. See you again.