Dwarven Weapons and Armour

"Therefore Thingol took thought for arms, which before his people had not needed, and these at first the Naugrim smithied for him; for they were greatly skilled in such work..." - Quenta Silmarillion

Dwarven Weapons
Throughout their existence, the so-called Naugrim, or Dwarves, have been experts at making and using various weaponry. This skill comes from the Vala Aule the Smith, who crafted the Dwarves at the beginning of Arda. The list of common Dwarven melee weaponry goes on and on, but the skill of the bow is not common among the Dwarves and therefore is not mentioned. Also, the article itself is not terribly extensive.

The Axe
The Dwarven axe is the standard weapon for any Dwarf soldier. The axe can be a combination of various types, either large or small, curved, doubled headed, smooth or a throwing type. Used extensively throughout the wars fought by Dwarves, the axe probably came into use by the time Khazad-dum was founded, somewhere in the Ages of Stars. The idea of the use of the axe is to drive forward while attacking, therefore it is not good in defense. Being a weapon that is hard to control, the axe takes great skill to master, which shows the skill the Dwarves have in warfare. Indeed, the axe was probably the first real weapon used by the Dwarves, most likely being first made out of stone and then iron. As time went on, Dwarves were constantly changing the way they made weapons. With the new use of steel, Dwarves made hardier and overall better axes, but the newfound metal Mithril changed everything for them. With Mithril, Dwarves were able to reach their peak of making weapons. Suddenly, axes began taking on almost magical qualities, being able to slice through almost any metal. The metal Mithril may have completely changed the way Dwarves made and used their axes, but the magical metal was hard to find and even harder to harvest. Thus, most Dwarven axes continued to be made of other metals like steel.

The Sword
The Dwarven sword is almost as amazing as the axe. Being used almost as extensively, the sword is a vital weapon in any Dwarven army. Such famous Dwarven figures like Thorin Oakenshield have wielded this weapon to great effect. As with the Elves, the Dwarves craft their swords expertly and the weapon has evolved as the use of materials to make it has changed. With the use of iron, the Dwarven sword was not unlike others, being either a longsword or a pointed shortsword. With the use of steel, the sword took on a more advanced look, being more broadlike, heavier and sharper. As with the axe, the Dwarven sword reached its peak when the use of Mithril came about, but also like the axe it still was primarily made out of steel. The Dwarves use the sword for a variety of manouevres. Unlike the axe, which focus is on attacking, the sword may be used for defense as well as driving forward. It is easier to handle than the axe, which leads to more Dwarven warriors preferring it over the axe, or at least as a side weapon. Thus the sword is a versatile and deadly weapon and therefore the Dwarves do not disrespect it.

Other Weapons
Certainly, Dwarves make use of other weapons than the sword or the axe. The mace, spear, flail, crossbow and many others have their place in Dwarven armies, however the use of the bow, as stated, is not common among Dwarves. There is not much record stating if any famous Dwarves wielded these weapons, but it is known that they were issued to many warriors who used them to deadly effect.

Dwarven Armour
Perhaps the Dwarves are best known for their armour above all other things battle-related. As with their weapons, Dwarven armour has evolved as the ages have progressed. The earliest metal armour was probably bronze, but that is not recorded. A better example of early Dwarf armour would be iron or steel chainmail, which was invented and used by the Dwarves to great effect by the time of the Wars of Beleriand. Of course, iron or steel helms and shields would accompany this chainmail, possibly along with plate armour. Dwarven helmets are recorded to have covered the face, with the use of a forged mask. This mask was particulary helpful when fighting Dragons, as the face would be shielded from the flames, thanks to the expert craft of the Dwarves. Dwarven shields came in many different types and as all Dwarven works they were highly decorated. Indeed, Dwarven armour is a subject of such perplexity that it would be near impossible to cover all types of this amazing work, thus the reader must forgive the short text. Lastly, with the use of Mithril, their armour changed more dramatically than any other of their works. Having such properties as to make arrows bounce off chainmail, Mithril became an invaluable substance to the Dwarves, so much so that a single mail shirt could be "worth more than the value of the Shire and everything in it". However the use of Mithril in arms and armour became very limited after the Dwarf mines of Khazad-dum were overrun by Orcs of the Misty Mountains and the newly awakened Balrog of Morgoth. Still, Dwarven steel armour became highly prized and continued to be used throughout the Dwarven kingdoms.