Bodkin point

A bodkin point or bodkin tip is a type of needle-arrowhead, designed to pierce armour, which was used extensively throughout the 1st millennium and first half of the 2nd millennium. In its simplest form, it is an uncomplicated squared metal spike, but more advanced forms exist.

The typical bodkin was a square-section arrowhead, generally up to 11.5 cm (4.5 in) long and 1 cm (0.39 in) thick at its widest point, tapered down behind this initial "punch" shape. Bodkin arrows complemented traditional broadhead arrows, as bodkin point arrows were designed to defeat mail armour while broadhead point arrows caused more serious wounds and tissue damage.

The term bodkin point/tip derives its name from the word bodkin, a type of sharp, pointed dagger. It stems from Middle English: bodekin or boydekin, and was largely popularized by William Shakespeare in Hamlet.

The root of the word is unknown, but may be of Celtic origin.

Bodkin-type arrowheads have been found in Northern Europe dating to the Late Roman Iron Age (200–400 AD), such as in Nydam Mose in Denmark. Such were used throughout the Viking Age and into the later Middle Ages.

These earlier types of bodkin tips were designed to break open the rings in chain mail, and were thus relatively long and thin, often called Needle Bodkin.

During the Late Middle Ages, plate armour emerged. Against such, Needle Bodkins were ineffective, as the long thin tip easily bent upon impact, especially at higher impact angles. To counter plate armour, shorter, more robust, bodkin tips were developed, later combined with case-hardening. Such are sometimes called plate cutters.

The bodkin point eventually fell out of use during the 16th and 17th centuries, as armour largely ceased to be worn and firearms took over from archery.