Dwarven Weapons & Armour

Throughout their existence, Dwarves were highly skilled in building unmatched weaponry and using it to their best advantage. They derived this skill from Vala Aulë, the Smith who fashioned the world of Arda and also crafted the dwarves in the initial days of Arda. The dwarves have a long list of conventional weapons of each type, including bows, swords, axes, and hatchets. Their weaponry has maintained its unique Dwarven identity and has built a strong reputation among other cultures.

The Dwarven ax is the most famously known weaponry in the Dwarven arsenal. It was the most commonly used weapon by any dwarf soldier. The dwarves started using the ax at the time when Khazad-dûm was founded, somewhere in the Ages of Stars and since then they have been using the ax extensively in wars. [1] Gimli, the dwarf warrior, bore an ax at all times, and his war cries "Baruk Khazad" translates to "Axes of The Dwarves." The ax was used to attack more than for defensive purposes as the idea behind the weapon was to drive forward while attacking. Axe was a weapon that was much harder to manipulate and hence took great skill to master. The extensive usage of the weapon was a testament to the skill and temperament the dwarves had during battles.

The sword was used by Dwarves much less than the ax. However, a few of the famous Dwarven figures have used the sword with great success. Besides that, the warriors based in the Iron Hills always used a broad sword as their sidearm.

Mattock was a weapon highly preferred by the Dwarves of the Iron Hills. The dwarves were famous for their mattock-yielding skills. Moreover, the mattocks had specially designated names to them wherever they were mentioned.

Another favored weapon of the dwarves, the hammer was mostly used for forging metal and other purposes related to smithing. But dwarves also handled hammers that were specifically built for wars. Their hammer featured a long wooden shaft topped with a large metal head which resembled a brick, in terms of its shape. The weapon itself was too heavy to be carried with one hand. It usually took two hands to move the weapon with skill. When used skillfully, the hammer was a mighty weapon often dealing deadly blows.

Even though bows are not frequently associated with the dwarves as they are with the orcs, dwarves used bows to quite an extent. In Mirkwood, Thorin and the company used bows that were given to them by Beorn. Thorin even displayed his skills with the bow by hitting a deer they encountered on the way. Besides that, Thorin also dug out a bow from the armor arsenal of Erebor and used it to shoot the agents that were sent to negotiate with him.

When it comes to battles, dwarves are best known for their heavy armor set. The Dwarven Smith, who invented most of their weapons and armor, took the manufacturing of this equipment very seriously. The armor was mostly made of iron and chain-mails. The chain-mails were accompanied by iron or steel helms and shields. The dwarven armor was extensively used during the time of the Wars of Beleriand. Besides shields, the dwarves also designed helmets that covered their faces. These forged masks were especially useful while battling the fire-breathing dragons as their face would be protected against the flames they spit out. Moreover, when the dwarves started using Mithril in their smithing process, their armors changed more drastically than ever before. Mithril had the power to make the arrows bounce off from their shields and armor, making it one of the most invaluable substances for the dwarves. Mithril becomes so essential that a single mail shirt was - "worth more than the value of the Shire and everything in it". [2] However, Mithril met with ill-fate when the Orcs of the Misty Mountains and the Balrog of Morgoth seized the dwarf mines of Khazad-dûm. Since then, the use of Mithril to make weapons and armor became very limited. Post that, Dain and other inhabitants of the Iron Hills invented metal mesh and used it as a substance to make armor for legs.

1. ^Why Are Dwarves Shown To Like Axes?
2. ^Can Mithril Be Penetrated?