Crossbow Gaffle BAH1992-1107a from Santa Clara3D Model
A gaffle (“gafa” in Spanish) is a type of folding, iron lever used to pull back the cord on the crossbow and cock it in place. Because of its unusually curved arms, it is also known as a goat’s foot lever. The gaffle worked by hooking two claws onto the cord and pulling the long lever bar to draw the cord back into the lock. The gaffle was levered against iron pegs mounted on the stock behind the lock. This device was simple to use and was reliable in all sorts of conditions. From the 15th century on, it was utilized by foot soldiers and horsemen to charge their crossbows. And based on archaeological evidence, it looks like the gaffle was the preferred device for use with crossbows at sea. This gaffle from the Spanish galleon Santa Clara of 1564, is a resin cast made from the concretion that formed around the original iron. It is 27.5 cm long, overall. A short video showing a gaffle in use can be seen here: http://bit.ly/24pUM0I
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