[Boromir88]

Thanks for bumping an old thread of yours Kuru. First time I've read it and I'm not sure if any of this will provide additional insight but figured I'd just toss up everything I've looked through for consideration.

First to Morth's point about the dwarves of the Iron Hills selection of the mattock. It wasn't just a tool they grabbed in haste to help Thorin, but agree with Morth, their preferred weapon of choice. At the battle of Azanulbizar, the dwarves of the Iron Hills come again with mattocks:

...until at last the people of the Iron Hills turned the day. Coming late and fresh to the field the mailed warriors of Nain, Gror's son, drove through the Orcs to the very threshold of Moria, crying "Azog! Azog!" as they hewed down with their mattocks all who stood in their way.~Appendix A: Durin's Folk

Now, Dain Ironfoot is noted for having a red axe and hewing off the head of Azog. But mattocks weren't just a tool the dwarves of the Iron Hills grabbed in haste. It's noted it took three years for the Dwarves to gather their strength after Azog killed Thror.

Aragorn is awed by Gimli's skill with an axe during the battle of the Hornburg:

"He is stout and strong," said Aragorn. "Let us hope that he will escape back to the caves. There he would be safe for a while. Safer than we. Such a refuge would be to the liking of a dwarf."
...
"If he wins back the caves, he will pass your count again," laughed Aragorn. "Never did I see an axe so wielded."

For what it's worth, when Forlong comes with his men from Lossarnach:

Behind him marched proudly a dusty line of men, well armed and bearing great battle-axes; grim-faced they were, and shorter and somewhat swarthier than any men that Pippin had yet seen in Gondor.~Minas Tirith

If Imrahil had a bit of Elvish blood in him...maybe the Men of Lossarnach had dwarvish blood! Ok, that's quite a stretch, but then again you have the cries of Forlong the Fat, that are all too reminiscent of Bombur's notable girth.

And as far as whether the dwarves fought more berserk-like or more like a Roman unit. Is it possible to fight both in a berserk frenzy and as an organized unite? The Dwarves a tight, secretive bunch. They guard their language and don't even reveal their true names upon their deaths:

Gimli's own name, however, and the names of all his kin, are of Northern (Mannish) origin. Their own secret and inner names, their true names, the Dwarves have never revealed to anyone of alien race. Not even on their tombs do they inscribe them.~Appendix F

Such a close-knit and guarded race, that has protected their language from all others, suggests they would be an organized fighting unit in war as well. But, reading about the Battle of Azanulbizar in the Appendix, several times wrath, anger, vengeance is mentioned about the dwarves. It could be this is just one war of the many Dwarves have fought, so it's kind of an outlier because of the special circumstances, with the death of Thror by the hand of Azog.

When all was ready they assailed and sacked one by one all the strongholds of the Orcs that they could find from Gundabad to the Gladden. Both sides were pitiless, and there was death and cruel deeds by dark and by light. But the Dwarves had the victory through their strength, and their matchless weapons, and the fire of their anger, as they hunted for Azog in every den under mountain.~Appendix A: Durin's Folk

Is it possible to be such a close-knit race, that even in their wrath and anger, Dwarves remain an organized fighting force? Although, they achieved victory through strength, matchless weapons, and the fire of their anger...It's all rather puzzling. Perhaps as in history, try as we might to fight battles in an orderly, organized manner, they turn into free-for-alls. And in free-for-alls superior weapons, armor and fury might win the day.

Although, I don't think we can look at the dwarves through our own real-life Mannish eyes. The Dwarves have successfully guarded their language and true names as a treasured secret. It's almost like even in their battle-like fury they manage to fight together as a unit. You see, Men have to be trained to fight together in an orderly and organized unit. Dwarves, being a unit is in their nature, it's in their blood, and in their very language that they guard so close.

Your thread title is perfect brilliance Kuru. By the Way We War, I assume you meant at the time, the way Dwarves war. I am no Dwarf, and so I would say the way Dwarves war is incomprehensible to any Man, Elf, or non-dwarf. There is no human equivalence to the way the Dwarves are able to war even in berserk-fury, they remain a family unit.