Gunstock Club

[StevePrice2]

Here is a first attempt at making a gunstock club. Not having made these before but wanting to give it a try, my choice of materials are a little less than authentic. The wood is kiln dried oak from a pallet and the blade is scrap steel from a 53 Chev frame that my ”˜car boys’ gave me when I stopped by their shop afterwork. FREE is always good in my book. The overall length is about 33.5” with a 4 inch blade which is mounted through the wood; secured with epoxy mixed with sawdust. After the epoxy set I took it out and swung it into the yard a few times. Went back in and saw I had removed a bunch of browning by slamming it into the moist yard dirt. DOH!

So with an original design to emulate I went to town and came up with this.

The brass tacks are going on this evening and a scalp lock tied onto the handle ring. The original has a longer narrower dagger style blade and the scalp lock is dyed red horsetail hair. It also has different burned designs. I just made mine up as I went with a hot file and knife tip. The blade design is mine also...just on the fly, cut out, hammered and hot browned. Just a few hours’ work to see if I want to purchase some decent curly maple or other hard wood and craft a better representative piece.

One thing I’m waffling over is adding a rawhide wrap grip or not. Some originals have it and some don’t. I personally don’t care for the spiral wrap that I’ve seen on repros but prefer the wet-sewn-shrunk-rawhide style grip. Any thoughts on adding a leather grip?

Steve

PS- just realized this post should be under Craftsman NOT here. oops, sorry.

 

[Birdman]

Steve, one thing to remember is that a Native made club would have been made with what was available in their area(oak, ash, sugar maple, osage etc). Personally I think 90% of what is made today is WAY! to nice n pretty to really represent a normal run a the mill object. Its nice to own a fancy n pretty piece but to me they are more a reservation piece or a presentation piece. The tools n material used normally would not be all shiney n prettyfied. Most people today are looking the wrong way (IMHO) when purchaseing or building most objects. They want the fancy looks expensive built to micro specs stuff when in reality the common plain sort of things would be more correct. Just some thoughts YMHS Birdman oh yea, the club looks great, nice job, and I like the sewn on grips too.

 

[Old Salt]

That's good reutilization of materials. I always appreciate that. :thumbsup:

:haha: Just for fun I'd be searching for a way to include a Chevrolet emblem in the wood burn design. Nothing too obvious though.

Salt

 

[mazo kid]

That's good reutilization of materials. I always appreciate that. :thumbsup:
:haha: Just for fun I'd be searching for a way to include a Chevrolet emblem in the wood burn design. Nothing too obvious though.
Salt

Steve, nice work! Salt....that's too much!! :rotf:

 

[StevePrice2]

thanks, guys.

Salt....maybe I should have gotten a piece of a Pontiac frame instead. :rotf:

The Chevy bowtie came off of a wallpaper in a French motel back in the early 1900's and became our beloved Chevy emblem.

But then again Chief Pontiac may have carried a regular steel trade hawk.

 

[rkmeyer]

Good job Steve I like it and the rawhide shrink method sounds
super IMHO. :hatsoff:
Dusty :wink:

 

[shmrck1]

Steve,
I think you accomplished what you intended
to.It looks real nice,and would certainly
perform its duties.
I also agree,with Birdman to a degree.
There are times that we get so caught up in
something looking nice,myself included,that we
forget that everything was not perfect.IMO
snake-eyes :hatsoff: