War club

[mazo kid]

After reading TC Albert's article in the latest Muzzleloader magazine, I decided to do something with a hunk of wood I've had for ~24 years. Here is what I started with:

I decided to use the natural blemishes instead of trying to make a round club:

.....
This is what it looks like now; still trying to decide what, if anything, I want to do next. If I had more talent, maybe I could have done better. But it is what it is! Antler tine "fangs", milk paint, turkey feathers from my woods, copper point sawed out and filed.

 

[50cal.cliff]

That thing looks like it might bite ya! :rotf:

Seriously that was a good use of the piece!

 

[kg7e]

I was inspired by the same article. I'm working on this:

 

[Macon Due]

Very nice work Sir!
I like it.
Macon

 

[JamesG]

Nice clubs. Big lost that is going to look real nice. Are you going to put a metal blade in it?

 

[mazo kid]

I was inspired by the same article.

Yes, I am also working on a couple of gun stock clubs also. Cut two out, each a bit different pattern. Should have some pics soon of the first one.

 

[BillinOregon]

It seems that I had better get around to subscribing to Muzzleloader. I'm obviously missing out.
Mazo, careful you don't step on that thing in bare feet on a midnight trip to the WC!

:shocked2:

 

[gmarc]

What kind of wood is it? Looks like a nice club! I have seen some live demos of ball-headed war clubs.

They are said to be very effective weapons that originally had kata-like drills associated with them, whch have been described by early chroniclers.

 

[Tomcat1066]

It seems that I had better get around to subscribing to Muzzleloader. I'm obviously missing out.

Exactly what I was thinking. I've got some Southern Yellow Pine 2x8's in the back yard. They're not good for much else, so maybe I can turn them into something interesting like a war club or two.

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

:applause: Seems to me we talked about that piece of wood a couple of years ago and you were going to do something with it then. :haha:
Glad to see that you finally were able to visualize what was waiting in there! Nice job.

 

[LaBonte]

For those interested in seeing original clubs, both gun stock style or ball head I suggest the following two sites: http://anthro.amnh.org/north
http://www.splendidheritage.com/nindex.html

As to the name gunstock war club it's a later application of a European name to an item that resembled the shaope of a gunstock and that was used by the Indians of various tribes long before they ever saw guns i.e..
Here's an image from the Aztecs dating to the 1500's - note the item on the right - it is a gunstock warclub with an early knapped flint blade known as a celt.

 

[fatboy]

nice work guys

 

[mazo kid]

:applause: Seems to me we talked about that piece of wood a couple of years ago and you were going to do something with it then. :haha:
Glad to see that you finally were able to visualize what was waiting in there! Nice job.

LOL!! Yeah, sometimes I need to have some inspiration to push me along...too many projects. I really have no idea as to what the wood is; I know it is dense and heavy though.

 

[mazo kid]

Chuck, thanks for posting those links! Lots of ideas there.