Grooved club for comment.
 

Not sure where this one comes from. any ideas, please? foundling on ebay billed as 'asian' hardwood club origin unknown..

4.5 in skin band with fur on it top of grip, leather bound near pommel. main 'blade' is round, about 1.5 in. dia. 36 in. long. hardwood of some sort. more details when it arrives.

THE ONLY CLUE I SEE IS THE PIECE OF DRIED ANIMAL HIDE, THIS IS MOSTLY SEEN ON AFRICAN CLUBS. I HAVE NO REFERENCES SO ITS JUST A GUESS, BUT IT IS A NICE CLUB PERHAPS SOMEONE WITH MORE KNOWLEDGE OR
REFERENCES CAN PIN IT DOWN FOR YOU. GOOD LUCK.

the hide/leather leads me to think sudan. grooves make me think possibly so. america or australia. do not think it is 'asian' or oceanic. anyway, i'll hang it next to my ethiopean club in the african corner when it arrives. unless it turns out to be from elsewhere ;)

I meant to leave a bid on this one. I like it. I would think it is from the Sudan or there abouts. Leather in not normally seem on South American things but there is always an exception. You got it at a really good price. :cool:

ONE TECHNIQUE USED FOR COVERING OBJECTS IN LEATHER IN AFRICA IS TO SKIN OUT THE TAIL OR A LEG WITHOUT SPLITTING IT. THAT LEAVES YOU WITH A SLEEVE OF RAWHIDE WHICH CAN BE SLIPPED OVER THE OBJECT AND TIGHTENS AS IT DRYS. THIS STRENGTHENS THE OBJECT AND REQUIRES NO SEWING TO ATTACH IT. IS YOUR CLUB DONE IN THIS FASHION?

i'll know when it arrives ;)

i've seen iklwa (assegai) where the blade is strengthened at the tang/haft with the cowtail sleeve. it's the normal 'munition' grade way to do it. the officer's models generally have brass/iron wire braiding, like mine below, which takes a lot more time.

club has arrived. the hairy sleeve is seamless, so a dried degloved cows tail is likely. the stepped area of the pommel also appears to be a thicker seamless leather sleeve about 1/8 in. thick. hard to tell, it's hard as a rock (or wood) does not have any grain, the grain in the wood ends at the little step, and restarts at the final mini-step. may there have been a cord/fibre wrap between the two sleeves?

i've seen some clubs from the dinka/shilluk peoples of so. sudan with this general shape and some comments that the use the cow tail sleeves on some club grips. the shilluk were mentioned as grooving clubs longitudinally like this, but i've not seen any amongst the few photos that were as grooved as this one. also some mention that some of these may have been used as slave clubs.

club weight 508 grams (1.12 lb.)

VERY NICE IT HAS GOOD PATINA AND WEAR. :cool: