Another stone disc club.

Tim Simmons · 24th May 2011, 08:33 PM

After my awful faux pas with the East Asian shield {always happens when I try things from that part or Asia} I feel the need to redeem myself by showing this interesting Melanesian disc club. Shorter than one I have that is without doubt Papuan. This has an overall tip to tip length of 78cm. The stone disc is roughly 13cm in diameter and just over 1cm thick. The use of the forked haft to secure the stone is very simple, practical and dare I say rather clever. It seems to me that the haft has been split then steam or burying in hot sand has been used to fix the bend in the split wood open, so the stone is safely and strongly held. In my limited knowledge I do not think this is Papuan, certainly as in the main Island. The disc club form is used over a wide region. Another point of interest is the hole for a lanyard? May give a clue to origin?

fearn · 25th May 2011, 07:16 PM

Hi Tim,

I'm not clear on why a forked tip is a good way to hold the disc. You strike with the disc, the force closes the fork, and the disk falls off, right? Or am I misinterpreting it?

F

Tim Simmons · 25th May 2011, 08:07 PM

Fearn, the forked wood has been held open and heat treated in some way like burying in hot sand with a spacer in the fork. The fork them acts like a compression spring. More force than swinging the club around is needed to compresse the spring in the fork. Does that make sense?

Robert · 25th May 2011, 09:02 PM

I know little of nothing about club type weapons (and this point was well demonstrated in my last post on one)

but looking at the difference in the patina on the end of the shaft that protrudes through the stone compared to the the rest of the shaft to it looks to me like it could have had binding on it at some point. I would think that it might originally have had a spacer in the fork with binding holding it in place, BWDIK.

Robert

24th May 2011, 08:33 PM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	Another stone disc club. After my awful faux pas with the East Asian shield {always happens when I try things from that part or Asia} I feel the need to redeem myself by showing this interesting Melanesian disc club. Shorter than one I have that is without doubt Papuan. This has an overall tip to tip length of 78cm. The stone disc is roughly 13cm in diameter and just over 1cm thick. The use of the forked haft to secure the stone is very simple, practical and dare I say rather clever. It seems to me that the haft has been split then steam or burying in hot sand has been used to fix the bend in the split wood open, so the stone is safely and strongly held. In my limited knowledge I do not think this is Papuan, certainly as in the main Island. The disc club form is used over a wide region. Another point of interest is the hole for a lanyard? May give a clue to origin? Attached Images

25th May 2011, 09:02 PM	#4
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	I know little of nothing about club type weapons (and this point was well demonstrated in my last post on one) but looking at the difference in the patina on the end of the shaft that protrudes through the stone compared to the the rest of the shaft to it looks to me like it could have had binding on it at some point. I would think that it might originally have had a spacer in the fork with binding holding it in place, BWDIK. Robert Last edited by Robert Coleman; 25th May 2011 at 09:41 PM.

25th May 2011, 07:16 PM	#2
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Tim, I'm not clear on why a forked tip is a good way to hold the disc. You strike with the disc, the force closes the fork, and the disk falls off, right? Or am I misinterpreting it? F

25th May 2011, 08:07 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	Fearn, the forked wood has been held open and heat treated in some way like burying in hot sand with a spacer in the fork. The fork them acts like a compression spring. More force than swinging the club around is needed to compresse the spring in the fork. Does that make sense?