AMERICAN INDIAN WAR CLUB FOR COMMENT

[David]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

What was interesting to me was that the method of construction seemed to follow that in the article I found, but then certainly fabricators of imitations would probably follow that as well.

Jim, i appreciate that you have taken this as an opportunity to delve into this very interesting and perhaps under represented (on these forums) weapons of Native American culture. I also appreciate Ibrahiim's contribution on the so-called gunstock clubs (though it sort of like bringing up bazookas in a discussion on .22 caliber rifles...really apples and oranges). These gunstock clubs are very interesting and probably deserving of a thread of their own if any members actually have legitimate examples to show.
But just for clarification i do have to call your above statement into question just so we don't leave any misconceptions in Rajesh's mind. It seems pretty obvious to me that Rajesh's club is not at all constructed in the traditional manner mentioned in your article which is why we are all calling it out as probably being a modern reproduction. According to your article these clubs used notched stones that were generally double cone of egg shaped and attached these stones to handles with rawhide. These clubs were usually decorated. Rajesh's club does none of this.
"These stone heads were made from hard material, usually granite or quartzite The type form is double cone, varying to egg shape, but always with a groove around the middle in which the handle was fastened.
The stone head war club averaged about two pounds in weight. It was attached to a wooden handle about 20 inches in length. These handles were small. When they were shaped to the proper size, one end was split and half of it removed , leaving enough of the other half to reach around the groove and extend a few inches down the handle, which was then wrapped with green rawhide, the leather extending around the wood in the groove. When dried, the rawhide shrank and the handle was fastened on securely."