A UNUSUAL SHARKTOOTH TOOL

VANDOO · 17th October 2013, 10:54 PM

I AM LUCKY TO HAVE ACCESS TO BOTH MODERN AND OLD ITEMS IN MY COLLECTIONS SO CAN DO COMPARASONS. THE USE OF A GOOD MICROSCOPE ALLOWS ME TO MAKE PROFESSIONAL OBSERVATIONS AND COMPARISONS. THOUGH I AM NOT A LICENSED CONSERVATOR I HAVE MADE OBSERVATIONS FOR MANY YEARS OF MANY ETHINOGRAPHIC ITEMS WEAPONS BEING A SMALL PORTION THEREOF. I HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF SHARK TOOTH AND OTHER TYPES OF FISH TEETH AND BONE WEAPONS AND A FEW TOOLS AVAILABLE BUT THIS ITEM WE DISCUSS HERE IS NEW TO ME. HANDELING THE ITEM I SUSPECT IT TO BE A TOOL OR CEREMONIAL ITEM FOR REASONS STATED ABOVE NOT A WEAPON. PERHAPS THE BISHOP MUSEUM OR ONE OF THE OTHER BIG MUSEUMS MAY HAVE AN EXAMPLE IN THEIR EXTENSIVE COLLECTIONS OR REFRENCES. I AM LIMITED IN BOTH FIELDS IN COMPARISON BUT DO THE BEST I CAN. THE HAIR LOOKS HUMAN AND IS TOO BRITTLE WITH AGE TO HAVE BEEN WORKED RECENTLY I COMPARED IT TO SEVERAL MANDAU I HAVE WITH HUMAN HAIR THAT ARE AROUND 150 YEARS OR OLDER. THE DUST SEEN IS NOT ARTIFICIALLY ADDED MUD OR GRIME AS I OFTEN SEE IN ITEMS FROM CHINA AND NEW GUINEA.
ATTACHED IS A LITTLE TABLE EXHIBIT OF TOOTHED WEAPONS I BROUGHT TO TIMONIUM IN 2007

fearn · 17th October 2013, 11:01 PM

There are a lot of ways to make hair brittle (it's worth asking a woman about this, as things as simple as sun, dyeing, and blowdrying make hair very brittle), and I've got some tiger shark teeth I purchased years ago on eBay for a shark's tooth weapon I never got around to making.

Sorry, I don't buy that this is old. The design simply isn't old. As others have noted, it's a half-way decent knuckleduster. However, if it's been artificially aged, I'll change my opinion about whether it was created as a Lua tool or art piece, and start thinking darker thoughts.

F

VANDOO · 18th October 2013, 12:39 AM

OK YOU WIN, DISREGARD ALL I HAVE POSTED ON IT.

PERHAPS ITS A MINNIEHUNI KNUCKLEDUSTER FROM HAWAII
IF IT IS A RECENT FAKE THEY DID THE BEST JOB I HAVE EVER SEEN AND SOLD IT WAY TOO CHEAP FOR THE WORK THAT WENT INTO IT ONLY A FEW HOURS PAY AT MC DONALDS WOULD PAY FOR IT. FROM THE PICTURES I THOUGHT IT WAS RECENT WHEN I BOUGHT IT BUT IT INTERESTED ME AND THE WORKMANSHIP LOOKED GOOD THE PRICE WAS RIGHT AND NO OTHER BIDDERS SO I TOOK A CHANCE. THE ITEM IS EXTREAMLY SMALL, DELICATE AND FRAGILE. I JUST HOPE TO FIND OUT IF IT IS A KNOWN ARTEFACT AND WHAT IT IS AND ITS USE.
IF IT IS A MODERN FANTASY ITEM MADE USING VERY SOPHISTICATED PRIMATIVE TOOLS, METHODS AND ADVANCED AGEING TECKNIQUES SOMEONE VERY SKILLED SURE WORKS CHEAP AND I WOULD LOVE TO HIRE THEM TO MAKE ME A FEW REPLICA ITEMS THAT ARE USUALLY FAR OUT OF MY PRICE RANGE.

fearn · 18th October 2013, 04:43 AM

A gentlemens' disagreement, perhaps?

Actually, there is a good point here about human hair. We tend to uncritically use its presence as a guide to authenticity, but it wouldn't be at all hard to get hair to use as a binding, if someone either wanted to experiment with it (for authenticity's sake) or to make a fake.

F

17th October 2013, 10:54 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I AM LUCKY TO HAVE ACCESS TO BOTH MODERN AND OLD ITEMS IN MY COLLECTIONS SO CAN DO COMPARASONS. THE USE OF A GOOD MICROSCOPE ALLOWS ME TO MAKE PROFESSIONAL OBSERVATIONS AND COMPARISONS. THOUGH I AM NOT A LICENSED CONSERVATOR I HAVE MADE OBSERVATIONS FOR MANY YEARS OF MANY ETHINOGRAPHIC ITEMS WEAPONS BEING A SMALL PORTION THEREOF. I HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF SHARK TOOTH AND OTHER TYPES OF FISH TEETH AND BONE WEAPONS AND A FEW TOOLS AVAILABLE BUT THIS ITEM WE DISCUSS HERE IS NEW TO ME. HANDELING THE ITEM I SUSPECT IT TO BE A TOOL OR CEREMONIAL ITEM FOR REASONS STATED ABOVE NOT A WEAPON. PERHAPS THE BISHOP MUSEUM OR ONE OF THE OTHER BIG MUSEUMS MAY HAVE AN EXAMPLE IN THEIR EXTENSIVE COLLECTIONS OR REFRENCES. I AM LIMITED IN BOTH FIELDS IN COMPARISON BUT DO THE BEST I CAN. THE HAIR LOOKS HUMAN AND IS TOO BRITTLE WITH AGE TO HAVE BEEN WORKED RECENTLY I COMPARED IT TO SEVERAL MANDAU I HAVE WITH HUMAN HAIR THAT ARE AROUND 150 YEARS OR OLDER. THE DUST SEEN IS NOT ARTIFICIALLY ADDED MUD OR GRIME AS I OFTEN SEE IN ITEMS FROM CHINA AND NEW GUINEA. ATTACHED IS A LITTLE TABLE EXHIBIT OF TOOTHED WEAPONS I BROUGHT TO TIMONIUM IN 2007 Attached Images

18th October 2013, 12:39 AM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	OK YOU WIN, DISREGARD ALL I HAVE POSTED ON IT. PERHAPS ITS A MINNIEHUNI KNUCKLEDUSTER FROM HAWAII IF IT IS A RECENT FAKE THEY DID THE BEST JOB I HAVE EVER SEEN AND SOLD IT WAY TOO CHEAP FOR THE WORK THAT WENT INTO IT ONLY A FEW HOURS PAY AT MC DONALDS WOULD PAY FOR IT. FROM THE PICTURES I THOUGHT IT WAS RECENT WHEN I BOUGHT IT BUT IT INTERESTED ME AND THE WORKMANSHIP LOOKED GOOD THE PRICE WAS RIGHT AND NO OTHER BIDDERS SO I TOOK A CHANCE. THE ITEM IS EXTREAMLY SMALL, DELICATE AND FRAGILE. I JUST HOPE TO FIND OUT IF IT IS A KNOWN ARTEFACT AND WHAT IT IS AND ITS USE. IF IT IS A MODERN FANTASY ITEM MADE USING VERY SOPHISTICATED PRIMATIVE TOOLS, METHODS AND ADVANCED AGEING TECKNIQUES SOMEONE VERY SKILLED SURE WORKS CHEAP AND I WOULD LOVE TO HIRE THEM TO MAKE ME A FEW REPLICA ITEMS THAT ARE USUALLY FAR OUT OF MY PRICE RANGE. Last edited by VANDOO; 18th October 2013 at 04:59 AM.

17th October 2013, 11:01 PM	#2
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	There are a lot of ways to make hair brittle (it's worth asking a woman about this, as things as simple as sun, dyeing, and blowdrying make hair very brittle), and I've got some tiger shark teeth I purchased years ago on eBay for a shark's tooth weapon I never got around to making. Sorry, I don't buy that this is old. The design simply isn't old. As others have noted, it's a half-way decent knuckleduster. However, if it's been artificially aged, I'll change my opinion about whether it was created as a Lua tool or art piece, and start thinking darker thoughts. F

18th October 2013, 04:43 AM	#4
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	A gentlemens' disagreement, perhaps? Actually, there is a good point here about human hair. We tend to uncritically use its presence as a guide to authenticity, but it wouldn't be at all hard to get hair to use as a binding, if someone either wanted to experiment with it (for authenticity's sake) or to make a fake. F