Melanesian pole club?

Tim Simmons · 2nd September 2008, 07:03 AM

I know nothing about Japanese weapons fearn. I can see your thoughts in the purity of form, not unusual in the South Seas too.

Somebody out there knows about Japanese wood clubs? a peasants weapon? perhaps a police baton? I have a heavy boken of similarly dark coloured wood but seems quite different wood really, perhaps because it is not old like the club.

I would rather it was from the Melanesian world.

I have very small information about pole clubs in New Ireland but there are many other islands in the region.

Help please?

lemmythesmith · 2nd September 2008, 10:07 PM

Hi Tim, the form of your club does look like a Japanese kanabo but the ones I've handled are much bigger-about 4-5 feet long and have strips of studded iron attached to them. The bottom half of kanabo are often carved with ribbing looking as if they were turned on a lathe but probably applied by hand.

Hope this helps, Graham

fearn · 3rd September 2008, 01:41 AM

Hi Tim,

I was thinking of the Japanese hanbo, which is about 3 feet long and 1 to 1.5 inches diameter. It might have a hole drilled near one end for a wrist loop. Basically, the smooth, relatively even club with an octagonal cross section seems like a Japanese thing to me.

Without doing a (destructive) wood test, there's not much way to tell, unless you have something in the way of provenance.

Anyway, it's just my opinion. I'd be happy to be wrong.

F

Tim Simmons · 3rd September 2008, 02:01 PM

F you are not wrong. At least it is an old one. Another piece to put at the back of the wardrobe.

fearn · 4th September 2008, 05:15 AM

Hi Tim,

Glad to help. Perhaps it needs a home behind the door, for providing a warm and friendly welcome to any visiting neds...

F

ausjulius · 5th September 2008, 03:37 AM

could most likely be fiji or could be tonga both areas octagonial clubs were common.. , actualy fijian clubs were traded all around the pacific due to their quality and hardness of woods found in fiji.

Tim Simmons · 5th September 2008, 06:51 AM

You sound such a nice chap

I had hopes but have lost my confidence. I can say as can be seen, it has an all over smooth patina which I have not seen on martial arts kit. The octagonal carving in real space seems less precise that one would think of Japanese work or is that just hope. Look at the patina of all three clubs.

2nd September 2008, 07:03 AM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,846	I know nothing about Japanese weapons fearn. I can see your thoughts in the purity of form, not unusual in the South Seas too. Somebody out there knows about Japanese wood clubs? a peasants weapon? perhaps a police baton? I have a heavy boken of similarly dark coloured wood but seems quite different wood really, perhaps because it is not old like the club. I would rather it was from the Melanesian world. I have very small information about pole clubs in New Ireland but there are many other islands in the region. Help please? Last edited by Tim Simmons; 2nd September 2008 at 07:13 AM.

2nd September 2008, 10:07 PM	#2
lemmythesmith Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 93	Hi Tim, the form of your club does look like a Japanese kanabo but the ones I've handled are much bigger-about 4-5 feet long and have strips of studded iron attached to them. The bottom half of kanabo are often carved with ribbing looking as if they were turned on a lathe but probably applied by hand. Hope this helps, Graham

3rd September 2008, 01:41 AM	#3
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Tim, I was thinking of the Japanese hanbo, which is about 3 feet long and 1 to 1.5 inches diameter. It might have a hole drilled near one end for a wrist loop. Basically, the smooth, relatively even club with an octagonal cross section seems like a Japanese thing to me. Without doing a (destructive) wood test, there's not much way to tell, unless you have something in the way of provenance. Anyway, it's just my opinion. I'd be happy to be wrong. F

3rd September 2008, 02:01 PM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,846	F you are not wrong. At least it is an old one. Another piece to put at the back of the wardrobe.

4th September 2008, 05:15 AM	#5
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Tim, Glad to help. Perhaps it needs a home behind the door, for providing a warm and friendly welcome to any visiting neds... F

5th September 2008, 03:37 AM	#6
ausjulius Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: musorian territory Posts: 439	could most likely be fiji or could be tonga both areas octagonial clubs were common.. , actualy fijian clubs were traded all around the pacific due to their quality and hardness of woods found in fiji.

5th September 2008, 06:51 AM	#7
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,846	You sound such a nice chap I had hopes but have lost my confidence. I can say as can be seen, it has an all over smooth patina which I have not seen on martial arts kit. The octagonal carving in real space seems less precise that one would think of Japanese work or is that just hope. Look at the patina of all three clubs.