War Shillelagh

Tim Simmons · 25th March 2009, 08:22 PM

There is this type of spiked club from South Sudan. Also one similar with a leaf shaped spear blade instead of the spike. They are short clubs so even with a big ball I think easily used in one hand and much like double pointed fighting sticks. pic from "C, Spring. African arms and armour"

fearn · 26th March 2009, 04:10 AM

Hi David,

Neat club. One technique I ran across, but haven't tried yet, is using an iron bar to systematically harden the surface of a quarterstaff. Perhaps you can do something similar with the club head and the anvil...

As for a spike on the butt end, as we know, it's pretty common on knives and some swords, and there are wooden stabbing knives (single and double ended). I suspect that the problem with putting a spike on the end of a long club is that the centrifugal force of swinging the handle will tend to pull your hand down over the spike and off the end. Ideally, you'd want the shaft to flare before narrowing down to a spike, so that you could grip the club and swing full force, without your hands slipping.

That said, there is something to be said for having a fighting point on the back end, because it would be good for close-quarter fighting.

As for short clubs, the Mojave tribe had short clubs with spikes on the handle, so I'm not surprised that the Sudanese were doing something similar.

Fun stuff!

F

Queequeg · 25th April 2009, 07:32 PM

Inspired by Katana's work, I felt compelled to make one just for myself. So, I took a good piece of maple heartwood and went for an antiqued and distressed look.

Full shot. It's about 30" overall:

Part of the head is real burlwood:

In hand:

Some antiquing/distressing. You can see the scratches filled in with patination, but there are also some dents which I made but I can't get in the photo:

I stretched wet calfskin and tied it into a knot to secure the rawhide lanyard, then antiqued all of it:

Full shot against my white birch:

Closer shot:

I used all of my antiquing tricks on this. So, here's a question for you antique weapons experts: how authentic does the antiquing look?

If I were unscrupulous enough to put this on ebay and say it was 100 years old (not that I plan on doing so!), would it pass?

fearn · 26th April 2009, 02:12 AM

Hi Queequeg,

Nice work, and a nice club. It's actually hard to answer your question, because it's already in context as a modern club, and that biases the way I look at it. That said, it doesn't look one hundred years old to me, but you could probably pass it off as such if you really wanted.

F

Queequeg · 26th April 2009, 10:57 PM

Thanks, Fearn.

I'm finding out that making something look rustic and old is actually fairly difficult- it's just too easy to overdo or under-do it. Also during distressing you have to purposely achieve a randomness about it or your process will fall into a pattern which a discerning eye will easily see.

kronckew · 19th December 2014, 07:06 PM

holy resurrection,batman!

found this looking for something else

thought it needed a bump.

adding my 24in. shilleghlegh below for interest. below that is a 'new' (to me) 19c vinewood one i just recv'd, 648 grams, 91 cm. brass ferrule on the ground end. rather unusual deep 3d wood 'grain'. very smooth polish. up the chimney & buttered?

Andi · 19th December 2014, 07:46 PM

Here is a piece from the North German Younger Neolithics found 2003 in the bog Bernumerfehn near the city of Aurich in Lower-Saxony, Germany. The piece was 14C dated to ca 2700 B.C. Made of yew wood, length of 685 mm, diameter of the head 85, length of the head 97 mm. A really beautyful piece which shows a contemporary repaired handle which started to split from the end. It was repaired with a strip of leather.

25th March 2009, 08:22 PM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,875	There is this type of spiked club from South Sudan. Also one similar with a leaf shaped spear blade instead of the spike. They are short clubs so even with a big ball I think easily used in one hand and much like double pointed fighting sticks. pic from "C, Spring. African arms and armour" Attached Images

19th December 2014, 07:06 PM	#6
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,235	holy resurrection,batman! found this looking for something else thought it needed a bump. adding my 24in. shilleghlegh below for interest. below that is a 'new' (to me) 19c vinewood one i just recv'd, 648 grams, 91 cm. brass ferrule on the ground end. rather unusual deep 3d wood 'grain'. very smooth polish. up the chimney & buttered? Attached Images

19th December 2014, 07:46 PM	#7
Andi Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Halstenbek, Germany Posts: 203	Here is a piece from the North German Younger Neolithics found 2003 in the bog Bernumerfehn near the city of Aurich in Lower-Saxony, Germany. The piece was 14C dated to ca 2700 B.C. Made of yew wood, length of 685 mm, diameter of the head 85, length of the head 97 mm. A really beautyful piece which shows a contemporary repaired handle which started to split from the end. It was repaired with a strip of leather. Attached Images

26th March 2009, 04:10 AM	#2
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi David, Neat club. One technique I ran across, but haven't tried yet, is using an iron bar to systematically harden the surface of a quarterstaff. Perhaps you can do something similar with the club head and the anvil... As for a spike on the butt end, as we know, it's pretty common on knives and some swords, and there are wooden stabbing knives (single and double ended). I suspect that the problem with putting a spike on the end of a long club is that the centrifugal force of swinging the handle will tend to pull your hand down over the spike and off the end. Ideally, you'd want the shaft to flare before narrowing down to a spike, so that you could grip the club and swing full force, without your hands slipping. That said, there is something to be said for having a fighting point on the back end, because it would be good for close-quarter fighting. As for short clubs, the Mojave tribe had short clubs with spikes on the handle, so I'm not surprised that the Sudanese were doing something similar. Fun stuff! F

25th April 2009, 07:32 PM	#3
Queequeg Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Detroit (New Mayapan) Posts: 96	Inspired by Katana's work, I felt compelled to make one just for myself. So, I took a good piece of maple heartwood and went for an antiqued and distressed look. Full shot. It's about 30" overall: Part of the head is real burlwood: In hand: Some antiquing/distressing. You can see the scratches filled in with patination, but there are also some dents which I made but I can't get in the photo: I stretched wet calfskin and tied it into a knot to secure the rawhide lanyard, then antiqued all of it: Full shot against my white birch: Closer shot: I used all of my antiquing tricks on this. So, here's a question for you antique weapons experts: how authentic does the antiquing look? If I were unscrupulous enough to put this on ebay and say it was 100 years old (not that I plan on doing so!), would it pass?

26th April 2009, 02:12 AM	#4
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Queequeg, Nice work, and a nice club. It's actually hard to answer your question, because it's already in context as a modern club, and that biases the way I look at it. That said, it doesn't look one hundred years old to me, but you could probably pass it off as such if you really wanted. F

26th April 2009, 10:57 PM	#5
Queequeg Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Detroit (New Mayapan) Posts: 96	Thanks, Fearn. I'm finding out that making something look rustic and old is actually fairly difficult- it's just too easy to overdo or under-do it. Also during distressing you have to purposely achieve a randomness about it or your process will fall into a pattern which a discerning eye will easily see.