Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons
FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 26th March 2014, 01:00 AM   #1
Protector
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Friday Harbor, Wa.
Posts: 26
Default Soloman Island Club, opinion 2?

Greetings! First post from a long time lurker/learner.

I picked up this club at a garage sale here in the Pacific Northwest. The story is that it was inherited from the proverbial south seas merchant sailing 'Uncle'. There was also a short Filipino Kris and what I believe is a Sumatran knife from the same Uncle, that I also purchased. The niece selling them had no idea where they came from and no records of the Uncle's travels, but said she believed he sailed in that area from the late 50's to the late 70's.

The club looks very much like some of the clubs in VANDOO's previous thread on Solomon Island clubs. The club is 15 1/2 inches long, with a head width of 5 1/2 inches. It weighs approx. 2.5 pounds. It has what my amateur eye says is a good patina and shows some age. There are some type of shell inlays on the knob projections and in the center of the top. A couple of these are damaged, unknown whether from actual use or just banging around in the Uncle's trunk for years. I am also an FMA instructor and the club has a much better balance when being used than I would have thought from the shape and weight. Any opinions or comments are appreciated.

P.S. This is an awesome sight that has taught me a lot and I hope to share some more of my "What is it?" acquisitions.
Attached Images
      
Protector is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th March 2014, 04:49 PM   #2
VANDOO
(deceased)
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: OKLAHOMA, USA
Posts: 3,138
Thumbs up

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18273
THIS LINK IS TO A POST WITH GOOD INFORMATION ON THIS FORM OF CLUB. YOU EXAMPLE IS WHAT I THINK IS A OLDER FORM THAN THOSE WITH THE FLANGED HEADS. FROM THE SIZE AND WEIGHT OF THESE I SUSPECT THEY WERE THROWING CLUBS LIKE THE ULA CLUBS FROM FIJI BUT THEY COULD BE USED TO STRIKE WHEN FIGHTING IN CLOSE . YOURS DOES APPEAR TO HAVE SOME AGE AND WEAR SO 1950 OR OLDER WOULD BE LIKELY, IT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HAD A FIBER WRAP ON THE GRIP IN THE PAST. A VERY NICE EXAMPLE. WELCOME TO THE FORUM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOME MORE OF YOUR INTERESTING TREASURES.
VANDOO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th March 2014, 08:18 PM   #3
Tim Simmons
Member
 
Tim Simmons's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: What is still UK
Posts: 5,806
Default

I think this is a nice old club. I also believe my new club to be an old one and I see no reason for the larger flanged club to be equally old even though it is in superb condition. There is a big difference in the quallity of form and patina on the clubs featured in these two threads.

The figure in the link, is the small figure in the post card ca 1910. It was old then at the mission sale. It is now in the British museum with most of the other items from the mission table top sale. The museum lament the loss of cultural background to the figure. You can see that some of the shell in the forehead and else where has been lost. The figure has been through a few collections before now residing in the British Museum.
Attached Images
  
Tim Simmons is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30th March 2014, 09:38 PM   #4
Protector
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Friday Harbor, Wa.
Posts: 26
Default

Thanks, VANDOO and Tim. Almost everything I know about spotting, judging and rescuing/buying these type of ethnic items I learned from lurking here. Thanks again for sharing all that knowledge.
Protector is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:46 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.