Inuit Oosik Club
 

Hey club lovers, heres one for you. Ran into this at a local antique mall and i just couldn't resist, thought clubs have never been my thing. An Inuit club made from walrus oosik (yep, that's penis bone :eek: :D ) and capped with walrus ivory on each end. Try not to get too aroused. ;) :D
It's about 16 inches long with a lovely balance, just a wee bit top heavy for a nice swinging action. Oosik is very dense bone and has traditionally been used as clubs by the inuit people. This thing could seriously hurt someone. :)

Now Inuits clubbing baby seals has a whole new meaning for me! Thanks. ;)

That's pretty cool, it's always intriguing to see how people discover and adapt to their environment, eventually becoming culturally perfect for their surrounding... knowing how to find food, how to make tools, how to make shelters... and it seems that in their setting, these things are all of high craftsmanship and meant to be used.

OMG David :eek:
Way to continue Tims 'Penis' theme!
Truly Macabre!
The almost endless jokes that sprang to mind had me giggling like Beavis and Butthead!

Oh come on boys, don't fear the phallus! :rolleyes:
While i do expect (and in fact encourage) so good jesting around this object i do hope we can also have some serious discussion on it as well.
Anyone else have one of these bad boys? Know anything about them?
Barry, i would have thought you would know something about these. :shrug:

Of course, they can get much bigger than this one. Here's a huge specimen that sold for $8000 back in 2007. Would have liked to have seen the size of the feet on this bad boy. :D

BUT OF COURSE I HAVE ONE ITS A MUST FOR ANY SERIOUS CLUB COLLECTOR :p
THE PENILE BONE IS NOT ALL THAT UNCOMMON IN MAMMALS AND STILL EXHISTS IN SOME PRIMATES. ALAS MAN HAS LOST HIS THERE IS EVEN CONJECTURE THAT BONE WAS THE RIB THAT WAS TAKEN TO MAKE WOMAN :rolleyes:
THE LARGE FOSSIL BACULUM BONE PICTURED ABOVE IS FROM AN EXTINCT WHALE AND IS THE LARGEST KNOWN OVER 5 FEET LONG AND MOST EXPENSIVE KNOWN :D
THE WALRUS OOSIK GETS UP TO 60 CM OR 2 FEET LONG THE SMALLER END IS THE BUSINESS END. THEY ARE USED FOR CLUBS AS WELL AS FOR OTHER TOOLS BY THE VARIOUS TRIBES WHO HUNT WALRUS. BACULUM IS ANOTHER WORD USED FOR THIS BONE BUT NOT BY THE ONES IN ALASKA OR SIBERIA. A FRIEND OF MINE HAD A HATBAND MADE OF CLAWS FROM A BEAR HE HAD KILLED AND HE HAD THE BACULUM STICKING UP LIKE A FEATHER FROM IT, HIS NICKNAME WAS BACULUM BILL. :D COON HUNTERS OFTEN HAVE THE BACULUM FROM THE RACOON AS A CHARM SOME EVEN MAKE A TOOTH PICK OUT OF THEM.
MY OOSIK IS FROM SIBERIA AND IS FROM A MODERN ANIMAL NOT A FOSSIL OOSIK. THERE IS AN IVORY WALRUS HEAD ATTACHED TO THE STRIKING END AND THE WALRUS BODY HAS BEEN CRUDELY CARVED INTO THE OOSIK SHAFT. IT IS 21 INCHES LONG. MOST OF THE OOSIK YOU SEE USED IN KNIFE HANDLES AND SUCH IS FROM FOSSIL OOSIKS THAT HAVE BEEN DUG UP FOR THE PURPOSE AND ARE UNREGULATED. THE NON FOSSIL ONES ARE REGULATED TO THE MAX SO WHEN SOME TURNED UP SEVERAL YEARS BACK DURING CONSTRUCTION WORK THE TRADE IN FOSSIL ONES BEGAN. SO IT WAS OFF TO ALASKA FOR THE OOSIK RUSH OF THE 1970'S AND OOSIK MINING IS STILL BIG BUSINESS AS WELL AS FOSSIL MAMMOTH IVORY, TUSKS AND TEETH.
THE CURVED BACLUM IS RACOON AND CAN GET UP TO 5.5 IN.LONG.
WHILE WE ARE ON THE TOPIC GOLF BAGS MADE OF WHALE PENIS SKINS WERE A POPULAR ITEM IN JAPAN DURING THE LATTER DAYS OF WHALEING. THIS PART OF SEA MAMMALS WERE SOMETIMES USED FOR MAKEING FERTILITY MEDICINES IN CHINA AND THE ORIENT.

LOL, Sorry David,
Its certainly a macabre object! I wouldn't want to be 'boned' with it!
Were these actually a weapon? Was the choice of material due to a lack of trees, ceremonial or because of particular characteristics of the material?
Is it harder than a really hard wood?
:D Sorry I can't help it!
Regards
Gene

THE MATERIAL IS VERY DENSE AND HEAVY AS HARD AS STONE AND NEARLY AS HEAVY IT IS VERY STRONG AND WILL NOT BREAK AS EASILY AS MOST STONES JADE EXCEPTED. IT IS ALREADY SHAPED AS A GOOD CLUB FOR HAMMERRING SOMETHING OR TOOL USE. AFTER ALL THE WALRUS USED IT FOR HAMMERING SOMETHING HEE HEE SORRY I JUST COULDN'T RESIST. :p
THE SECOND HEAVIEST BONE I AM FAMILIAR WITH IS SPERM WHALE JAW, THE WALRUS SKULL AND LOWER JAW IS EXCEPRIONALY DENSE AND HEAVY AS WELL.
AS MENTIONED WOOD WAS NOT EASILY AVAILABLE IN THE AREAS WHERE WALRUS WERE HUNTED SO THE HIDES BONES, HORNS, TEETH ECT WERE A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF LIFE IN THOSE AREAS AS MOST EVERYTHING WAS MADE FROM THEM. WHERE STONE WAS AVAILABLE IT WAS PROBABLY USED IN SHAPEING BONE TOOLS. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN DRIFT WOOD IN AREAS WHERE THE CURRENT RAN TO THE NORTH ALONG SHORE IF THERE ARE ANY SUCH AREAS OR CURRENTS. :shrug:

Lucky chap, fantastic find, just my kind of thing. I have a bulls penis club but does not compere to these beauties. Green with envy no more like frothing at the mouth.

Well they could be mistaken, but the story about this particular oosik, purchased by Ripley's Believe it or Not is that it actually comes from a species of extinct walrus. :shrug:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-L...ne-67377.shtml
I just knew you had to have one of these Barry. :) Nice example too. It would have been cool if mine were also carved, but i love the look of it anyway.
Yes Gene, these were used as functional clubs and are very solid and heavy. You wouldn't want to get hit with one, nor i suspect, be a female walrus. :D
Tim, i'll keep you in mind if i ever decide to part with my Wally Willy. ;)

I've thought bacula were neat since I first learned about them. Still, antique is about the only way you'll get an oosik these days, given both the marine mammal laws, and the fact that walrus need Arctic ice to thrive, and that's getting in increasingly short supply.

Just think, if we can reverse global warming, there will be oosiks for all. After their first owners are done with them, of course. :D

Best,

F

Actually, AFAIK what you cannot get now due to laws is raw oosik material. If the piece has been worked artistically by an Inuit it is allowed to be sold, so it is possible to get a new oosik club made by a native.
That is, of course, no reason not to work our asses off to reverse global warming! ;) :)

As not to hijack the previous oosik thread, thought I'd resurrect this one. Here's a few hastily taken shots of mine, with it's tusk stand. Was purchased off Gunbroker of all places. 23 3/8" long, so a little above average length. I was truly amazed, at the density, and weight.

Oosik, is highly prized by knife makers for handle material. Especially for hunting knives. When your hands get bloody, it actually gets sticky, not slippery.

A guy at a local gunshow, said he had seen one that had been broken, and HEALED! OUCH!!! :eek:

ITS FUNNY YOU MENTION THE BROKEN AND HEALED WALRUS OOSIK, I SAW IT AT A GUN SHOW TOO AND COMMENTED TO ITS SELLER. THAT IT CAME FROM ONE OF THE MEANEST ANIMALS KNOWN TO MAN A 3000 POUND BROKE DICKED WALRUS. :eek:
NICE EXAMPLE YOU HAVE AND DIFFICULT TO GET A WHOLE ONE THESE DAYS AS THEY CUT THEM UP IN PIECES FOR KNIFE HANDLES AND SUCH THE SAME HAPPENS TO OLD WHALE BONE.