A FEW UNUSUAL CLUBS

VANDOO · 30th June 2012, 04:29 AM

THINGS SEEM A BIT SLOW TODAY SO HERE ARE SOME CLUBS TO LOOK AT AND VOICE AN OPINION ON.
1. HAS A LARGE SPIKY HEAD AND INLAYED BEADS SAID TO BE A REPLICA OF A SCANDINAVIAN WAR CLUB. A BIT OF ARTISTIC LISENCE TAKEN BUT VERY ATTRACTIVE AND PLENTY HEAVY FOR ACTUAL USE. 22IN L, HEAD 5IN. IN DIAMETER. 2 PICTURES
2. UNKNOWN NICELY CARVED WITH SPIKES OF WOOD AND INSET TEETH. THE SELLER HAD NO CLUE SAID HUMAN TEETH AT ONE POINT. I SUSPECT PORPUSE TEETH WHICH ARE SOMETIMES USED ON OCEANIC CLUBS.52CM. LONG. 3 PICTURES
3 THE LEAST PRETENCIOUS OF THE LOT SELLER SAID FIJI BUT FROM WHAT I SEE LIKELY TONGAN CARVING SO POSSIBLY CARVED ON FIJI. 23 INCHES LONG. 5 PICTURES
4. SAID TO BE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL HAND CARVED WAR CLUB 58CM. L. UNUSUAL WOOD WITH BEAUTIFUL GRAIN LOOKS SIMULAR TO SOME AUSTRALIAN WOODS I HAVE SEEN BUT IS QUITE A BIT DIFFERENT FROM THOSE I HAVE SEEN BEFORE. A VERY SERVICIBLE CLUB. 2 PICTURES

colin henshaw · 5th July 2012, 08:42 PM

Hi

Numbers 1 & 2 seem like hobbyist fantasy-type pieces. Number 3 a nice Tongan ? club. Number 4 a recently made piece from where I don't know...

Tim Simmons · 5th July 2012, 08:52 PM

I watched no3 on ebay. It is an African axe handle. You can see the smaller hole for the ave blade tang. What Barry does not show is the sellers other pictures. the other side, a bigger hole for the main axe body. It sold as if it was from the south seas.

VANDOO · 6th July 2012, 01:46 AM

NUMBER ONE IS FAIRLY RECENT BUT DUE TO THE VARNISH COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM 1 YEAR OR LESS TO 1960'S AS NO PATINA CAN DEVELOP. I SUSPECT IN THE LAST 10 YEARS OR SO. I KNOW NOTHING OF SCANDINAVIAN CLUBS SO HAVE NO CLUE IF IT IS PURELY FANTASY OR BASED ON SOMETHING IN USE IN THE PAST. I WILL GOOGLE AROUND A BIT TO SEE WHAT I CAN FIND.

NUMBER TWO HAS A PATINA AND BREAKAGE TO SOME OF THE TEETH SO HAS SOME AGE BUT DOSEN'T LOOK LIKE NATIVE WORK AS IT APPEARS A LATHE WAS USED FOR INITIAL SHAPEING WITH CARVING AND TEETH ADDED.

NUMBER 3 DOES HAVE THE HOLE AND MAY WELL HAVE HAD A BLADE MOUNTED IN IT. BUT THE CARVING DOES NOT LOOK LIKE ANY AFRICAN CARVING I HAVE SEEN. IT LOOKS LIKE GOOD QUALITY OCEANIC AND HAS A PATINA OVER THE CARVEING SO IF IT IS A REWORKED AFRICAN AX IT TRAVELED A LONG WAY TO GET THAT CARVING ON IT A LONG WHILE BACK.

NUMBER FOUR HAS SOME FEATURES THAT SEEM AUSTRALIAN THE WOOD AND THE CARVING ON THE GRIP. BUT THE FORM LOOKS MORE LIKE SOMETHING FROM THE ISLANDS AROUND THE SOLOMONS. THE WOOD IS ONE OF THOSE KINDS THAT DOSEN'T SEEM TO TAKE ON A PATINA BUT HAS NO NEW SMELL BUT AS IT DOSEN'T SHOW WEAR OR STAINS FROM DIRTY HANDS, IT WAS EITHER BOUGHT NEW A WHILE BACK OR RECENTY MADE?.

THIS IS AN INTERESTING CLUB MIX FROM NEW TO PERHAPS OLD ALL WITH UNUSUAL FEATURES THAT BRING UP MORE QUESTIONS THAN THEY ANSWER.
THE POSSIBILITY OF NATIVE INFLUENCE AND NON NATIVE WORKMANSHIP SUCH AS TRADERS, WHALERS OR BEACHCOMBERS COMES TO MIND FOR NUMBER 2 AND 3??. I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF THE AFRICAN AX BUT THAT IS WHY POSTING SUCH ITEMS IS FUN AS OTHERS CAN THINK OF THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY PUZZELERS SUCH AS THESE TO ADD.

Indianajones · 8th July 2012, 12:23 PM

Havent got any other 'puzzling' clubs to add, but have to say that I also saw nr.2 with inset teeth on ebay and am still very puzzled by it;
1. it does not look -as far as I know- like a 'known type of club' from Fiji or surroundings.
2. especially the carved area where forms (upside down tearshapes, lozenges etc) and lines coming out of the wood <up n below the ring> looks very good and much like carvings on Ula throwingclubs
3. though the machine/tool-like rings on top of the club are on the contrary quite 'non-authentic' looking
4. nice but odd ending of the club by a ball or flattened oblong(?)
5. those inset teeth n hardwood pieces(?) do look kinda practical and authentic again . . . .
6. patine is overall nice but the top; quite dry suddenly as at the top it should be a smooth from handling as is the grip.
7. am not sure about the wood as well

Lots of pro's n cons' which contradict eachother . . . . . . although I decided at the time not to buy it, am still on the fence about this one.

VANDOO · 9th July 2012, 02:20 AM

4 MORE CLUBS. 1. 19TH CENTURY DANCE PADDLE,TONGA 27.5 X 4.5IN. NICE PATINA AND OF THE TRADITIONAL FORM, NOT OFTEN SEEN. 3 PICTURES.

2.NEWER NON TRADITIONAL FORM, SAID TO BE FIJI BUT I THINK POST WW2 SOLOMON ISLANDS, INTERESTING CARVING, SHELL INLAY. LIKELY A FANTASY TOURIST ITEM. 4 PICTURES

3. & 4. NEW HEBRIDES ONE A TRADITIONAL FORM 104 CM. LONG AND THE OTHER POSSIBLY A TOOL OR CUT DOWN PADDLE FORM 107 CM. LONG. TWO PICTURES EACH.

30th June 2012, 04:29 AM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A FEW UNUSUAL CLUBS THINGS SEEM A BIT SLOW TODAY SO HERE ARE SOME CLUBS TO LOOK AT AND VOICE AN OPINION ON. 1. HAS A LARGE SPIKY HEAD AND INLAYED BEADS SAID TO BE A REPLICA OF A SCANDINAVIAN WAR CLUB. A BIT OF ARTISTIC LISENCE TAKEN BUT VERY ATTRACTIVE AND PLENTY HEAVY FOR ACTUAL USE. 22IN L, HEAD 5IN. IN DIAMETER. 2 PICTURES 2. UNKNOWN NICELY CARVED WITH SPIKES OF WOOD AND INSET TEETH. THE SELLER HAD NO CLUE SAID HUMAN TEETH AT ONE POINT. I SUSPECT PORPUSE TEETH WHICH ARE SOMETIMES USED ON OCEANIC CLUBS.52CM. LONG. 3 PICTURES 3 THE LEAST PRETENCIOUS OF THE LOT SELLER SAID FIJI BUT FROM WHAT I SEE LIKELY TONGAN CARVING SO POSSIBLY CARVED ON FIJI. 23 INCHES LONG. 5 PICTURES 4. SAID TO BE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL HAND CARVED WAR CLUB 58CM. L. UNUSUAL WOOD WITH BEAUTIFUL GRAIN LOOKS SIMULAR TO SOME AUSTRALIAN WOODS I HAVE SEEN BUT IS QUITE A BIT DIFFERENT FROM THOSE I HAVE SEEN BEFORE. A VERY SERVICIBLE CLUB. 2 PICTURES Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 30th June 2012 at 04:45 AM.

9th July 2012, 02:20 AM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	4 MORE CLUBS. 1. 19TH CENTURY DANCE PADDLE,TONGA 27.5 X 4.5IN. NICE PATINA AND OF THE TRADITIONAL FORM, NOT OFTEN SEEN. 3 PICTURES. 2.NEWER NON TRADITIONAL FORM, SAID TO BE FIJI BUT I THINK POST WW2 SOLOMON ISLANDS, INTERESTING CARVING, SHELL INLAY. LIKELY A FANTASY TOURIST ITEM. 4 PICTURES 3. & 4. NEW HEBRIDES ONE A TRADITIONAL FORM 104 CM. LONG AND THE OTHER POSSIBLY A TOOL OR CUT DOWN PADDLE FORM 107 CM. LONG. TWO PICTURES EACH. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 9th July 2012 at 02:30 AM.

5th July 2012, 08:42 PM	#2
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	Hi Numbers 1 & 2 seem like hobbyist fantasy-type pieces. Number 3 a nice Tongan ? club. Number 4 a recently made piece from where I don't know...

5th July 2012, 08:52 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	I watched no3 on ebay. It is an African axe handle. You can see the smaller hole for the ave blade tang. What Barry does not show is the sellers other pictures. the other side, a bigger hole for the main axe body. It sold as if it was from the south seas.

6th July 2012, 01:46 AM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	NUMBER ONE IS FAIRLY RECENT BUT DUE TO THE VARNISH COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM 1 YEAR OR LESS TO 1960'S AS NO PATINA CAN DEVELOP. I SUSPECT IN THE LAST 10 YEARS OR SO. I KNOW NOTHING OF SCANDINAVIAN CLUBS SO HAVE NO CLUE IF IT IS PURELY FANTASY OR BASED ON SOMETHING IN USE IN THE PAST. I WILL GOOGLE AROUND A BIT TO SEE WHAT I CAN FIND. NUMBER TWO HAS A PATINA AND BREAKAGE TO SOME OF THE TEETH SO HAS SOME AGE BUT DOSEN'T LOOK LIKE NATIVE WORK AS IT APPEARS A LATHE WAS USED FOR INITIAL SHAPEING WITH CARVING AND TEETH ADDED. NUMBER 3 DOES HAVE THE HOLE AND MAY WELL HAVE HAD A BLADE MOUNTED IN IT. BUT THE CARVING DOES NOT LOOK LIKE ANY AFRICAN CARVING I HAVE SEEN. IT LOOKS LIKE GOOD QUALITY OCEANIC AND HAS A PATINA OVER THE CARVEING SO IF IT IS A REWORKED AFRICAN AX IT TRAVELED A LONG WAY TO GET THAT CARVING ON IT A LONG WHILE BACK. NUMBER FOUR HAS SOME FEATURES THAT SEEM AUSTRALIAN THE WOOD AND THE CARVING ON THE GRIP. BUT THE FORM LOOKS MORE LIKE SOMETHING FROM THE ISLANDS AROUND THE SOLOMONS. THE WOOD IS ONE OF THOSE KINDS THAT DOSEN'T SEEM TO TAKE ON A PATINA BUT HAS NO NEW SMELL BUT AS IT DOSEN'T SHOW WEAR OR STAINS FROM DIRTY HANDS, IT WAS EITHER BOUGHT NEW A WHILE BACK OR RECENTY MADE?. THIS IS AN INTERESTING CLUB MIX FROM NEW TO PERHAPS OLD ALL WITH UNUSUAL FEATURES THAT BRING UP MORE QUESTIONS THAN THEY ANSWER. THE POSSIBILITY OF NATIVE INFLUENCE AND NON NATIVE WORKMANSHIP SUCH AS TRADERS, WHALERS OR BEACHCOMBERS COMES TO MIND FOR NUMBER 2 AND 3??. I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF THE AFRICAN AX BUT THAT IS WHY POSTING SUCH ITEMS IS FUN AS OTHERS CAN THINK OF THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY PUZZELERS SUCH AS THESE TO ADD.

8th July 2012, 12:23 PM	#5
Indianajones Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 180	Havent got any other 'puzzling' clubs to add, but have to say that I also saw nr.2 with inset teeth on ebay and am still very puzzled by it; 1. it does not look -as far as I know- like a 'known type of club' from Fiji or surroundings. 2. especially the carved area where forms (upside down tearshapes, lozenges etc) and lines coming out of the wood <up n below the ring> looks very good and much like carvings on Ula throwingclubs 3. though the machine/tool-like rings on top of the club are on the contrary quite 'non-authentic' looking 4. nice but odd ending of the club by a ball or flattened oblong(?) 5. those inset teeth n hardwood pieces(?) do look kinda practical and authentic again . . . . 6. patine is overall nice but the top; quite dry suddenly as at the top it should be a smooth from handling as is the grip. 7. am not sure about the wood as well Lots of pro's n cons' which contradict eachother . . . . . . although I decided at the time not to buy it, am still on the fence about this one.