CARVING VARIATIONS ON OCEANIC CLUBS

[fearn]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

I have googled "fire dance knife"
I do not want too wander too far from clubs but thought I should show some pictures of this blade. The handle does have the same more restrained banded decoration seen on some Somoan clubs. The blade is very sharp indeed 17cm long not big, why so sharp? As I said I feel the blade has been stone ground from a machete or other European blade, you can all make up your own minds on that.

Hi Tim,

The tie-in of interest is that, with the fire knife, we have a traditional blade that is a direct and known descendent of a club, the nifo oti. Offhand, I can't think of another good example of that. The interesting part was that the first knives were, I believe, made as copies of the clubs by an English firm for export, and the islanders subsequently learned how to manufacture their own.

But you're right. Back to the clubs!

Best,

F