War Shillelagh

Queequeg · 25th April 2009, 08:32 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, 03:12 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, 11:57 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, 08:06 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, 08:46 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.

kronckew · 19th December 2014, 09:21 PM

i'm having a half sized galloglass sparth axe made with a yew haft. it's going to be a good looker.

19th December 2014, 08:06 PM	#4
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,276	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, 08:46 PM	#5
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

19th December 2014, 09:21 PM	#6
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,276	i'm having a half sized galloglass sparth axe made with a yew haft. it's going to be a good looker. Attached Images

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25th April 2009, 08:32 PM	#1
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, 03:12 AM	#2
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, 11:57 PM	#3
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.