MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 4: SAMOA

KraVseR · 23rd November 2013, 11:20 AM

Thanks, and what weapon uses Samoan police today? What kind of handguns?

VANDOO · 14th December 2013, 04:49 AM

THIS IS THE LAST OF THE PICTURES I HAVE ON HAND AND NO NEW INFORMATION HAS SURFACED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD PICTURES OF ANY EXAMPLES YOU MAY HAVE IN YOUR COLLECTIONS OR PICTURES THAT ARE DIFFERENT OR BETTER THAN THOSE ALREADY IN THIS REFRENCE. ANY REVELANT QUESTIONS, NEW INFORMATION OR CORRECTIONS TO THIS TOPIC ARE WELCOME.
PICTURE #1 & #2 . 1900 APIA SAMOA WARRIORS
#3. PALM LEAF FORM SAMOAN CLUB
#4. TYPICAL SAMOAN SOUVINEERS MOST SMALL ENOUGH FOR A SUITCASE
#5, #6, & #7. SHORT REPLICA SOUVINEER CLUBS , MUSEUM REPLICAS
# 8. 1913 WARRIOR CARD
# 9. & # 10. SAID TO BE CLUB BROUGHT BACK BY MISSONARY IN 1850 , 30 INCHES LONG.
#11. BRONZE STATUE SAMOA
#12. I LOOKED FOR SAMOAN CLUB STAMPS BUT ALL I COULD FIND WERE BATS

VANDOO · 27th February 2014, 01:09 AM

I RECENTLY AQUIRED THIS UNUSUAL CLUB. IT IS FROM SAMOA AND WAS COLLECTED IN 1931 UNFORTUNATELY SOMEONE RESTORED THE WHITE INFILL WITH SOMETHING OTHER THAN LIME. THE FORM IS UNUSUAL AS IT IS A PALM FROND FORM THAT HAS BEEN ALTERED TO INCLUDE A CARVED CANOE ON ONE SIDE. IN SAMOA AS WELL AS OTHER ISLANDS THE CANOE IS A SIGN OF WEALTH AND POWER AND PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN THEIR SOCIETIES. THIS CLUB IS 31.5 IN. LONG AND IS THE ONLY EXAMPLE I HAVE SEEN OF ITS TYPE. THE CANOE IS HOLLOWED OUT BUT WOULD STILL STRIKE A NASTY BLOW.
IN TIME THIS FORM MAY HAVE BECOME TRADITIONAL OR IT MAY HAVE SERVED SOME PURPOSE IN THE TRIBE. EITHER WAY IT WOULD BE A GOOD WEAPON AS THE WOOD IS HARD AND HEAVY AND WELL BALANCED.
PIC. #1. THE SAMOAN CLUB/ CANOE VARIATION. 31.5IN.L.
#2. A CARVED SAMOAN CANOE FROM THE SAME TIME PERIOD. 23.25 IN. LONG
#3. 15IN.L. SAMOAN WOODEN AX CLUB
#4. 26 IN.L. CIRC 1960, WOOD NIFO OTI FORM
#5, #6, #7. 31 IN. L. BILATERAL TOOTHED CLUB
#8. 76 CM. WOOD NIFO OTI FORM

blue lander · 6th March 2014, 11:29 PM

This thread inspired me to buy a modern war club off e-bay. It just arrived today and it's pretty nice, but there's a sticker on the butt that says "MADE IN INDONESIA"

VANDOO · 7th March 2014, 05:50 AM

THERE IS A NEW CLUB SIMULAR IN FORM 5 POSTS BEFORE YOUR POST. PICTURE #4. SHOWS A CLUB MUCH LIKE YOURS SAID TO BE MADE IN APIA SAMOA. IT IS UNFORTUNATE WHEN THINGS ARE CARVED IN A DIFFERENT CLUTURE AND COUNTRY AS IT BECOMES AN ITEM WITH NO ETHINOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT. IT DOES EXHIBIT THE LIKENESS OF THE FORM WELL ENOUGH AND WITHOUT THE TAG ONE WOULD TAKE IT AS A MODERN SAMOAN TOURIST CLUB. IT DOES REPRESENT THAT FORM OF CLUB ADEQUATELY BUT HOPEFULLY THE PRICE WAS LOW. I WISH THEY WOULD MAKE SOME CLUBS FROM THEIR CULTURE THOUGH AS IT LOWERS THE PRICE ON THE CLUBS THAT ARE BEING MADE IN SAMOA BY SAMOANS.

blue lander · 7th March 2014, 03:30 PM

The price wasn't too bad, less than $100, and I'm actually fairly happy with it as a hand made decorative piece. The auction description said it was made of vesi wood, I wonder if it really is.

I've uploaded the photo from the auction and it looks like it's propped up on the same rock as several of the clubs from your post. I don't think it'd be too much of a stretch to assume any club with a similar picture was made in Indonesia as well. The "Made in Indonesia" sticker is very small and lightly glued to the bottom of the handle so an unscrupulous seller could easily remove it.

VANDOO · 8th March 2014, 12:29 AM

YES IT WOULD APPEAR MANY OF THE CLUBS CURRENTLY ON EBAY AS WELL AS SOME OF THOSE RECENT ONES PICTURED ABOVE IN THE POST MAY BE FROM THE SAME SOURCE AS YOUR CLUB. IT HAS TO BE THE SAME ROCK AND FISH POND AREA IN SEVERAL PICTURES. SO I GUESS THE BEST WAY TO COLLECT THE MODERN ONES FROM SAMOA WOULD BE TO VISIT SAMOA BUT EVEN THEN CHECK FOR SMALL TAGS.

WELL IT DOES SERVE AS A WARNING AND SUPPLYS NEW INFORMATION ON SOME OF WHAT IS ON THE MARKET THAT IS NOT LEGIT.

kronckew · 7th July 2014, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue lander

The price wasn't too bad, less than $100, and I'm actually fairly happy with it as a hand made decorative piece. The auction description said it was made of vesi wood, I wonder if it really is.

I've uploaded the photo from the auction and it looks like it's propped up on the same rock as several of the clubs from your post. I don't think it'd be too much of a stretch to assume any club with a similar picture was made in Indonesia as well. The "Made in Indonesia" sticker is very small and lightly glued to the bottom of the handle so an unscrupulous seller could easily remove it.

i found a similar one on e-pray. unfortunately i did not find your post before that. reasonably nice display club, evident rough carved tool marks, stained black then carved to show a light brown wood underneath. sold as 'samoan' and again, vesi wood. i suspect the wood probably would look better unblacked as a nice grain appears in the carved bits. 20 inches, hemp wrapped grip. 354 grams. luckily fairly cheap, especially compared to the other offerings of hawaiian shark toothed koa wood.

nice 'made in indonesia' sticker. easily removed. surprised hawaiian vendor didn't bother to remove it, while he needs to update his online descriptions, at least he left the sticker on. i think i'll stick to maori clubs for the moment

i'll do a bit more caveating of my emptors in future.

23rd November 2013, 11:20 AM	#1
KraVseR Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Ukraine Posts: 128	Thanks, and what weapon uses Samoan police today? What kind of handguns?

14th December 2013, 04:49 AM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THIS IS THE LAST OF THE PICTURES I HAVE ON HAND AND NO NEW INFORMATION HAS SURFACED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD PICTURES OF ANY EXAMPLES YOU MAY HAVE IN YOUR COLLECTIONS OR PICTURES THAT ARE DIFFERENT OR BETTER THAN THOSE ALREADY IN THIS REFRENCE. ANY REVELANT QUESTIONS, NEW INFORMATION OR CORRECTIONS TO THIS TOPIC ARE WELCOME. PICTURE #1 & #2 . 1900 APIA SAMOA WARRIORS #3. PALM LEAF FORM SAMOAN CLUB #4. TYPICAL SAMOAN SOUVINEERS MOST SMALL ENOUGH FOR A SUITCASE #5, #6, & #7. SHORT REPLICA SOUVINEER CLUBS , MUSEUM REPLICAS # 8. 1913 WARRIOR CARD # 9. & # 10. SAID TO BE CLUB BROUGHT BACK BY MISSONARY IN 1850 , 30 INCHES LONG. #11. BRONZE STATUE SAMOA #12. I LOOKED FOR SAMOAN CLUB STAMPS BUT ALL I COULD FIND WERE BATS Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 14th December 2013 at 05:31 AM.

27th February 2014, 01:09 AM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I RECENTLY AQUIRED THIS UNUSUAL CLUB. IT IS FROM SAMOA AND WAS COLLECTED IN 1931 UNFORTUNATELY SOMEONE RESTORED THE WHITE INFILL WITH SOMETHING OTHER THAN LIME. THE FORM IS UNUSUAL AS IT IS A PALM FROND FORM THAT HAS BEEN ALTERED TO INCLUDE A CARVED CANOE ON ONE SIDE. IN SAMOA AS WELL AS OTHER ISLANDS THE CANOE IS A SIGN OF WEALTH AND POWER AND PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN THEIR SOCIETIES. THIS CLUB IS 31.5 IN. LONG AND IS THE ONLY EXAMPLE I HAVE SEEN OF ITS TYPE. THE CANOE IS HOLLOWED OUT BUT WOULD STILL STRIKE A NASTY BLOW. IN TIME THIS FORM MAY HAVE BECOME TRADITIONAL OR IT MAY HAVE SERVED SOME PURPOSE IN THE TRIBE. EITHER WAY IT WOULD BE A GOOD WEAPON AS THE WOOD IS HARD AND HEAVY AND WELL BALANCED. PIC. #1. THE SAMOAN CLUB/ CANOE VARIATION. 31.5IN.L. #2. A CARVED SAMOAN CANOE FROM THE SAME TIME PERIOD. 23.25 IN. LONG #3. 15IN.L. SAMOAN WOODEN AX CLUB #4. 26 IN.L. CIRC 1960, WOOD NIFO OTI FORM #5, #6, #7. 31 IN. L. BILATERAL TOOTHED CLUB #8. 76 CM. WOOD NIFO OTI FORM Attached Images

6th March 2014, 11:29 PM	#4
blue lander Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 456	This thread inspired me to buy a modern war club off e-bay. It just arrived today and it's pretty nice, but there's a sticker on the butt that says "MADE IN INDONESIA" Attached Images

7th March 2014, 05:50 AM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THERE IS A NEW CLUB SIMULAR IN FORM 5 POSTS BEFORE YOUR POST. PICTURE #4. SHOWS A CLUB MUCH LIKE YOURS SAID TO BE MADE IN APIA SAMOA. IT IS UNFORTUNATE WHEN THINGS ARE CARVED IN A DIFFERENT CLUTURE AND COUNTRY AS IT BECOMES AN ITEM WITH NO ETHINOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT. IT DOES EXHIBIT THE LIKENESS OF THE FORM WELL ENOUGH AND WITHOUT THE TAG ONE WOULD TAKE IT AS A MODERN SAMOAN TOURIST CLUB. IT DOES REPRESENT THAT FORM OF CLUB ADEQUATELY BUT HOPEFULLY THE PRICE WAS LOW. I WISH THEY WOULD MAKE SOME CLUBS FROM THEIR CULTURE THOUGH AS IT LOWERS THE PRICE ON THE CLUBS THAT ARE BEING MADE IN SAMOA BY SAMOANS.

7th March 2014, 03:30 PM	#6
blue lander Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 456	The price wasn't too bad, less than $100, and I'm actually fairly happy with it as a hand made decorative piece. The auction description said it was made of vesi wood, I wonder if it really is. I've uploaded the photo from the auction and it looks like it's propped up on the same rock as several of the clubs from your post. I don't think it'd be too much of a stretch to assume any club with a similar picture was made in Indonesia as well. The "Made in Indonesia" sticker is very small and lightly glued to the bottom of the handle so an unscrupulous seller could easily remove it. Attached Images

8th March 2014, 12:29 AM	#7
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	YES IT WOULD APPEAR MANY OF THE CLUBS CURRENTLY ON EBAY AS WELL AS SOME OF THOSE RECENT ONES PICTURED ABOVE IN THE POST MAY BE FROM THE SAME SOURCE AS YOUR CLUB. IT HAS TO BE THE SAME ROCK AND FISH POND AREA IN SEVERAL PICTURES. SO I GUESS THE BEST WAY TO COLLECT THE MODERN ONES FROM SAMOA WOULD BE TO VISIT SAMOA BUT EVEN THEN CHECK FOR SMALL TAGS. WELL IT DOES SERVE AS A WARNING AND SUPPLYS NEW INFORMATION ON SOME OF WHAT IS ON THE MARKET THAT IS NOT LEGIT.