War club

[rifleshooter2]

Here are a couple of pics of a gunstock war club I just finished. It will be part of a display I'm starting on native american weapons of the 1790's.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/rifleshooter2/115_1520.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/rifleshooter2/115_1521.jpg

 

[Birdman]

Shooter it looks like ya used artificial sinue(sp) to attach the blade, ya might think about taking that off n melting some pine pitch mixed with a bit of charcoal around the base of the blade. It would be much more correct and probably look better too. The club other wise is very nice. Not trying to be criticle but that artificial stuff really stands out when ya know the difference. YMHS Birdman

 

[Stumpkiller]

Pretty ferocious!

I agree about the nylon sinew, though. For a few bucks you can get some real sinew and hide glue from Three Rivers Archery and hook it on with "museum quality" materials.

http://www.3riversarchery.com/Product.asp?c=6&s=15&p=0&i=4311

Just soak the sinew with some hide glue in water, pound it out gently to seperate out the fibers along the "grain", peel into 1/8" strips and wrap, and when dry they stiffen up like steel bands. If you don't want to pound they have prepared sinew for $10.50 instead of $2.75

 

I agree,.... "Real sinew" is great stuff!! (same with "hide glue")

Once you use it and see the results, you'll throw the artifical stuff away!!

YMHS
rollingb

 

[rifleshooter2]

Sounds like a plan to me. I'll do that. I want these thing to be as accurate as possable.
Andy

 

[rifleshooter2]

I ordered some sinew and hide glue today. Any other suggestions for different types of native american weapons that we could display were looking at a 1790's time frame Ohio and Indiana area.
Andy

 

[Birdman]

Shooter ya might try n make a blow gun out of cane or native bamboo, the southeastern peoples used such. Another thing ya might try to make is a "rabbit stick" it sort of looks like a boomerang but one arm is shorter n a bit stouter then the other, the heavier arm is the shorter of the two. Ya would just throw it like a baseball(overhand)at rabbits n birds, even those on the wing if yer good enough,YMHS Birdman

 

[Stumpkiller]

A ball-head war club. There is a gun stock supplier that produces these in a rough-cut-out state for reasonable $. But I forget who.

I'll have to see if I can dig it up.

 

[rabjr]

Tiger-hunt does.
http://www.gunstockwood.com/products.html

 

[fatboy]

Thats a nice project you got there ! If I may ask what type steel did you use for the blade ?

 

[shmrck1]

rs2,
its a wicked looking club!!!!
snake-eyes :applause: :applause:

 

[rifleshooter2]

I forged the blade out of an old railroad spike.

 

[musketman]

What, no brass tacks??? :winking: :haha:

Here's a nasty looking Native Hawaiian shark-toothed war club...

 

[rifleshooter2]

I can live without brass tacks. Remind me never to fight Native Hawaiians.That is a nasty weapon
Andy

 

[musketman]

Any other suggestions for different types of native american weapons that we could display were looking at a 1790's time frame Ohio and Indiana area.
Andy

Did Ohio/Indiana Indians use coup sticks?

They were psychological weapon...

 

[fatboy]

Hey rifle shooter using the railroad spike was a good idea ! Were did you get your dimension's would you be willing to share tthem with us ?

 

[Keith]

I like! Not a bad price either.
Tell us a more about the construction of your club. Did you make the club yourself from scratch, or use a stock blank?

 

What, no brass tacks??? :winking: :haha:

Here's a nasty looking Native Hawaiian shark-toothed war club...

I assume that you picked these up along with a firepiston and a kukri on your world tour as a sailor pressed into the King's Navy, right?

:crackup: :crackup: :crackup:

BTW, I got a firepiston the other day from Wilderness Solutions...cool stuff, man. May not be period correct for North America before the very late 19th century, but I would seriously recommend it to anyone who goes camping or hiking or hunting. Takes up about as much space as a large duck call.

I'll tell you more in the April Buckskinner!

 

[rifleshooter2]

I made it from scratch. The wood was part of and old maple table top that I'm cutting down to make a camp table (one of my many projects). As for a pattern I used a template from a rifle I made a few years ago and just shortened the butt. The size was decided the same way I guessed they would have done it.I made it so it felt right in my hand and swung well. Overall length it 29 inches, the blade is 4 inches. From the blade to the toe of the stock is 9 inches. The stock is 1 1/4 inches thick in the center tapering to 1/2 inch at the edges. The handle section is wraped with hemp cord for 4 1/4 inches. I hope this helps. I got my real sinew and some hide glue to redue the blade. I did not use brass tacks on this one for two reasons 1st I was not sure how prevelent they were for the Eastern Indians in the 1790 time frame and 2nd I did not have any on hand when I made it.
I may add some when I find out more about the use of tacks in that time frame.
Andy

 

[Stumpkiller]

I was not sure how prevelent they were for the Eastern Indians in the 1790 time frame

Oops! Then you should just say "it was scrap iron" or a plow coulter instead of a railroad spike for the blade. :winking: Check and see when railroads and spikes were first introduced into the U.S.

1826: The first line of rails in the New England States is said to have been laid down at Quincy, Mass., 3 miles in length and pulled by horses.

That was three years before the Tom Thumb was built! (1st locomotive steam engine).

Prior to 1855 the Indian wanting one for a club would have had to have picked up the spike on a visit to New York, New Jersey or Maryland.