War club

[rifleshooter2]

The only reason I used a rail road spike is it was the chunck of metal I had. I would just say it was scrap iron to somebody.Which it is.
Andy

 

[Okwaho]

This war club needs some modifications. First take off the sinew and leave the wood bare. Second the top of the club should be slanted upwards with the high point on the side with the spear. Third both sides bevel to the center of the club from top to bottom except for the grip and the thickness at the center that you have seems about right. It should be an elongated diamond in cross section.Brass tacks and spear points like this are generally associated with the Lakota and other plains tribes but there are some associated with tribes of the Northeast.On the bottom side opposite the spear you might cut out a narrow hand grip about 5 in, long and deep enough for the hand to grip.
See "American Indian Tomahawks" by Harold L. Peterson and you can get it through interlibrary loan if your local library doesn't have it.
Tom Patton

 

[rifleshooter2]

The sinew is already gone. In the photo the angle is deceiving the high point of the top is on the spear point side. And it has a diamond cross section. I glad I guessed right about the brass tacks I'm not a big fan of them. Would paint be correct? and if so what color or pattern?
Andy

 

[Okwaho]

Yes, it would be OK My son has a ball headeded war club made by Ken Hamilton and it's painted red but I don't know how to describe the color.It's a flat somewhat faded looking paint similar to the old red lead paints.have you ever made paint?I have a friend who uses red ochre that we get from an outfit down in Georgia.I'll check find out what to mix the powder with and I send you some. I use only vermillion for my face mixed with bear oil and this ochre is more subdued and should do well on wood.I'll see what I can do.
Tom Patton

 

FYI - Here are the images along with the description from the "American Indian Tomahawks" that Okwaho mentioned:

I'll agree "almost" whole heartedly with Okwaho - with one exception (howdy Tom - I'm the Gray/Grey Wolf from the Frontierfolk and HT boards)and that is that not all gunstock warclubs were diamond shaped in cross section - note the one at the bottom in the above image which is flat.
The diamond cross section is generally eastern while most Great lakes and western ones I've seen and handled are normally flat (there are always exceptions to any rule - note the Chippewa accredited club above)). Here are two examples of flat sided clubs - both appear to be made from Osage:

As to paint - for a period correct Indian paint mix red ocher and bear oil together and rub it by hand (note to Tom: this is the mix Nita recommended on a post a while back and is one I've also used successfully on both wood and leather).
Red Ocher is also available from Crazy Crow (their red earth paint) or Sinopia - an art store who supplies several colors of earth pigments to the trade. Both have on line stores.
Another option is to mix the pigment with linseed oil if you can't get bear oil.
For Eastern - I would use either black (ground hardwood charcoal) or red - I've seen originals that although most of the color was worn off had evidence of those two colors being used. Western as you can see even used green, but that's most likely fairly late.

The blade position on originals varies from the flat edge as seen in the first western image to the bend as seen in the others.
A favorite blade used by western tribes was the NW Company's early double sided dag/bayonette blade and the later Hudson Bay Company dag blade. Both blades were made in various sizes with one existing Osage club collected in the 1820's having a blade about 9" long by 4" wide!

One last note - the gunstock warclub used in the Last of the Mohicans was about 30% oversized for screen presence - most originals are around 30" long overall.

Scouts out.....

 

[rifleshooter2]

Thanks Guys Thats just what I'm looking for I'll make some modifications and post the results.
Andy

 

[JBark11957]

Gray Wolf...great stuff, though that last one looks a lot like a picture of my wife's leg. How did you get that? :haha:

 

[rifleshooter2]

Ok I made a few adjustments to my club. I recut the top to alow more of a point. I got rid of the fake sinew and used pine pitch with charcol dust to blacken it. and I gave the whole thing a good coat of red pigment mixed with linseed oil.

 

[kodiakemt414]

Looking good.

 

[musketman]

What does the neighbor's think when you are out in the yard swinging that thing around??? :haha:

 

[rifleshooter2]

Funny you should ask. After the 4th last year when I was shooting off my cannon they don't say much to me. LOL

 

[jim gray]

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.

An old steel buttplate would have been pretty authentic, I think. It could have even come with the stock.

 

Thet looks much better!! :thumbsup:

YMHS
rollingb

 

[sse]

Yeah, I'd much rather be hacked up by that one, than the earlier version. :shocking:

Regards, sse

 

[Wanders]

He can think what he wants, but I'll bet he don't say a darn thing!!!!! :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
Bill

 

[Jack Walker]

You would find more rifle stocks with a metal blade more common in the east than thought. Originally this type of war club was made from broken muskets, using the lock plate for the blade.

 

[boar]

Shooter I have a book W. Ben Hunt The Complete How-To Book Of Indiancraft I got in 1986 from Tanny Leather From Collier Books 866 third Ave. New York, NY 10022 Frist came out in the 30s Has 68 authentic projects Cost 8.00 then has war clubs on page 105 lots of indian things .Ben lived with the Sioux and other tribes Dilly

 

[Stumpkiller]

:hmm:

When I was active in a very hard-core Order of the Arrow Old Style Souix dance team the term "Ben Hunt Indian" was used by The People to describe the kind of guys who you saw on parade floats with war bonnets who had no Native heritage. Not a flattering descriptive, but it generally implied their heart was in the right place but their beadwork came from Japan. Ben Hunt worked hard, but he captured many techniques of the 1930's tourist trade "industry", not the 1800's.

I have that same book and it is a 50's edition. ::

If you surf around on the web you can find hundreds of sites hosted by various Nations, but even then you have to be careful in finding date specific items. You'd be surprized what you can find in dinky little museums in your own home town & region, too. Check your state museum.

 

[boar]

To Stumpkiller Glad I was not only one suckered in on buying the book I thought it looked pretty good ,you ruined my day Dilly

 

[Stumpkiller]

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