Gunstock War Club

Church & Son

Church & Son

Well-Known Member
Well, not a gunstock…but the shape…There is no evidence than Indians ever used gunstocks to make clubs…
Maybe they saw a Euro whack someone with an empty gun..And there is some that say the shape predated
the Euros entrance to America…Who knows, no-one left to ask…

I’ve been having a lot of trouble making stuff for people lately…Maybe turning into another job instead of just
being fun so I decided I needed to do some stuff I’ve been wanting to do so this is the first…again…

The “stock” is a piece of cherry that’s been drying in the barn for a few years;
can’t remember where it came from but it is 30 inches long x 1 1/4 inches thick…
Cut out with a large antique coping saw, shaped with drawknifes and rasps..
Handle covering is hemp cord…
The blade is my version of the Dag Bayonet imported back in the late 1600′s-early 1700′s…
They were thin and had no middle ridge..A lot were used for spear heads..
It is made from half of a strap hinge taken from a 200 year old barn…
6 inches x 2 1/2 inches…
It is attached to the stock with pine pitch and a couple of brass nails..
Decorations are tacks, turkey feathers and a few beads..
Finish is varnish, dirt and some homebrew dye…

Lot of fun, think I'll do anothern'

 
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VERY nicely done Randy.

That style dag blade without the median ridge is known as the bayonet blade. And you're right there are no known gunstocks made into warclubs - wouldn't work anyway since the barrel channel and cutout for the lock would weaken it at the wrong place. IMO the name was applied by the Euros after the fact. There is evidence that the style I far older than the Euro "invasion" and the style was widely used not only in the Eastern USA but in the west and apparently in Mexico as well.

This is an Aztec image of Quetzalcoatl made before the Euros arrived - the "club" in his left hand (on the right side of the image) looks familiar eh? There are also early existing clubs from the Eastern USA that not as gunstock shaped definitely show an early version with stone celts for the blade

quetzal-warclub.jpg
 
Thanks Tony...

Chuck , appreciate it..Nice painting...If memory serves me then that could have been from 14-16th century....Interesting character.....
Aztec's were pretty vocative for there time...


How long was it till they discovered fingernail clippers?
Click to expand...
Maybe for girls, I use a side grinder...
 
Randy,
Great looking club and very nice finish.
I agree with you that making what I want to make is a heck of a lot more fun than working on orders. The last word in the previous sentence says it all.

Wade
 
Smallshop, I think that's fashionable again...Saw a guy in 'Frisco last winter with six inch nails and he was dressed kind of like Quetzalcoatl also...

Thanks Brother Wade...Means a lot...When your part time obsession turns into your second full time job it's no fun anymore....
But my realjob carries all the benefits...except fun...
I suppose it could be a lot worse!!! What a thing to @@@@@ about in this economy!!! Too much work!!!

Auto spell checker...I didn't say @@@@
 
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