War Club

[White Horse]

I thought some of y'all might enjoy these pics of my copy of this famous war club. The original was on the cover of the Time-Life volume "The Iroquois," and on the book "The Spirit Sings." It was my great privilege and honor to get to examine and photograph the original back in 2006, and I then commissioned the great craftsman Jan Zender to make this copy. An article by Jan Zender and his wife Rochelle Dale on knife sheaths was in The Book of Buckskinning Vol. VII. They live in a cabin that they built on the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. While building their cabin they lived in a bark wigwam.

The original club was collected by the eighth Earl of Elgin while Governor General of Canada between 1847 and 1854. Not too much else is known about it. Some of the scholars have called it "Iroquois type" but I suspect that it may have been made by a Delaware craftsman, because the tradition of making war clubs with carved faces has been carried on in the Delaware tribe until the present day.

Lord Elgin collected many different American Indian items from several different tribes, usually when he met with them in his capacity as Governor General. He used a pair of snowshoes to travel from his residence to his office in the heavy winter snow there in Canada. Some of his large collection is in the National Museum of Canada; some is in the Art Museum in Cooperstown New York; and the original war club is in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

These ball headed war clubs were fierce weapons. This replica is heavy enough to do serious damage if laid upside an enemy's head. They were more for prestige than for battle though.

The feathers are fakes and were hand colored by Mr. Andrew Forsyth. The originals are from a female redtailed hawk and from a flicker.

 

[Nicodemus]

That is a mighty nice and well made club. Fine blanket too.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Excellent work.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

Nice !!!

 

[F.A.R.R.]

Very nice. What type of wood was used ?

 

[White Horse]

Thanks for the compliments! Jan Zender and Rochelle Dale are among the best craftsmen anywhere.

The original club is likely alder wood. My replica is maple, and therefore is heavier than the original.

 

[Raylander]

That’s real nice!

 

[Jeff C.]

Very nice, well done.

 

[GeorgeShu]

Very nice and thanks for sharing the story.

 

[fishfryer]

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I thought some of y'all might enjoy these pics of my copy of this famous war club. The original was on the cover of the Time-Life volume "The Iroquois," and on the book "The Spirit Sings." It was my great privilege and honor to get to examine and photograph the original back in 2006, and I then commissioned the great craftsman Jan Zender to make this copy. An article by Jan Zender and his wife Rochelle Dale on knife sheaths was in The Book of Buckskinning Vol. VII. They live in a cabin that they built on the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. While building their cabin they lived in a bark wigwam.

The original club was collected by the eighth Earl of Elgin while Governor General of Canada between 1847 and 1854. Not too much else is known about it. Some of the scholars have called it "Iroquois type" but I suspect that it may have been made by a Delaware craftsman, because the tradition of making war clubs with carved faces has been carried on in the Delaware tribe until the present day.

Lord Elgin collected many different American Indian items from several different tribes, usually when he met with them in his capacity as Governor General. He used a pair of snowshoes to travel from his residence to his office in the heavy winter snow there in Canada. Some of his large collection is in the National Museum of Canada; some is in the Art Museum in Cooperstown New York; and the original war club is in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

These ball headed war clubs were fierce weapons. This replica is heavy enough to do serious damage if laid upside an enemy's head. They were more for prestige than for battle though.

The feathers are fakes and were hand colored by Mr. Andrew Forsyth. The originals are from a female redtailed hawk and from a flicker.

Thank you for sharing the images and story. I really like both. On a side note that club could double as an effective repel boarders weapon also,would it not commander?

 

[Railroader]

Very cool.. ?

 

[White Horse]

Thank you for sharing the images and story. I really like both. On a side note that club could double as an effective repel boarders weapon also,would it not commander?

It sure could be an effective deterrent if well laid on in most any setting, BT2. It’s quite heavy and made of hard maple.

 

[fishfryer]

It sure could be an effective deterrent if well laid on in most any setting, BT2. It’s quite heavy and made of hard maple.

You're as sharp as I thought!

 

[turkeykirk]

Cool piece!!

 

[Buckstop]

Beautiful work! Very up close and personal kind of tool.

 

[Hawken2222]

That is awesome!!!!

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

Looks great from my house and a even a little spooky if you ask me.

 

[White Horse]

It is a little spooky looking. I expect that was intended. It may have been meant to invoke some kind of spirit, or to bring that sort of idea into the mind of the enemy.