Tongan War Club

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dogstar

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Jan 23, 2011
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I recently visited the National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia. I came upon a display of Tongan War clubs and immediately thought Cold Steel should make some in Polypro. These bad boys are about 4 feet long, with oval handles transitioning to a diamond cross-section at the head. They look extremely devastating and handsome at the same time. Sorry I could not get a better image, but an image search for "Tongan war club" will lead to more detailed images.

tongan_war_club.jpg
 
We call them "mattock handles" here in the US.

(Sorry! Couldn't resist!)

Those look pretty cool. Yes, having a Cold Steel version would be awesome!
 
Lynn actually collects wooden weapons and walking sticks. He's got a HUGE collection of wooden tools from all over the world
He loves these things!
I can't give you any hints about any future projects, but I wouldn't be surprised to see one
 
When we were stationed in Ethiopia, I got what they called a "shifta stick".....wooden with a forward knob on the end. I'll try to post pics when I get home. Right now, it's been "augmented" with a baseball bat grip; but you can get a good feel for what the design was. My father has a smaller version at his house....I've had it for the last 38 years; still a good weapon. A polypro version of that would be nice, too (to be honest, it has a sort of similar layout to the Native American War Club).

I'll post a pic later tonight.
 
Cold Steel Knives said:
Lynn actually collects wooden weapons and walking sticks. He's got a HUGE collection of wooden tools from all over the world
He loves these things!
I can't give you any hints about any future projects, but I wouldn't be surprised to see one
Click to expand...

That's great! Thanks for replying.
 
I'd definitely go for a Tongan war club. A few years ago when I was in Hawaii I'd ask for a replica south Pacific or Hawaiian war club in every tourist store I saw, but none had any, or knew where they could be bought. Wooden clubs would be nice but of course a lot more expensive, so a poly one would be okay.
 
OK, here is the stick I picked up in Ethiopia. It's about three feet long, with a tapered diamond cross section not unlike the Tongan "grind", except only one way, and rounded:

Shifta3.jpgShifta1.jpgShifta2.jpg

I like this type of club design; because you not only get somewhat of an edge to increase force on the smaller area of impact, you also get a somewhat of a point that you can deploy in the two handed en garde position. From that, extending the club forward is a good attack, not unlike the Norse Hawk with its forward point (except a club vice a hawk). The Tongan war club is similar, except that it has two edged, pointed sides to execute that maneuver.

If I could make a suggestion, any type of simple club with a good diagonal cross-section and impact points in the front would be a great idea for a Cold Steel new release. A nice mass at the top for impact force; but with a good tapered cross-section to provide a slight edge. That'll be a bit more versatile than a simple mass, like the Indian ball war club.
 
I wish I could find more information about Shifta Sticks. My grandfather was given one by his night watch man when he was stationed there in the 70’s. Yours is the only other I’ve been able to come across in the internet. I’d love to try and make one.
 
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