Whale teeth as handles or mace heads?
 

Strange discussion with another collector about materials used for handles on various weapons. I was saying I like stone and metal, but we got round to discussing 'unusual' substances used for handles and he said he seemed to remember many years ago seeing a big dagger with a whale tooth for a handle.
I can't think of any examples of this that I've seen, but thinking about it I started wondering if Sperm whale teeth had ever been used as mace heads (being incredibly hard, and heavy and 'stubby').
Sorry for the macarbre subject!

Without any reference handly to back me up I would say doubtful for a functional weapon. Maces where designed to be used against heavy armour. A tooth would break pretty quickly. Now, that's not to say some ornamental piece never intened for use did not do it. The handle part definitly.

A few unusual materials spring to mind - I have seen clubs from Gran Chaco (Paraguay) that use horse bones lashed to wooden handles, sawfish bills from probably Micronesia, as swords, swordfish bills used as daggers in Hawaii. Whale teeth ivory has been used as decorative infill to Fijian clubs, along with sometimes human teeth. Rhino horns were made into knobkerries in Africa, on occasion.

I've read somewhere about human skulls of defeated enemies having been used as drinking cups in Fiji in days of old... Whalebone and jade were used as short clubs by the Maori.

I'll try to think of more examples....

Regards

Not all maces and clubs were made to defeat armor. They have been around since long before armor. A whale tooth would handily defeat flesh and bone, with no ill effect to the tooth. ;) If sharpened bones, and horns were used as maces, and warpicks, why not whale teeth? Most of the peoples of the west coast of North America, used Walrus, and Whale penis bones as clubs. A weapon maker, will make a weapon from whatever material is available. Speaking of drinking from skull caps. Some tribes would make flutes, or whistles out of the long bones of the arm and leg of their enimies. They would blow these whistles, before, and during an attack, to "shake up" the enimy. :eek: M.P.

Petrified
 

And let's not forget petrified bone and teeth. I seen petrified whalebone here in Hawaii used for jewelry and mounted into clubs. As well petrified mammoth teeth used for scabbards and handles on keris in Thailand.

Dan

when i read that i instantly thought of this one in the reference section here:
http://old.blades.free.fr/pics/picspears/tom06a.jpg