MOST OF WHAT WE CONSIDER OCEANIC SOCIETYS WERE STONE AGE IN THE PRECONTACT DAYS. THE HIGH ISLANDS HAD STONE ( VARIOUS FORMS OF LAVA, BASALT BEING THE ONE HEAVY ENOUGH AND STRONG ENOUGH TO FORM A HAMMER OR ADZ, THE OTHER FORMS WERE SUITABLE FOR GRINDING SOFT FOODS, ECT OR AS ABRASIVES FOR SHAPEING OR FINISHING WOOD, SHELL OR BONE. THE LOW ISLANDS HAD NO ROCK AND LIMITED TYPES OF PLANT MATERIALS. HERE BONE, CORAL AND SHELL WAS USED IN PLACE OF ROCK SOME ROCK MAY HAVE BEEN OBTAINED FROM HIGH ISLANDS DURING VOYAGES OR TRADE.
THIS WOULD HAVE MADE IRON WORKING VERY DIFFICULT EVEN IF IRON ORE WAS AVAILABLE. A PIECE OF FOUND IRON COULD HAVE BEEN POUNDED WITH ROCKS AND WORN DOWN BY HAND GRINDING ON A ROCK TO MAKE SOMETHING. MOST OF THE IRON TOOLS CAME TO THE ISLANDS THRU TRADERS ONE OF THE MOST FAVORED BEING A HATCHET OR SMALL AX HEAD. THE AX HEADS DID NOT TAKE UP MUCH ROOM AND WERE IN BIG DEMAND AS THEY COULD BE USED AS A TOOL MAKEING TREE CHOPPING A LOT EASIER AND ALSO MADE A DANDY WEAPON. THEY WERE MOSTLY OUTFITTED WITH HANDLES BY THE TRIBESMAN AND WERE USED ON MOST ISLANDS AS WELL AS IN THE AMERICAS WHERE THEY WERE CALLED TOMMAHAWKS. OFTEN LATER EXAMPLES BECAME MORE ORNATE AS THEY WERE DESIRABLE AS A PRESTIEGE ITEM NOT JUST A TOOL.
THE SAMOAN KNIFE WAS PATTERENED AFTER A WOODEN CLUB DISTINTIVE TO SAMOA IT MAY HAVE BEEN SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR TRADE TO THOSE ISLANDS AND SHAPED ACCORDINGLY BECAUSE THAT FORM HAD CEREMONIAL OR PRESTIGE MEANING. I CAN'T THINK OF ANY OTHER WOODEN CLUB THAT WAS REPLICATED IN STEEL FOR TRADE PURPOSES SO PERHAPS THE SAMOAN CLUB/KNIFE IS UNIQUE IN THAT REGARD.
SEE EXAMPLE OF A COMMON OCEANIC TRADE AX FORM
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