Native American gunstock club

Andrew · 5th June 2007, 04:08 AM

Native American weapons have become a quiet passion of mine in recent years, Rick. Unfortunately, the prices on these things combined with the proliferation of fakes and rarity of genuine items have prevented me from aquiring any.

I'd be terrified to spend what genuine stuff commands for fear of learning a very painful lesson. Consequently, I haven't handled or looked at nearly enough of these to have my opinion count for very much, so keep that in mind.

Gunstock clubs like yours are, as I'm sure you're aware, most often attributed to the eastern woodland tribes. Similar clubs were used by various Plains tribes, but they were much less massive, with generally thinner profiles.

The blades, when present, were usually "trade" blades manufactured in Europe or, quite often, by skilled American blacksmiths. Your blade is exactly what I would expect to see on one of these. Are there any marks at all on your blade?

Any provenance supplied by the seller?

It's next to impossible to really get a feel for this lovely thing just from photos. If genuine, it looks remarkably well-cared for. Any subtle signs of wear around the handle? How about on the striking areas? I would expect to see signs of use (or at least re-finishing) on such a weapon, particularly since it isn't all tarted-up.

5th June 2007, 04:08 AM	#3
Andrew Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,725	Native American weapons have become a quiet passion of mine in recent years, Rick. Unfortunately, the prices on these things combined with the proliferation of fakes and rarity of genuine items have prevented me from aquiring any. I'd be terrified to spend what genuine stuff commands for fear of learning a very painful lesson. Consequently, I haven't handled or looked at nearly enough of these to have my opinion count for very much, so keep that in mind. Gunstock clubs like yours are, as I'm sure you're aware, most often attributed to the eastern woodland tribes. Similar clubs were used by various Plains tribes, but they were much less massive, with generally thinner profiles. The blades, when present, were usually "trade" blades manufactured in Europe or, quite often, by skilled American blacksmiths. Your blade is exactly what I would expect to see on one of these. Are there any marks at all on your blade? Any provenance supplied by the seller? It's next to impossible to really get a feel for this lovely thing just from photos. If genuine, it looks remarkably well-cared for. Any subtle signs of wear around the handle? How about on the striking areas? I would expect to see signs of use (or at least re-finishing) on such a weapon, particularly since it isn't all tarted-up.