MOST DESIRED OCEANIC WAR CLUBS 4: SAMOA

[KraVseR]

I have a question: what weapon uses Samoan police?

[VANDOO]

IN THE POST ABOVE PICTURE #8 OF 3 CLUBS THE MIDDLE ONE WITH BLACK MARKINGS IS NOT FROM SAMOA THE OTHER TWO ARE.
THE COLONIAL GERMAN COMANDERS AND TROOPS WERE ARMED WITH PISTOLS AND WHATEVER ELSE THEY THOUGHT THEY MIGHT NEED. THE SAMOAN CONSTABLES IN WESTERN SAMOA ( GERMAN FROM 1887 TO 1914) HAD RIFLES USUALLY WITHOUT THE BOLTS ON GAURD DUTY. BOLTS AND AMMO WERE ISSUED WHEN POLICE WERE MUSTERED FOR COMBAT OR FORAYS AGAINST RESISTANCE. FOR LOCAL CONTROL PERHAPS A BATON SUCH AS POLICE USED IN MANY COUNTRIES AT THE TIME.
NEW ZEALAND TOOK OVER IN 1914 WW1 AND DRAFTED AND FORMED LARGE NUMBERS OF SAMOAN TROOPS FOR USE IN WW1. THE POLICE PROBABLY WERE EQUIPED THE SAME AS UNDER THE GERMANS. WESTERN SAMOA GOT ITS INDEPENDENCE IN 1962. UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE A PICTURE OF THE POLICE WITH THEIR ARMS.

[VANDOO]

I WILL COVER MODERN CLUBS IN THIS POST THERE WAS QUITE A VARIETY OF THESE CLUBS COMING OUT OF WESTERN SAMOA TO BE FOUND ON EBAY. THERE ARE NOT AS MANY ON EBAY FOR NOW BUT I HOPE THIS DOES NOT MEAN THE OLD CARVERS HAVE PASSED OR JUST STOPPED CARVING DUE TO LACK OF DEMAND. THESE CLUBS SOMETIMES FOLLOW OLD FORMS AND DESIGNS AND SOMETIMES INCORPORATE NEW DESIGNS OR MODIFICATIONS. SOME CROSS OVER INTO PURE FANTASY AND SOME ARE MADE IN SMALLER THAN ORIGINAL SIZE FOR TOURIST TRANSPORT AND SOME ARE MADE IN LARGER THAN ORIGINAL. SOME CLUBS ARE STAINED DARK AND THEN CARVED TO SHOW THE LIGHTER WOOD SOME ARE JUST CARVED WITH DESIGNS INTO THE WOOD AND LEFT NATURAL. TAPA DESIGNS ARE USED BOTH MODERN AND OLDER TRADITIONAL. SOME CLUBS CROSS OVER INTO FIJI AND TONGAN FORMS OTHERS ARE STRICTLY SAMOAN. TODAYS CLUBS DO NOT FEATURE THE OLD TRADITIONAL WHITE LIME INFILL IN THE CARVINGS. IN A 100 YEARS OR SO NO DOUBT THESE WILL BE COLLACTABLE ESPECIALLY IF CARVING THEM COMES TO AN END. IN THE MEANTIME THEY ARE WELL DONE PICES OF ART AND ARE AFFORDABLE IF ONE WANTS A REPLICA OF A RARE OR EXPENSIVE FORM OF CLUB OR A NICE WALL HANGER.
PICTURES 1,2 & 3. THESE THREE CLUBS ARE SAID TO COME FROM WESTERN SAMOA FROM THE VILLAGE OF UAFATO IN THE REMOTE FAGALOA BAY AREA OF UPOLU ISLAND. THEY FURTHER STATE THAT THERE ARE 8 VILLAGES THERE WHERE THE TRADITIONAL WOOD CARVINGS ARE STILL DONE. THESE FAMILIES HAVE BEEN CARVING CLUBS FOR MANY GENERATIONS FOR CENTURIES. UNFORTUNATELY NEVER HAVING VISITED I CAN ONLY REPEAT WHAT WAS WRITTEN BY THE SELLER. THIS SELLER DID HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF CLUBS FOR QUITE A WHILE ON EBAY.
4. A SHORT HAND CLUB SAID TO BE COMING FROM APIA THE CAPTAL OF WESTERN SAMOA.
5. A FANTASY 36 INCH LONG FIJI CANNIBAL FORK CLUB WITH A TWISTED SPIRAL HANDLE.
6. A 37 INCH, TALAVALU FORM OF CLUB
7, 8 & 9. VARIOUS AX FORMS BASED MOSTLY ON FANTASY DESIGNS THE LONGER SINGLE BLADED FORM BEING CLOSEST TO THE ACTUAL FORMS FOUND.
10. ANOTHER TRADITIONAL CLUB FORM WITH A FANTASY SPLIT TIP.
11 & 12 VARIOUS SHORT ITEMS FOR TOURISTS.

[KraVseR]

Thanks, and what weapon uses Samoan police today? What kind of handguns?

[VANDOO]

THIS IS THE LAST OF THE PICTURES I HAVE ON HAND AND NO NEW INFORMATION HAS SURFACED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD PICTURES OF ANY EXAMPLES YOU MAY HAVE IN YOUR COLLECTIONS OR PICTURES THAT ARE DIFFERENT OR BETTER THAN THOSE ALREADY IN THIS REFRENCE. ANY REVELANT QUESTIONS, NEW INFORMATION OR CORRECTIONS TO THIS TOPIC ARE WELCOME.
PICTURE #1 & #2 . 1900 APIA SAMOA WARRIORS
#3. PALM LEAF FORM SAMOAN CLUB
#4. TYPICAL SAMOAN SOUVINEERS MOST SMALL ENOUGH FOR A SUITCASE
#5, #6, & #7. SHORT REPLICA SOUVINEER CLUBS , MUSEUM REPLICAS
# 8. 1913 WARRIOR CARD
# 9. & # 10. SAID TO BE CLUB BROUGHT BACK BY MISSONARY IN 1850 , 30 INCHES LONG.
#11. BRONZE STATUE SAMOA
#12. I LOOKED FOR SAMOAN CLUB STAMPS BUT ALL I COULD FIND WERE BATS

[VANDOO]

I RECENTLY AQUIRED THIS UNUSUAL CLUB. IT IS FROM SAMOA AND WAS COLLECTED IN 1931 UNFORTUNATELY SOMEONE RESTORED THE WHITE INFILL WITH SOMETHING OTHER THAN LIME. THE FORM IS UNUSUAL AS IT IS A PALM FROND FORM THAT HAS BEEN ALTERED TO INCLUDE A CARVED CANOE ON ONE SIDE. IN SAMOA AS WELL AS OTHER ISLANDS THE CANOE IS A SIGN OF WEALTH AND POWER AND PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN THEIR SOCIETIES. THIS CLUB IS 31.5 IN. LONG AND IS THE ONLY EXAMPLE I HAVE SEEN OF ITS TYPE. THE CANOE IS HOLLOWED OUT BUT WOULD STILL STRIKE A NASTY BLOW.
IN TIME THIS FORM MAY HAVE BECOME TRADITIONAL OR IT MAY HAVE SERVED SOME PURPOSE IN THE TRIBE. EITHER WAY IT WOULD BE A GOOD WEAPON AS THE WOOD IS HARD AND HEAVY AND WELL BALANCED.
PIC. #1. THE SAMOAN CLUB/ CANOE VARIATION. 31.5IN.L.
#2. A CARVED SAMOAN CANOE FROM THE SAME TIME PERIOD. 23.25 IN. LONG
#3. 15IN.L. SAMOAN WOODEN AX CLUB
#4. 26 IN.L. CIRC 1960, WOOD NIFO OTI FORM
#5, #6, #7. 31 IN. L. BILATERAL TOOTHED CLUB
#8. 76 CM. WOOD NIFO OTI FORM

[blue lander]

This thread inspired me to buy a modern war club off e-bay. It just arrived today and it's pretty nice, but there's a sticker on the butt that says "MADE IN INDONESIA"