WW1 Trench Club
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WW1 Trench Club:
$400.00
For sale is one improvised WW1 trench club. I am selling the remnants of my collection having decided to specialise my interests. Sorry, the official patterns are all sold.The trench club originated in WW1 as a means to equip soldiers for hand combat during trench raiding operations. The Austrians are purported to be the first nation to make wide scale use of the club, and this received severe criticism from civilians and other nations, who saw the weapon as barbaric and cruel. Propaganda soon followed, but with the brutal effectiveness of the club, the remaining nations quickly followed suit and issued their own official patterns to troops, though not as prolifically as Austrian/Germany. America is the only nation that I believe didn\'t issue an official pattern.While there were official patterns issued, soldiers of course created their own versions of this weapon. With plenty of raw materials and time, there were a staggering number of these \'unique\' weapons created in all shapes and sizes. Some were more effective than others, and some were merely created as a means of vermin control. These are colloquially known as the \'rat bats\'. No two of these weapons will be the same, though the are inevitably a mix of metal and wooden construction, hand carved and often weighted to increase the force of the blow. A trench club should not be confused with a \'rat bat\' or a swagger stick.This particular example if a nicely carved arms length trench club. It still packs some heft though the wood has dried out completely now. The end is studded with hobnails, in brittle condition. While the length of the nails makes it more effective as a tearing weapon, you must remember that when these weapons were used in raids the intimidation factor was also considered important. And lets face it, not everyone is an engineer. Around these nails the wood had darkened in a chemical reaction to iron, which occurs over a significant length of time.The club has a heavy root body, carved nicely by hand and rounded. The bark has been retained and acts as a handle, now worn smooth with use but solid to the wood. The overall patina to the wood is excellent, age darkened and smooth. The pommel has a button attached as a decoration and perhaps to protect the end from splitting. The lanyard is period correct leather, quite hard and brittle and needs to be handled carefully. There appears to be some writing on the body, but I have some doubts as to how authentic this is. An unscrupulous dealer may have added it in the hoped of creating province and adding false value. I make no claims about this and won\'t guarantee the authenticity.There are a lot of spurious examples of \'trench clubs\' sold. Some of these are so obviously fake but they still seem to attract a high value. Cheap, medieval fair flails (useless as an actual weapon) often make an appearance. So to do badly weathered garden implements, often likely home made. Old sometimes yes, but not a \'trench club\' by any stretch of the imagination. These are usually easy to pick as there is no craftsmanship involved and there is no patina to the wood. If you do not understand the difference between weathering and patina please seek to purchase a book before making any purchase. You\'ll save yourself a lot of money and frustration in the long run. I have attached a published example of a club where the wood showing patina as opposed to a dried, bleached and brittle \'weathering\' achieved over a year in the garden. As militaria is my passion and trench clubs a study, I\'d be delighted to assist and answer any questions you may have. If you are not confident in offerding, please don\'t! Buy a book. If you are not happy with the quote offers for postage, contact me and I can give an exact figure. Two days before sale end at a minimum please! I expect postage from Australia to be around 2 weeks time frame and am happy to ship worldwide (excluding Asia, Eastern Europe, South America, Africa). All items have tracking. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK LOCAL LAWS AND CUSTOMS. I will NOT be held responsible. Additional photos on request. Please see my other quality militaria for sale.
WW1 Trench Club:
$400.00