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Custom Handmade War Clubs for Sale & Commission
Selected Warclubs on Sale through March 31, 2014 (click title or image)

Larry Gotkin’s custom, handmade war clubs offer museum-quality, artisan craftsmanship for the serious collector or reenactor.

In the 1500s, when their European trade muskets ran out of powder and shot, the American Indians undoubtably discovered in the midst of battle that their empty muskets made devastating clubs. War clubs in the stylized shape of gunstocks became popular amongst the Northeastern tribes, and the weapon spread across the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast. These clubs, carved from straight-grained hardwoods, could be the size of a tomahawk or could weigh several pounds, and often included spear or knife points (of antler, bone, stone or metal) to increase their lethality. War clubs, like tomahawks, often had embellishments of carvings, feathers, leather, paint, beads, brass tacks, scalp locks, etc. These weapons were still in use in the late 1800s. 

Note: No original examples I have seen show that they started out as an actual firearm, as there are no lock or barrel inlets, and many are flat and board-like. The shape was probably an attempt to capture the lethal "magic" of the firearm. However, the versatility of this club as a close-quarters combat weapon becomes clear as soon as one handles it. Users can parry, thrust and trap, one- or two-handed, and every surface creates blunt force trauma.

(Don't see what you want? Find out how to commission a piece.) 

    Architecture and award-winning museum-quality custom handmade knives, edged weapons, powder horns, tomahawks, war clubs, jewelry, metal sculpture, cribbage boards, flint and obsidian knives, Japanese swords, menorahs, and more from Tucson, Arizona artist and architect Larry Gotkin.

    About Larry Gotkin
    Artist & Registered AZ Architect, Retired
    Tucson, Arizona
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    Unique Custom Handmade Items: acid etching, architecture, blades, candle holders, cheese slicers, clasps, cribbage boards, chess setscustom knives, daggers, desk knives, dirks, edged weapons (knives), edged weapons (tomahawks), flint knives, guns, hadseax, handmade knives, Japanese swords, jewelry, katanas, kitchen knives, knife bags, knives, menukis, metal sculpture, obsidian knives, powder horns, powder_horns, puukkos, sax, scramaseax, scramsax, scrimshaw, seax, seaxe, sgian dubhs, skeans, skinners, spears, sword bags, swords, tallit clips, tantos, tomahawks, wakizashis, war clubs, weapons (knives), weapons (tomahawks), weapons (war clubs), yoga pose meditation candles, yoga pose metal sculptures

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    Photography by Larry Gotkin

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