Western/Central Europe, France or Germany, World War I era, ca. 1914 to 1918 CE. A deadly weapon with a wooden handle and an iron spike surmounted on the tip. This club resembles a medieval style of war hamme; the head consists of an iron socket and rivet to hold the spiked blade in place. The solid wooden handle could certainly also cause some blunt force damage if the spike broke off. This was not a military issue weapon, but an improvised piece. Often metalsmiths or carpenters would produce large batches of clubs for their regiments using scrap wood and metal. Clubs were generally used at nighttime for raids on enemy trenches and were ideal for surprise attacks, since they were both silent and deadly. While WWI involved many new technological weapons and tactics, the nighttime trench battles made use of fairly simple weapons for stealth. Size: 4.5" L x 1.5" W x 14.5" H (11.4 cm x 3.8 cm x 36.8 cm)

Provenance: ex-Dundee collection, Newtownabbey, United Kingdom

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#160797

Loss to wood on interior of iron socket. Iron head is slightly loose. Abrasions and chips to the wooden handle. Patina to metal and wood areas.