CONGRADULATIONS TIM THATS A NICE ONE IT HAS GOOD PATINA AND WEAR AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE MISSING TEETH HAVE BEEN GONE A LONG TIME.
I HAVE ACCIDENTLY BROKEN TEETH OFF ONE I OWN WHEN PUTTING IT INTO A STORAGE RACK AND WAS SURPRIZED AT HOW EASY IT WAS TO DO. VERY LITTLE FORCE WAS REQUIRED AS THE WOOD GRAIN RUNS IN A DIRECTION THAT SPLITS EASY ON THIS TYPE OF WOOD. PERHAPS ON THE ISLANDS WHERE THESE ARE MADE THERE ARE VERY FEW TREES STRAIGHT AND LARGE ENOUGH TO MAKE THIS SIZE AND FORM OF CLUB SO IT WAS THE ONLY LOGICAL CHOICE. OR PERHAPS THIS TREE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANCE IN SAMOAN SOCIETY SO WAS THE PREFERRED MATERIAL FOR THIS FORM OF CLUB.
I BELEAVE THIS FORM OF CLUB PREDATES CONTACT WITH EUROPEAN SOCIETY SO THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO OUTSIDE INFLUENCE IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM. THE FIRE KNIFE AND CANE KNIFE EVOLVED FROM THIS FORM NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. UNFORTUNATELY THEY LEFT OFF THE TEETH ON THE STEEL KNIVES BUT IT WOULD BEEN VERY COOL IF THEY HAD LEFT THEM ON.
