Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. Purchased directly from David F. Machnicki, the author of At Arm's Length Trench Clubs and Maces (Vol. II), where this very club is featured on page 37! This example is ALSO featured in At Arm's Length Trench Clubs and Knives (Vol. 1) on page 33! Please note that the attached page image from the book is copyrighted material and the use of the page is done by permission of the author. A printed copy of the page will accompany the purchase of this club. This is one of the most unique examples of a WWI Trench Club we have ever offered, being entirely manufactured of metal, with the long heavy handle being a Barbed Wire Fence Stake!

The entry in Vol. II reads:

“This is an excellent example of an Austrian trench club that illustrates a soldier's resourcefulness in using the readily available materials to manufacture a weapon while stationed along the front. The entire club was made from metal and has an approximate length of 563 mm and a mass of 1300 grams. A piece of iron pipe (100 mm long) was used for the head of this club into which eight "metal studs or cleats" have been anchored. The central void of the iron pipe was filled with lead. This lead serves to join the club's handle and head together as well as to increase its effective weight when used as a weapon. A barbed wire fence stake was used to create the handle, which retains a uniform diameter along its length until it reaches the grip. The bottom end of the fence stake was heated, bent and cut to form the club's iron grip and the flat base for its pommel.”

This is truly one of the more unique examples encountered, and having the added provenance of being featured in both volumes of “At Arm’s Length” will easily make this a centerpiece of any WWI collection!

The handle and head now show heavy oxidation, with the handle covered in pitting. Because of this, we believe it’s possible there was originally something wrapped around the handle or perhaps the pommel to afford the user a better grip. The handle is now a small bit dented, and the entire piece is rather heavy and awkward to use. Overall it measures roughly 22¼”.

You’ll never see an example like this again, especially not with provenance like this! Ready to display.

Trench raiding clubs were homemade melee weapons used by both the Allies and the Central Powers during World War I. Clubs were used during nighttime trench raiding expeditions as a quiet and effective way of killing or wounding enemy soldiers. The clubs were usually made out of wood. It was common practice to fix a metal object at the striking end (e.g. an empty Mills bomb) in order to maximize the injury inflicted. Another common design comprised a simple stave with the end drilled out and a lead weight inserted, with rows of large hobnails hammered in around its circumference. Most designs had some form of cord or leather strap at the end to wrap around the user's wrist. Bosnian soldiers serving in the Austro-Hungarian army were fond of using maces. They were also used by officers to finish enemy soldiers wounded by poison gas attacks.

Trench clubs were manufactured in bulk by units based behind the lines. Typically, regimental carpenters and metal workers would make large numbers of the same design of club. They were generally used along with other "quiet" weapons such as trench knives, entrenching tools, bayonets, hatchets and pickaxe handles – backed up with revolvers and hand grenades.