Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. Purchased directly from David F. Machnicki, the author of At Arm's Length Trench Clubs and Knives (Vol. 1), where this very club is featured on page 43. 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 an outstanding spring-handle trench mace with a cast iron head, one of the most iconic models.

The entry reads:

“This Austrian trench club has a length of approximately 452 mm and a mass of 731 grams. The iron head is robust, pear-shaped and mounted atop a 14 mm diameter steel spring handle. This flexible steel spring passes completely through the varnished wood grip and was anchored at the base of this grip by a 3.0-millimeter thick pommel cap. The wood grip has an attractive design. It was constructed with its top and bottom sections being smooth and cylindrical while its center section is double convex (i.e. wider in the middle and tapering towards both ends) with 22 regularly spaced, 1.0-millimeter deep grooves turned about its circumference. A leather lanyard was first wrapped and then sewn around a 12-millimeter wide groove located in the middle of the pommel. The disk-shaped steel ferrule (12 mm long) that is positioned at the junction of the grip with the spring was staked (punch/pierce point) and thereby affixed to the housing of the wood grip. A 28 mm diameter steel cap covers the heel of the flat pommel. The trench club has no known manufacturer's markings.”

This example is truly iconic, with a great darkened color to the wood and a fantastic patina overall. The long leather lanyard/wrist strap is in great shape but shows some wear and rubbing of the material. The spring is in amazing shape and still functions well. 

This is an outstanding example of a well-documented model of trench raiding mace. You won’t find a more complete example, so don’t miss out on this one! Ready to display as the centerpiece of your collection!

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.