✅ SOLVED Warclub made from Bodark found by a friend of mine. Kinda looks like a beaver there on top , idk. Has 9 notches or rings on handle ?

[Joepaul26¥]

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Kind of looks not very old with the bark still on the handle and what looks like fresh non-oxidized wood? Not saying you couldn’t club someone on the head with something like that.

 

[Joepaul26¥]

It’s not bark, like a resin or pitch where the thumb goes. Found by a friend not to far from a famous fight between the Cherokee and Waco’s in 1829.

 

[Joepaul26¥]

It’s not bark, like a resin or pitch where the thumb goes. Found by a friend not to far from a famous fight between the Cherokee and Waco’s in 1829.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Interested in better pictures if you have them?

 

[vpnavy]

Warclub made from Bodark found by a friend of mine. Kinda looks like a beaver there on top , idk. Has 9 notches or rings on handle ?

I moved ya from NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS over to WHAT IS IT? for more exposure.

NOTE: Forum NEW MEMBER INSTRODUCTIONS Description: New to TreasureNet? Introduce yourself to our community here! Welcome aboard and Happy Hunting!

 

[ToddsPoint]

That’s a neat club but wood from 1829 would be long gone by now.

 

[Joepaul26¥]

He cleaned it up some and of course he shouldn’t have. It’s Bodark and I can see faint letters that look like tayusa something maybe can make out the rest. We have several things we need to take in and have looked at, checked for authenticity, dates, etc,

That’s a neat club but wood from 1829 would be long gone by now.

A bodark burl like that will last a very long time. Go online and check it out. Bodark is extremely dense, a burl is even denser. Ever seen a rotten bodark burl? You might if you spent 3 or 4 lifetimes looking. Thanks for looking.

 

[Joepaul26¥]

Interested in better pictures if you have them?

He said it was lighter color , grayish to light brown, oxidation probably like you said. He cleaned it and wiped it down with rag and light stain unfortunately.

 

[Joepaul26¥]

He said it was lighter color , grayish to light brown, oxidation probably like you said. He cleaned it and wiped it down with rag and light stain unfortunately.

Thanks for responding. I have never seen or heard of one in our area. Know a lot of diggers , collectors around here and never heard of anyone finding one or talk about one. Thought maybe it came from arklatex area or east Texas where that band of Cherokee lived. There is a different type of bodark up there I believe, Osage? I could be wrong, seems like I remember something about Osage type in big bend area of the red river.

 

[villagenut]

Looks like burl to me but age i haven't a clue.

 

[robertk]

There is a different type of bodark up there I believe, Osage? I could be wrong, seems like I remember something about Osage type in big bend area of the red river.

Unless you're talking about something completely different. Bodark is just another name for Osage Orange. It's the same thing. Common hedgerow tree around here, typically pretty gnarly, and comes with crabapple looking fruits. Supposedly it was prized for making bows out of (if you can find a straight piece), because of a high strength to weight ratio, and high hardness. Supposedly harder than hickory. I've got a few hickory sticks, and they're tough. It would be hard to top.

 

[AlabamaRelic]

Unless you're talking about something completely different. Bodark is just another name for Osage Orange. It's the same thing. Common hedgerow tree around here, typically pretty gnarly, and comes with crabapple looking fruits. Supposedly it was prized for making bows out of (if you can find a straight piece), because of a high strength to weight ratio, and high hardness. Supposedly harder than hickory. I've got a few hickory sticks, and they're tough. It would be hard to top.

View attachment 2258450

Yall must have some big crabapples.

 

[ToddsPoint]

(if you can find a straight piece),

I’ve cut it and milled it into lumber. I’ve also made a bow from it. I’ll tell you the secret. If Osage grows out on the prairie the wind will make the grain twisted as it grows. If you cut an Osage that grew in a protected bottom, the grain will likely be straight. Osage is the hottest burning wood there is. It resists rot for a very long time. I milled a piece into 1/2” slabs and made wren houses out of it. Those houses will be around a long time.

 

[russau]

Very good point on the charadtoristics of this wood !

 

[Almy]

Osage orange (bios d'arc from which the bodark name was likely developed) is a very hard wood which is resistant to biodeterioration because of the hardness and because of extractive chemicals in the wood. The longevity of any wood is dependent upon its environment. Keep it dry (such as in a desert) or exclude oxygen (such as in a bog) and it can last for thousands of years.

 

[unclemac]

Osage orange (bios d'arc from which the bodark name was likely developed) is a very hard wood which is resistant to biodeterioration because of the hardness and because of extractive chemicals in the wood. The longevity of any wood is dependent upon its environment. Keep it dry (such as in a desert) or exclude oxygen (such as in a bog) and it can last for thousands of years.

yes but in this case, with the provided pix... it is highly suspect. no obvious signs of prolonged exposure to the elements.

 

[Almy]

Agreed it looks quite new with no apparent graying or checking from weather. However, Texas has dry areas and perhaps this was covered with sand in a desert. If so it could appear as it does after a long submersion. It would be helpful if the poster told us what kind of environment it was found in.