Need help! German trench club?

[Kasper]

Hello,

I want to ask you for your help.
Is this trench club German and original? Please see also the marker
Thank you very much

[Anderson]

Maybe. Lance, one of our members knows about these.

[AndyM35]

Hi Kasper,

Always a hard item to authenticate as they are found in all manner of different shapes and sizes with some being manufactured in factories while other were improvised from items available at the time. This one appears to have hobnails attached at on the head which is often seen and I think this one stands a good chance based on what we can see and the overall appearance and patina.

The stamps are interesting and they seemed very familiar and reminded me that GB or Gebruder Bohler & Co., Kapfenberg, an Austrian WW1 helmet manufacturer in Stiria, Austria, used a star logo on their helmets, suggesting perhaps this example is Austrian?

However, as Anderson said, wait to hear from someone more knowledgeable in this area. Additionally, there is a series of books on the subject titled “At Arm's Length” and written by David Machinicki.

Andy

[BlackCat1982]

Some idea of dimensions might be useful.

[AndyM35]

Hi Kasper,

Below are some photos of the GB logo for Austrian steel helmets. I’m not saying these types of trench clubs were specifically made by that particular company, however the logo looks very similar. While looking I’ve also come across some very authentic looking replicas, so you do need to be cautious with these.
Andy

[MilitariaOne]

Greetings Kasper,

As already mentioned, over time, there have been very convincing (read: well-aged) reproductions made, which cause these types of is it original or a reproduction? type of queries. In my opinion, the lack of age (read: knocks, scrapes, bumps &/or woodworm's holes) showing on that handle would be my initial concern. More simply put, the notable corrosion on the club's head does not match the condition of the wooden handle. Second, is the rather anemic spike on the very end of the head, most original variants if they possess that particular trait; are of a decidedly more beefy construction. Lastly, why stamp their logo three sperate times instead of once as in the shared helmet's marking? If I were offered the shared/posted trench club for purchase, for my money, I'd pass.

A specific trend of the last decade of those who reproduce German/Austrian Trench Clubs has been to add spurious manufacturers' stamped logos to their creations, and to be sure, there are originals, which do carry such markings but they are limited to a few known (read: documented) patterns. For British Trench Clubs, a great rule of thumb has always been to steer clear of any dated trench clubs and/or variants with WD Broad Arrows/Pheons stamped on them as this simply was not contemporarily done by their forces. I would too argue that German/Austrian Trench Clubs with manufacturer's logos are definitely a red flag to add to that earlier British Trench Club's rule of thumb.

On an Austrian/German Trench Club, a manufacture's stamped variant is not necessarily a deal-breaker yet, it should cause one to pause for for further evaluation of the club's other characteristics. And if their are other challenges noted on the same Trench Club, then save your funds for another example without issues.

Best,

V/r Lance