An Unusual Truncheon with a Unknown History

By | June 18, 2024

An Unusual Truncheon with a Unique History

We occasionally come across an unusual truncheon that stands out for its unique characteristics. Recently, we acquired such a truncheon, and the story is worth sharing.

As many of our readers are aware, platforms like eBay prohibit the sale of truncheons, even antique ones, due to them classifiying them as “offensive weapons” (baseball bats and rolling pins are fine though – go figure). Despite this, these historical items continue to surface, often revealing interesting stories and mysteries.

Our latest acquisition came to us in an unexpected way. A lady, while clearing out her grandmother’s house following her passing, listed this old truncheon on eBay.

Unusual Truncheon

The sale was promptly cancelled due to eBay’s silly policies. Undeterred, she turned to Google and found our website. She reached out to us via email, and we were immediately intrigued by her initial photos of it.

Unusual Truncheon

We decided to purchase the truncheon because it was unlike any we had seen before. Slightly smaller than a standard truncheon, with its original leather lanyard, it features a slightly pointed and bulbous end and a smaller hand grip, leading us to speculate that it might have been made for a lady originally (no, not in that way!).

Railway truncheon

The truncheon is heavier than some others we have encountered, and we are still debating whether it is made from oak or the more exotic Lignum Vitae.

It weighs 340g, is 34mm at its widest point and is 38.5cm long. The workmanship suggests early to mid-1900s.

The lady who sold it to us provided limited background information. It was found among her grandmother’s belongings, but she knew little about its origins. Given her family’s diverse background, she speculated that it could have come from the police, the railway, or the military. So that didn’t get us any closer to its origins.

Military truncheon

Its design doesn’t match any police truncheon we have seen before, nor any military or railway truncheon we are familiar with. The unusual shape and small hand grip have led us to believe it might be a railway truncheon, although this remains conjecture.

wooden police truncheon

We are keen to hear from anyone who might recognise this type of truncheon or have more information about its possible origins. Your insights could help us solve the mystery of this unique piece. Send us a message on Instagram or leave a message on the post of this there if you can shed any light on this or even if you want to make us a bid on it.

Please look at the photographs of this unusual truncheon on this page. If you have any information or theories, do get in touch with us. We are always excited to learn more about these historical artefacts and share that knowledge with the truncheon-collecting community.

Stay tuned for more updates and discoveries from the world of old British police truncheons.


If you want a traditional British police-style wooden truncheon we sell an exact replica of a 1960s Leeds City Police one with a leather lanyard at a very reasonable price. Click the button below to find out more.

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