Red Baron by Arthur Janetzki

Item PW9       

This Item was Sold on 19 January 2021 for $160


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This omega boomerang was made by Arthur Janetzki in 2001. Arthur was 87 years old at the time and he made this one for his own use. The blades are painted with dimp;r Sboriginal style art. This boomerang is in excellent condition and it is a nice flyer, even in higher wind. Brother Brian Thomas inherited this boomerang from the Janetzki Brothers after their death and Brian sold several of the Janetzki boomerangs, including this one, to benefit the Fred Hollows charity foundation that was managed by Brian. I have owned this boomerang since 2001 and kept it in storage until listing it in 2020. A very nice example of Arthur Janetzki's solo workmanship.

Specifications: Right Handed ; Tip-to-tip Span = 29 cm ; Weight = 45 gm


The Janetzki brothers (Les & Arthur) made some of the finest competition and sporting boomerangs in the 20th Century. Les & Arthur made very few boomerangs and they were almost never sold. Instead, they were given away as gifts to other throwers that they met at tournaments. Les & Arthur Janetzki were Vaudeville performers in the early 1900s. After they retired in the 1960s, they started making and throwing boomerangs at their home in the town of Albury, Australia. They were senior citizens when they started to make and throw boomerangs and they continued with their boomerang hobby until their death nearly three decades later. Les would construct his own plywood by laminating packing box boards together, shaping the airfoils and sanding them smooth. Arthur would apply the art work. When they were done, they had a wonderful flying piece of art with legendary performance in events such as Accuracy, Consecutive Catch and Australian Round. These boomerangs worked so well that they were nicknamed the "Rolls Royce" of all boomerangs and upon the suggestion of Brother Brian Thomas, they started painting the initials "RJR" on the reverse side of the elbows in the 1980s with "RR" representing "Rolls Royce" and "J" representing "Janetzki". Owners of these fine boomerangs have been reluctant to sell them. Janetzki boomerangs can still be found in the throw kits of the most seasoned competitors as well as in the best collections. Premium Janetzki boomerangs can sell for hundreds of dollars and some of the finest examples have sold for more than $1,000!



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