Item TB25
This Item was Sold on 5 October
2006 for $93
Other collectable boomerangs for sale can be found on the
Collectable , Hardwood
and Art Boomerang web links.
Historical Pricing information for this item and similar
collectable boomerangs can be found on the Boomerang
Pricing Guide
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 wereVaudeville performers in the early
1900s. After they retired in the1960s, 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! Only a few examples of the very unusual Razor-Gang model
exist. The design is similar to Rusty Harding's Razor
boomerang. This is an early model that does not have the RJR
on the underside of the elbow. The words "RAZOR-GANG" are
painted on the upper surface of the lift arm as shown in the
photo below. This example has a small defect in the wood at
the base of the dingle arm near the elbow. Silver paint was
applied over the defect. There is no crack, but if you threw
it hard into the ground, a crack would probably initiate at
this location, so be careful when throwing. This is a very
light weight boomerang and it is possible that it is was
made out of lapped Balsa, Poplar, Spruce or other light
weight wood. It is impossible to tell with 100% of the
surface covered in paint.