Patron Saints

Where better to start than with our Patron Saints?
not where I really did start but where my web wanderings took me last night - did you know there are at least 6 patron Saints of "felt making, fulling, hat making, milliners"?
These include Saints Barbara; Clement; James the lesser: Michael the Archangel; Philip the Apostle and Severus of Aranches. http://saints. sqpn.com/ pst00350. htm
The bit that is interesting me at the moment is the story around St James who was beaten to death with a club. Because of this the club became his symbol and this led to him being the Patron Saint of professions which use a club ... this includes fullers. You can see a picture of him holding a spikey wooden club on http://saints. sqpn.com/ pst00350. htm
Just hoping somebody out there has an idea what and how a club such as this might have been used for!