Barong Pix from Broken Arrow.

ff3d0ea5.jpg.orig.jpg

Here are a couple of pix sent by Broken Arrow.

Is this the barong you are using for your wood model, Ray?

When BA gets around I'm sure he will post us some details.

That's a Gelbu Special in the pix for comparison purposes.

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Archives (18,000+ posts)
 
Yvsa

Yvsa

Joined
May 18, 1999
Messages
15,395
:
I wonder if that's the same barong that Ray had at the convention?
I am still amazed at the very beautiful finish he had on his barong and sandang using the ferric chloride and brownell's cold blue!!!
This one doesn't appear to have that finish.
And both of those blades took a fearsome edge using the strops I brought.
biggrin.gif


 
Thanks Uncle for posting these pictures!

Yvsa, the Barong that I brought to the convention wasn't this one. That was a recent production model and my MA work out Barong made by K.C. and customized by me. This one in the picture is an antique.

Well, this Barong is an antique. The blade is almost 18" long with a 2.75" belly. The blade is made out of laminated steel and has a very interesting pattern to it. The handle has a silver sleeve over the wood. You can see the stylized cockutu handle. The sheath is made of wood and is wrapped in thin strips of rattan. It has some pearl inserts also near the mouth of the sheath. This blade was carried using a sash around the waist. This is the model I'm attempting to make the wood model out of. This holiday season is really slowing me down though. Stay tuned!
 
beautiful barong BA. Im envious. Been looking for an antique barong for a while, but have been having problems.
 
OK, it's stupid question time. Us knife-morons would like to know how these things are/were used. Are they "chopping" weapons, similar to khuks? Do they also serve a utilitarian purpose -- in other words, are they considered both weapon and tool?
 
Steven,

The Barong is a short sword that was favored by the Muslim warriors of Mindanao in the Philippines. I have never used one, but I have handled one, and it seemed as if it would have made a superb chopping weapon. I think that the Muslim warriors of Mindanao carried the Barong in combination with the longer Sundang, a Philippine kris/keris form. The Sundang was used in confrontations with multiple opponents, while the Barong was used more as a secondary weapon. Hope that helps.

 
:
Reul, that is beautiful!!! Age?

I handled BA's KC Barong at Reno and I can tell you that it is both a formidable chopper and a weapon.


------------------
>>>>---¥vsa---->®

"I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy."

........unknown, to me anyway........

Khukuri FAQ
Himalayan Imports Website
 
Good morning everyone,

A Barong is good when it can cleave a man from his shoulders to his pelvic bone. Usually the Barongs were favored for one to one fighting ,while the Kris/Sundang were favored for multiple opponents. These blades were reserved as weapons only. There are other Moro blades used for farming chores. I call Barongs "human meat cleavers"! When you pull one out people don't question its use.

[This message has been edited by Broken Arrow (edited 11-04-2000).]
 
Broken Arrow/Ruel,

Those blades look like they are flat ground all the way from the spine to the edge. Is this the case?

Thanks very much for the pix.


------------------
"To know and to act are one."
 
Finnean,

The Barongs that I have are flat ground. I have seen others with very wide fullers,and sharpened section near the tip (similar to a large wee-hawk blade). On some specimens, the blades did have an convex edge. I guess some of the smiths back then did some experimentation.
 
Yvsa, Finn,

Age: If you're customs agents, my Barong's 19thc. If not, it's probably post-WW2.
wink.gif

Since I haven't got it yet, I don't know about its bevel/grind, but I imagine that it's flat ground like BA's. Since the kamis are accustomed to the complex cross-sectional geometry of khukuris, making a barong should be no problem, at least in this aspect.
 
Ruel,

Nice barong and the first that I've seen with a guard. It doesn't look out of place at all. In fact, just the opposite. I like the idea of a guard on a weapon that might be used for thrusting and would suggest integrating the guard concept from Ruel's barong into the model being sent to the Kamis.

Barongs were also the favored weapon of the Moros for close quarters combat. A "disarming cut" done with a barong is just that ... disarming.
biggrin.gif


Respectfully,

Dave Fulton
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top