" The kings of the ancient Sundanese kingdom were considered very powerful. When a king died, his subjects believed that his spirit flitted into the jungles and became the spirit of a tiger.
There are two terms for the tiger that rules the jungles of West Java. One is Harimau, which is the generic Bahasay Indonesian word for tiger, and the other is Pak Macan (pronounced "Pah-mah-chahn" - sometimes anglicized and spelled Pamacan) which loosely translates to "great tiger."
Thus, the great tiger is very much revered by the Sundanese.
So awed were the ancient Sunda peoples by the power and ferocity of the Pamacan, that the common blade of the people was patterned after the shape of the claw of Pamacan. it was scaled down to smaller sizes, which augmented maneuverability.
When a fighter unsheathed a battlefield Karambit in ancient times, the cutting edge was almost always smeared with some type of deadly poison, which acted almost instantly upon entry into the bloodstream via laceration of the flesh. Even the smallest cut was enough to usher the poison into the bloodstream. Knowledge and use of poisons derived from various species of poisonous frogs, snakes, scorpions and spiders
were considered an essential element of a warrior's arsenal of close-quarter combative skills. These poisons rapidly accelerated death and were mostly feared for their nearly instantaneous
killing power. This is another reason why Pencak Silat techniques and systems such as Sabetan and Rhikasan focus on the immobilization of the hands at close quarters.
The personal Karambit (smaller version of the battlefield Karambit) was primarily designed for targeting the nerves and joints. As a result of such a small cutting surface, most cuts cannot be made deep enough to kill someone. That is why the Karambit can be considered
a personal self-defense tool. In contrast, the blade of the Karambit Besar (larger or battlefield version of the personal-sized Karambit) is longer and thus permits deeper cuts. According to the ancients, the battlefield Karambit was preferred not only for its superior length but for the
fact that you could, as a result of the lengthy cutting edge, "spill the entrails of your enemies onto the ground." However, as it was in the West, with the advent of battle-worthy and functional firearms, bladed weapons became obsolete on the battlefield and relegated to the utilitarian uses of knives that we see today.
Specifically designed as a close-quarter self-defense weapon, the Karambit of old was additionally quite difficult to see in the hand due to its method of deployment and cover of the fingers. Doubly menacing was that it could not be disarmed as a result of its forefinger-grip design. It was unique to any other blade at the time as it could be used for both a medium and close fighting ranges without changing distance of the striking arm. It was also the only blade used in battle that could cut twice with a single arm stroke. All other blades of that era need one
motion for one cut. The ancient battlefield Karambit was unique because:
1.. It could not be easily seen.
2.. It could not be easily disarmed
3.. It could change ranges without body movement
4.. It could deliver two strikes in a single arm motion.
Although quite a remarkable weapon, and as fierce as it looks, its primary application in this modern era is utilitarian. The multi-functionality of this tool is what truly sets it apart from the many different other types of utility knives.
Used in training by martial artists who practice the art of Pencak Silat, and in some cases used as an implement of personal defense (much like any modern pocket knife or even a steak knife for that matter!), its small tip and blade length are not conducive to delivery of lethal blows and the Karambit cannot be used for effective thrusting and thus cannot be considered a dagger. However, when used correctly it can deliver convincing motivation to any would-be attacker to leave you for another victim!"
The War Bar could then perhaps be used to open box cars or remove manhole covers.