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- Oct 20, 2000
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This is a damascus golok done in a style that's uncommon even in my own country Malaysia. The blade is done in an elaborate process which involves a ritual that goes back generations.
The Malays call the type of blade "besi lama", which loosely means "old steel." In modern terms, we call it damascus.
The sheath near the hilt is carved in the image of Hanumam which is the Monkey God of the Hindu epic Ramayana. There are some parts of Malaysia where Hindu influence is strong. I suspect the origins may have come from Indonesia.
The sheath is carved from hilt to its tip. The wood is light colour and is known as keruing. It is one of the better woods and is well suited for knife sheaths. The black spacer near the hilt is buffalo horn.
Once the knife is extracted from the sheath, there is a fragrance. The knifemaker has coated an anti-rust oil called minyak keris. One of those traditional processes that goes into making such a blade.
There are not many such knife makers left. Some of them concentrate on making keris. Not many made goloks. The juxtaposition of the Malay-Hindu influences is reflected magnificently in the finished product.
