Ethnic weapons expert needed...

kronckew

kronckew

Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Messages
3,409
Hi, y'all

Found this lil' beastie on e-pray and it talked me into adopting it, she arrived this mornin'.

has a stamp on the blade that appears to be AGS, can't find anything on that via google or search here at bladeforums. i reckon one of the cantina ethnic weapons experts will be able to elucidate this ol' packrat on what that mark is.

was sold as a 'phillapeno short sword' (picture angle distorts it a bit, it's reall a lot longer)

91512-4.jpg

91512-6.jpg


blade is 15.75 in., big ol' 6in bulbous grip really balances it well.
screams 'GOLOK' at me, nobody else bid on it, so i got it for £15, guess the misnaming threw off the competitions search engines. i'm a bit more thorough.

she's currently having a bath in ballistol & will be put to bed in a couple hours after she gets stropped a bit.
 
I wish I knew more about Filipino edged weapons and such.:(
According to Valiant's website it looks like a Golok to me as well but I don't know enough to comment as to what it is.:rolleyes: No matter I wouldn't mind owning it myself.:D ;) Looks really well cared for as well as well made, not like some of the edged pieces from that part of the world.:thumbup:
 
To me, it looks very much like a copy of a Japanese short sword with a native handle put on it. There were many Japanese in the Phillipines during WW2, so this blade shape would have been around.
That's just my theory...
 
Well Danny, you probably know more than I do, but looking at the shape of the tip I just can't imagine this as being a copy of a wakizashi. Geometry also seems rather plain compared to what I would expect from any nihonto.:confused:
 
blade is 15.75 in., big ol' 6in bulbous grip really balances it well.
Click to expand...
It is a Golok. At some places in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and Indonesia it is called as Parang Pendek (Short Parang). Golok or Parang Pendek normally is less than 20" length. Those with length of 20" to 25" are called Parang Tanggung (Medium Length Parang). While those with length more than 25" are named Parang Panjang (Long Parang). Those with length less than 12" is normally called as Pisau (knife). Other than it's design, the naming convention of that model normally goes side by side with it's length.

I have one golok just the same design as Kronckew's. A present from a friend. Mine is made in Kerinchi, Sumatera Indonesia. I believed Kronckew's golok also most probably originted from Sumatera Indonesia.
 
That sword Cabbit linked is also said to be a copy or modification of a military weapon, see:
"...blade that looks like a cut down from a European military sword..."
So, we still have a mystery here, although the resemblance to a Japanese or other military weapon is evident.
 
DannyinJapan said:
That sword Cabbit linked is also said to be a copy or modification of a military weapon, see:
"...blade that looks like a cut down from a European military sword..."
So, we still have a mystery here, although the resemblance to a Japanese or other military weapon is evident.
Click to expand...

It could very well be DIJ. Lots of cultures used blades from other cultures in many ways.
Nothing is wasted where there is little to be had.
 
thanks for the info, y'all

for info, the angle of the photo is a bit deceptive as to length & the tip is actually rather blunt, forming almost a 75degree angle at the junction with the spine. (it was sharp enough to draw blood while i was touching up a bit of rust tho - ouch)

Seems to me that the blades of the region have a certain overlap in terminology with parang & golok being used for very similar (as well as widely divergent) blade shapes, depending on where it comes from, and what type of grip it has, etc.

i'm finding that picking up interesting sharp pointy things (and some not pointy sharp things) from the SE asia area is fairly easy as well as cheap & offer a broad range of shapes, and materials.

they vary in quality from what i'd call everyday 'users' to high status silver mounted & decorated ones, as well as cheap tourist stuff. Blade materials also vary from carbon steel to laminated steel & damascus.

More info i've found: Linky

the AGS mark remains a mystery....
 
To tidy up,

Long Stuff:

sea2.jpg


l to r:
Sea Dyak Parang Langgai Tinggang, carved wood scabbard, rattan bands, carved wood grip, perforated & decorated blade, finger guard, 26" loa
Fillipino Bolo Tusak, leather sheath, brass fittings on wood grip, 25" loa
Klewang, leather sheath, fur still on outside though worn, brass guard & grip with braided leather covering, fullered and grooved blade, 25.5" loa
Burmese Dha, wood scabbard, cord & copper bands on grip & scabbard, silver inlays on blade spine & sides, 34" loa
Naga Dha, rattan banded wood scabbard, corded grip, inlays on blade spine, 29" loa


Short Stuff:

sea1.jpg


l to r
Golok Tebas, light wood scabbard & horn fittings, pinned wood grip, 19" loa
Golok, carved wood scabbard, pinned wood/horn grip, fullered blade, 22.5" loa

top down:
Barong, wood scabbard with leather bands, wood grip, brass guard/ferrule, 20" loa
Kujang, fancy wood grip & scabbard, laminated steel blade with pamor, 16" loa
Small naga knife, brass banded wood scabbard, rough finished blade, 9.5" loa
Large naga Knife, brass banded wood scabbard, rough finished blade, 18" loa
Sm. Parang, wood scabbard, braided cord bands, rough finished blade, 15.5" loa

Almost forgot him:

keris.jpg


Keris Untu Walang, fancy wood scabbard, carved wood grip, laminated steel blade with pamor. 20" loa
_______________________________________________________________
CAVE CANEM ET SEMPER PARATUS
Dic, hospes Spartae nos te hic vidisse iacentes,
Dum sanctis patriae legibus obsequimur

BlueMillieSig.jpg

If they don't want me to eat animals - why do they make them out of MEAT?
 
I'm no expert, but it's not Philippine, but Indonesian as Mohd says.

Thanks, Mohd, for the naming conventions of the various lengths.:) I bought one from Ebay with a very similar scabbard, but a different hilt. The steel was of medium hardness, kind of like a machete.

Nice piece. So many interesting ethnic blades, so little money.:rolleyes:

Steve
 
Is that a Naga or a Kachin dha? If memory serves right, the Kachin were more known for disdaining the point. Although, they were in such a close geographic locale, that they probably both used that type of dha. The Naga were headhunters. They liked to drive hardened poles into people's skulls and have a protein shake.
 
hi lion's roar,

i bought the dha from a german dealer who was selling it as an 'old naga blade' dha. my admittedly short research ( Dha Research Centre ) leads me to believe as you do that it is more likely to be katchin, or possibly as you say, from an area where they all used similar styles due to either integration & blending of ideas or capture & re-use of enemy weapons

maybe a better description may help:

the blade, which has a nice mottled black patina & no rust or pitting is 18.5 in. long, 1.25 in. wide at the forte, 1.5 in. wide at the tip, 3/8 in. thick at the forte and ~ 1/16 in. thick at the tip, which is sharpened all the way up to the spine. the first 7 inches of the spine are decorated with inscribed parallel lines about 1/8 in. apart starting about 1 in. from the forte in a group of 6 lines, the center one is about 1/8 in. across and inlaid with copper. the next group of 2 lines is a further 1.5 in. up the spine then after another 1.5 in. again we have a group of six lines with a broad copper inlay in the center line, then an inch along are a final group of 4 lines. the blade has three minor nicks in the edge that look like parry or bone marks. the grip is 9.5 in. long, 1.125 in. in diameter at the base and swells abruptly to 1.375 in. at the blade junction. both ends are closed with copper disks which fold back on the grip about 1/8 in. & are held on with 3 nails (small end) or 4 nails (big end) the nails are countersunk steel or iron with cross-hatched or checkered heads.the entire grip is covered in braided rattan bands and is in good shape with no missing, broken, or damaged banding. the scabbard is, like many of the SE asian ones i have, made from 2 undecorated pieces of wood hollowed out to fit the blade & held together by a wood peg at the tip and a series of braided rattan bands. a number of the bands appear to be missing, and i am replacing them with cord bands tied in a turks head (like a boyscout's neckerchief slide for you non-sailor types). the scabbard near the throat is wrapped in 1/4" braided cord which is then knotted to provide a baldric. this is in bad shape & will be replaced with braided sisal sash cord which looks exactly like it. i'll keep all the replaced bits for any future owners......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top