<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">... anyone may be interested I have a full size drawing of a Golok that a forumite was good enough to send me ...</font>
Yvsa --- is it possible to post the pict of that drawing? If it is possible --- I suggest you do it in a special thread.
Golok is SEA(South East Asia) sort of machette and knife. You can find it in most SEA countries (Southern Thai, Malaysia, Philiphine, Brunei and Indonesia) with different names & models.
GOLOK PERAK is a Malaysian model --- looks like a small Filipino's Barong.
GOLOK REMBAU is also a Malaysian model --- looks like a Filipino Bonaficio.
PARANG is a sort of Golok with an inward curve of spine. The long one is called PARANG PANJANG and the short one is called PARANG PENDEK.
Other models with slight different in shape doesn't have any specific names and normally referred as GOLOK only --- sometimes they are referred from the name of the town or place where they were made (eg. GOLOK TERENGGANU made in Terengganu, GOLOK JOHOR made in Johor and GOLOK BETAWI made in Java, Indonesia) --- and sometimes they are referred from the special purpose or function of the design (eg. GOLOK SEMBELIH for slaughtering animal, GOLOK SENJATA for MA purpose, GOLOK TEBANG for felling small tree and GOLOK TEBAS for grass cuting).
The blade length, thickness & width are varies because they were normally made for special purposes --- about 17" long, very thin & narrow for slaughtering animal, 17" to about 30" long, less than 1/4" thick and less than 1 1/2" width for MA purpose, less than 20" long, thick and wide for felling purpose and more than 25" long, thin and narrow for grass cutting purpose.
I personally believe the various shapes of Golok are strongly influenced by shape of knives from southern part of India and China as well. This two cultures (India and China) are difinately play important roles in the culture of SEA countries from long religious and trade connection.
NEPAL HO!
