Is this a Filipino sword?

1. Dave, have you named your little guy yet?
smile.gif


2. "BTW, what types of swords do you collect?" I like all kinds of traditional/historical weapons, especially if it's surrounded by mystique and folklore. In practice, though, I get what I can afford. I have a smattering of lots of stuff: lots of Malay/Indonesian keris etc., some exotic-looking stuff from India, a couple of European replicas, and various other stray things. From the Philippines, I have the two swords I posted here, plus the two pinahigs mentioned above, a couple of daggers, and one of those bahi-wood swords (what are those called anyway?). I don't know how to use any of them, though...:/

3. Donna, what style of sword is your custom piece gonna be, and who's making it? Sound's exciting! The only custom piece I've bought so far broke(!) and is currently being repaired.
And about making swords, I've been talking to Cecil Quirino at Kris Cutlery like you said and he said he *might* be interested in replicating it for the KC production line! I hope he does; it would add so much prestige to my humble weapon collection, and the KC version would probably be even stronger and sharper than the original! You guys have gotta write him and tell him you want it!!
biggrin.gif


[This message has been edited by ruel (edited 05-04-2000).]
 
This will be our second. I have already been blessed by a beautiful 3 year old girl. His name will (unless there's a sudden change in plans) will be Mark with David as his middle name.

Currently, I don't have any sword collection. The only big blade I have is the 20" Chainpuri style Khukuri I mentioned above. It's blade is longer, sleeker and more agile than the standard Khukuri ... more of a weapon. It will lop off some stuff. You should have seen the looks I got from my neighbors last fall when I decided to have some fun and used the Khukuri to do in the remains of my vegetable garden
biggrin.gif


Nice short sword Donna! Is it 18" Over All Length or 18" Blade Length? It looks like a real user.

I've been reading good stuff about the CPM 3V. I think that if I had the cash, I'd want to have someone make a Barong with a CPM 3V blade that's 18" long, 3.0" at the widest point and 1/4" to 3/8" thick at the spine (depending upon weight & strength considerations), a full-exposed tang and micarta scales (or maybe a nice wood if I'm feeling particularly frivolous when I place the order). Sorry to sound like a broken record, but I just LOVE the Barong.
cool.gif


Dave.

 
1. Speaking of Khukuris, Dave, Piece "B" in the picture below just came in last night, after a long time in layaway:
image17A.jpg

Technically it's not a true khukuri, but it still has that fat swollen look that also characterizes the barong. If the Chainpuri is the thin extreme of khukuris, this is the thick extreme.

2. Donna, that looks like it'll make a formidable weapon when it's done! I've never heard of CPM 3V before; I'd be interested in knowing how it performs.

3. And if you like the "Keris-N-Roses" theme, I have pix of a balinese keris set among some red roses. The picture has a nice warm gold-colored glow to it, and I think it'd make a beautiful painting. (I can't take credit for the photos, though; I snagged them off of the seller's page!) If you want to see them, I can e-mail them to you (I only have them saved on disk).
 
Donna, artwise or such, Cato's "Moros and Their Swords" is highly, highly recommended.

Dave, Cecil Quirino's Silat/FMA documentary should have some footage of the Barong in play as well as the kris. I mentioned it in a thread somewhere.
 
Hi Donna, I'll dig out those pix and send them your way.

I like daggers alot too. It seems that they require less skill -- just spring on the guy unexpectedly and plug him from behind -- and that appeals to me because I don't have any fighting skills! What kind/s do you like best?
 
1. Speaking of Daggers, I just snatched this off Ebay:
rendjong.jpg

rendjonghilt.jpg

I can't understand it, but nobody else bid, and I got it at the opening price of US$42.50 (not that I'm complaining)!

2. But back to the topic at hand: Do you think that single-edgers like this have any advantages that a double-edger doesn't? I ask because it seems that most Filipino fighting knives are single edged, like the Balisong, Pira, and Korambit. Are the double-edge techniques you're talking about from FMA or somewhere else?

3. Also, do you prefer straight or curved? I've read in a lot of places that the Islamic Jambiya, which is curved and double-edged, is the most widespread fighting knife in the world. I've often wondered if this distribution is due to cultural reasons, or if it actually is a more effective design.
 
Just an afterthought, but that second picture of my new dagger's hilt has a very disturbing "Godfather" appearance to it...
eek.gif
 
1. I wish I hadn't remembered that "Godfather" scene; now I'll be spooked every time I look at that knife!

2. This thing is called a 'rencong,' and is the favorite blade of the Aceh (north Sumatra). Apparently they think it's the bomb, because they have the same superstitions about it that other Malays have about the keris. Maybe there's some secret technique to using it...

3. Donna, I'm sorry I haven't sent the Keris+Roses pix to you yet. It's finals time, and I just hadn't had the opportunity to find the disk. I'll be done tomorrow, and will definitely send them by Wednesday.
wink.gif
 
Ruel, the rencong/rentjong was used in an unusual manner. Grasped with the toes and kicked into the person's stomach after evading a blow or the first shot from a Dutch rifle.
 
Ruel,

Are you sure about the name of the dagger with the horse head handle?

I might be mistaken but I thought the rentjong (rencong) had a "curved" (for lack of a better term) handle as opposed to this weapon where the handle is in line with the tip. The weapon I'm thinking of as a rentjong (with it's curved handle) could be thrust into the enemy and then turned before being pulled out to cause more internal damage. A rather colorful description that I read was that you stick it in and then turn it like a hand-cranked coffee mill.
eek.gif


Smoke,

I've read accounts of kids learning to run and play while holding sticks between their toes in order to learn to hold the rentjong between their toes while fighting. I've pictured doing our silat kicks with a dagger between my toes, though I haven't tried it. It would really had to the potency of the kicks.

Dave
 
Hi Smoke & Dave,

1. Could you gentlemen point me to where you read about that "toe-technique" for the rencong? That's pretty wild! I'd heard of the same thing being done with razors in Brazilian Capoiera, but didn't realize it was done anywhere else. The only book I have discussing rencong techniques is Donn F. Draeger's "Weapons & Fighting Arts of Indonesia," which talks about the stab-and-turn Dave mentioned.

2. Dave, I would agree with you about the hilt: the one rencong I already own, and most others I've seen, have only the upper edge sharpened, while the hilt bends downward in an L shape. Also, there is another weapon from Aceh called a Siwai ("Sewar" in other parts of Sumatra) which has an identical blade but with the bottom edge sharpened and a more normal hilt.

The dagger above, if looking only at the blade + hilt, would probably be a Siwai, but Rencong and Siwai scabbards seem to have distinct, standardized forms, and this one definitely has the 'rencong' scabbard. So I guess it could go either way; I went with 'rencong' only because the seller called it a rencong. Lemme search for on-line images so we can make some comparisons.

[This message has been edited by ruel (edited 05-09-2000).]
 
Ruel, the Draeger text is about it concerning the technique. I am a bit skeptical for one reason; I've never seen it done.

The Capoeira technique I envision as a the blade taped to the heal, the Silat technique I see like a fist dagger.
 
Ruel/Smoke,

There was an article on silat and Eddie Jafri in an old MA mag (Black Belt ... I think) that showed various silat weapons and briefly discussed how they were used. The "toe technique" for the rentjong was described briefly.

That reminds me ... I should try to dig that article out for my teacher since he studied silat from Jafri. He might find it interesting. If I can find it, I'll let you know.

Dave.
 
Thanks Smoke, I must've completely missed it when I read Draeger. I've got to find that book again...Dave, it'd be great if that article has pictures.

What makes me wonder, though, is that the book "Court Arts of Indonesia" says the rencong was a weapon for nobility and royalty only. One must then ask if such high-n-mighties ever took to the field and, moreover, fought with their status symbols between their toes...
confused.gif
 
The article "Fighting Weapons of Silat" (?) was in BB, had a short description of each weapon, the pics were mostly of Pangian Lima Empat/Pera Taki Sendo Silat instructor Suryadi "Eddie" Jafri and his collection of weapons.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top