- Joined
- Aug 17, 2003
- Messages
- 3,409
i would think a hard brittle steel would be best for shells so they fragment easier.
anyhow, in ww1 the german cruiser Emden after battle with an australian naval vessel, was run aground on the cocos islands south of indopnesia. the local malay descended people, or at least one blacksmithing family made/makes a range of parangs from the steel in various sizes from small utility knives to larger machete sized ones, all have a very distinctive shape and a distinctive scabbard. not sure if they still do, or if they have run out of german steel.
cocos island knives:
![small03[1].jpg](https://www.bladeforums.com/data/attachments/323/323829-809a404c183cefad2f347a06eac50bcf.jpg?hash=gJpATBg876 "small03[1].jpg")
anyhow, in ww1 the german cruiser Emden after battle with an australian naval vessel, was run aground on the cocos islands south of indopnesia. the local malay descended people, or at least one blacksmithing family made/makes a range of parangs from the steel in various sizes from small utility knives to larger machete sized ones, all have a very distinctive shape and a distinctive scabbard. not sure if they still do, or if they have run out of german steel.
cocos island knives: