What is knife in Borneo picture?

Rusty

Rusty

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The things that people use to justify the things they do to one another.

Sigh...(after checking my FN and my Uzi, and sharpening the FN's bayonet).

.........................................

http://asia.cnn.com/ASIA/

So take a look at the knives being brandished and tell me if you recognize the type.
 
Rusty,

I realize that the blade shape is very suggestive, but remember that these people are also farmers. The handle shape and blade interface remind me a lot of a scythe, which has also been used by various asian groups as a basis for fighting instruments(i.e., the kama of Okinawan and Japanese fame).

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Watakushi Wa Shinajin Desu
DeathDancer
 
I believe they are a variant of the parang ginah, although the ones I have seen always had longer handles. I believe they are primarily an agricultural implement, but also function well as a weapon.

 
I think the term for a sickle in Malay, Javanese, and Madurese is "arit." (see Draeger, "Weapons & Fighting Arts of Indonesia.") Hopefully Mohd will respond to this thread as he's our local expert for that region.

The Dayaks, like many animist societies throughout Indonesia and Indochina, were traditionally headhunters, but the weapon typically reserved for this gruesome task was a sword called the 'mandau' in Dayak (literally 'head-hunter'), 'parang ihlang' in Malay ('jungle knife').

The picture, though, seems to show the Dayaks' enemies in the current conflict -- the Madurese. I say so because those hats (I don't know their name) and sarongs that some of them are wearing aren't the kind of thing worn by Dayaks but are worn by Muslim Madurese, Javanese, and Malays.
 
Picture is gone. It did look like a scythe - one with a 4 to 5" handle and a 12 to 14" blade.
 
Rusty & Fellow Formites.

It is a sickle --- in the family of Arit --- specifically it is a Madurese Arit which they called it as Celurit (pronunce as Cher-loo-rit). Three of the pictures in this page shows Celurit. Basically it is an agricultural tool for the Madurese --- they use it to cut grass, rice stem, stomach and throat --- sorry! I guess the last two are not agricultural products!

The going on clash in Borneo is a pure racial or tribal feud! I just don’t know … lately a lot of clashes happened there! All of this of course make me very sad! I hope I don’t have to use my Khukuris for that sort of purpose! Life is too short --- why must we spend it with jealousy, hatred, torturing, butchering and killing! All of us are going to leave this world … but still we shed other peoples’ blood for it … and not in just cause! May Allaah save all of us from that sort of tragedy!

wa-(A)llaahu-aa’lam!

[This message has been edited by mohd (edited 02-26-2001).]
 
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