Keeling Cocos Knife

[Ian]

See: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6510083673

Some time back I bought another one of these from an English dealer and had a problem with an attribution to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. We discussed them on the old forum and nobody was quite sure where they came from.

See: http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000594.html

Well, I guess they do come from the Keeling Cocos Islands after all. The seller notes that there was an air strip in operation on the Cocos Keelings during WWII, which is probably the source of these knives. Can't be too many of them around.

Ian.

[Raja Muda]

I would hazard that this item here is a local variant of a utility parang. I'm basing this on the fact that a large number of the people on Cocos were Malays, especially from Malacca and if I'm not mistaken Javanese as well. They were labourers brought in by the Clunnies-Ross family.

[Ian]

A couple of similar knives just ended on eBay a few days ago. Good prices too. ;) :D

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6528696909

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6528696923

So far, all of the examples I have seen have come from British sources, which adds to the idea that they are WWII bring backs by British military forces stationed on the Cocos Keeling Islands during that period.

More pictures later.

[Ian]

Good to see not2sharp back on the Forum. He may remember discussing these knives on the old Forum.

Here are pictures of two examples, one with the clear identifier of "Keeling Cocos Islands 1945."

Ian.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/Igreaves/CocosKeelingCombo1.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/Igreaves/CocosKeelingCombo2.jpg

[not2sharp]

Ian,

Thanks for posting this. I am glad to see that we have finally gotten a fix on these knives. Given the size of the Cocos islands, all of these knives were probably made by the same guy. Perhaps one of these days we will be able to turn up his name.

n2s

[Ian]

that I picked up together a few months ago. These are smaller than the other two examples and, although the edges are sharp, they appear to be more decorative than functional. Blades are less than 1/8 inch thick at the hilt. Same type of construction and similar scabbards. Again, these came from Britain.

I have not got around to cleaning these yet. The top one has a coat of heavy grease or oil. The bottom one has been coated with varnish.

n2s: You could well be correct that these are all the work of a single person or perhaps a small family group.

Ian

[not2sharp]

Ian,

The reason that I am suggesting a single craftsman is because I see the same mistake repeated on some of the knives, and I can only imagine that happening if the same hand has made the knives.

Look at the cho on your bottom knife here:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/Igreaves/CocosKeelingCombo1.jpg

and compare it with my bottom knife here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=1610725


They are both over filed in the same way.

n2s