Info Requested On Bade-Bade Knife, Please

[kentworld]

Hello! I have recently acquired a knife and scabbard and would like to know something about it as this is a new subject for me.

It is approx. 16.5" in length, has a horn or dark wood handle (which is rather cracked), and has a light-weight wood scabbard. The scabbard has some carving at the handle and at the curved tip. There is also some very nice tracery along the length of the scabbard, either etched or scribed. I have included photos.

What is it? Where does it come from? What is it made of? Approximately how old is it? Thanks very much! :) Wendy

[RhysMichael]

Hi Wendy and welcome to the forum, I believe this a Rentcong (Rencong) not a bade bade. This style of hilt is calle hulu puntung (this is the Indonsian name if I am right with the Aceh term being Hulu Geurepong and hulu gerepung being the Gayo term, if I am wrong someone please correct me). These are found throughout Indonesia and carry as strong a significance to the people there as the keris in other places. I would guess this one is from Aceh based on the floral motif on the sheath. I will try to look up the name of that motif when I am home tomorrow night

You may want to look at this thread started by Utami for some good background on these.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3062&highlight=rencong

some pictures of a similar one can be found here
http://alamshah.fotopic.net/c1055765.html

Another good place to look for more info on them is Domenic Buttin's site
http://old.blades.free.fr/

[kentworld]

Thank you so much for the information and the great links! My cousin's daughter works for the Canadian Foreign Dept. and was posted to Aceh at the time of the 2004 tsunami and part of her mandate was to supply Canadian aid to the Acehenese. So, it's very interesting that a dagger from Aceh made it into my possession! :) Wendy

[Henk]

100 % Rencong from Aceh.