Hmong Knife
 

Hello All,

Here is a Hmong knife I took a picture of today at a Hmong festival.

The handle is made of horn. Just like thai monks knifes this usually is blessed, but for Hmong by a shaman or elder, then they put it under their pillow to protect them from spirits....Those who I know that use it are typically girls....so take note...never sneak up and startle a Hmong woman!!!!

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...9/DSC_3206.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...9/DSC_3207.jpg

Just in case you don't know the Hmong are a ethnic minority that live in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Burma and China. In the USA, most Hmong are from Laos because of persecution they came to the US in return for their military service during the Vietnam war...fighting in Laos along the Ho Chi Min trail along the border of Laos, and vietnam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_people

Nice. Those seem very standardized, are they factory made or does the smith use a template to make them all? I have seen a review online by a "James" comparing the Hmong knife to Thai e-neps, both good knife designs. :)

Why is it that Hmong women usually use these knives? Do Hmong men use knives or is that below them (except in war)? Watching Gran Torino and doing a bit of research I've learnt a thing or two about Hmong culture, but I still don't know much.

Funny Hmong knife video :)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFF2KcBa_Dk

KuKulzA28

Here is that review you where you where talking about:

http://www.oldjimbo.com/Outdoors-Mag...ong-knives.pdf

Oh, well, I don't know much about how they make these knives....probably a general pattern.

I'm sure men use them too...I just know of one friend in college who slept with this under her pillow...and the friends we where with today said that she also has one her grandmother gave her that she sleeps under her pillow at night.

I havn't seen the movie Grand Torino, but plan to...

the hmong/miao are known to have used a variation of the dha/darb, at least in the recent past.