Strange Mini Parang
 

This auction just ended:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...1551&rd=1&rd=1

I have seen that kind of hilt somewhere else but can't remember where?
But haven't seen a blade like that before?
It's smaller than it looks, only 16 inces, 40 cm.

Anyone who knows where it's from?
I suspect it's some kind of tool knife?
Maybe Sumatra?

Michael

Summatra hilt?

I'll ask Dave and Lonna. The seller lives a few miles from me and mostly sells African, though this is not African, well, niether is he.

Sorin, want to commernt?

From the eBay-description I got the impression that Sorin wasn't sure himself on what it was?
But maybe the buyers know?

Michael

Have sent an email to the buyers, and will let you know what they say. But please don't let this be a tread stopper. I hope that people will respond further as to what they think.

Lonna and I decided to bid on this because the blade is so unusual. In our collection we have many Iban jimpuls and some nyabors and the engaving on the blade looks to me to be Iban type motifs. That being said, the handle looks more sumatran style. We should be able to tell more when we can actually examine the piece. It just struck us as different, and we like to add as many different and unusual pieces to our collection as possible. I vote for Borneo. Comments?.............Dave

I ALSO WATCHED THIS ONE AND SUSPECT IT IS MALAYSIAN OR POSSIBLY SUMATRA. THE DESIGN DOSEN'T STRIKE ME AS FROM BORNEO OR ANYWHERE BELOW SUMATRA IN INDONESIA . MALAYSIAN IS MY BEST GUESS :shrug:
IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT WHEN YOU RECEIVE IT. GOOD LUCK

Dave,

Thought the hilt looked Summatran. Good to see you posting here. All our best to you and Lonna.

Pics of a Summatran knife with similar hilt, (prov Erik Farrow / Bill Sutterfield)

Bill, Anne, Chumley and Tucker

Thanks Bill,

I haven't found my reference yet but the hilt is Sumatran and has some kind of name that I don't remember without looking in the book, or reference article, I can't find. :rolleyes:
The blade shape of the eBay mini-chopper also looks Sumatran, maybe Palembang area, except that I haven't seen those protrusions before?
It doesn't look like a fighting blade because of the size and no tip for thrusting?
So I suspect it's some kind of tool knife, or ceremonial knife, with the same hilt as yours?
Very interesting piece.
But I still guess/vote for Sumatra.

Michael

Bill;Michael; I agree with you that the handle definitly does look sumatran, but i still can't quite believe that that strange blade couldn't be from borneo. It's very hard for me to ignore the engraving that looks to me to be an iban inspired motif. We have had many, many sumatran krises and parangs over the years, and i can't recall even one that had this type of engraving on the blade. I hope if somone has a sumatran blade of any kind with this style of decoration that they would post pictures. It might give us some idea of where in sumatra this could have come from........Dave