Forum: Ethnographic Miscellania
21st December 2025, 11:26 PM
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Replies: 1
Views: 365
African Spear Shaped Paddles for Comment/Info
Hi All,
While driving to the store I saw a sign saying “Estate Sale” so I went in to have a look (because you never know, you know). I walked out with these two African paddles.
I think they are...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
21st December 2025, 04:58 PM
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Replies: 4
Views: 412
Thanks for the Info
Thanks Pertinax, TVV, and Jim McDougall,
I would love it if the blade had been stamped by an Italian maker but even if stamped by an African maker as a talisman/homage/selling point, it’s good to...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
20th December 2025, 10:47 PM
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Replies: 6
Views: 755
NYC Zip Guns
Tim Simmons,
Zip guns were rather common in New York when I was growing up and a door bolt firing pin was the ignition device of choice. Heavy duty rubber bands were used to propel the bolt...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
20th December 2025, 07:32 PM
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Replies: 4
Views: 412
Two Takouba Questions
Hi All,
I remember seeing blade stamps like these (see photos 2 & 3) but I can’t remember if I saw them on khodmi or takouba. As shown, my blade is stamped on both sides but the stamp location is...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
20th December 2025, 05:20 AM
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Replies: 6
Views: 755
Archaic for Mau Mau
Triple Jack,
Here my impressions (again with the caveat that I’m no firearms expert). You have another cap lock here and it appears to be a muzzle loader. I can’t be sure about the muzzle loader...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
14th December 2025, 12:16 AM
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Replies: 12
Views: 1,559
Not Expensive to Whom?
Patterson25,
When I see the prices of antique firearms, I am glad that I collect (non Japanese) antique knives and swords. I think in this case, defining "not very expensive" is an entirely...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
13th December 2025, 04:55 AM
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Replies: 12
Views: 1,559
Forum Input
Triple Jack,
There are some very knowledgeable firearms people on this forum who can add much more to what I have told you. Hopefully, they will weigh in about your rifle. I would just stabilize...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
13th December 2025, 01:18 AM
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Replies: 12
Views: 1,559
Caplock, No Scouring Pad
Triple Jack,
I don't know much about firearms but that's a really nice rifle you have there. It's a caplock not a matchlock. The caplock was invented by Reverend Alexander John Forsyth in 1807....
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
29th November 2025, 01:38 AM
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Replies: 4
Views: 3,539
Fuller Question
Martin Lubojacky,
Interesting. Is the center fuller on both sides? When I have seen old blades, the long center fullers are usually off center and offset from one another. How common is it to see...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
29th November 2025, 01:30 AM
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Replies: 9
Views: 4,624
Odd Nut
an,
Not the typical nut. It’s not the same but it looks something like the nut used to fasten a Japanese model 95 (AKA: NCO Shin Gunto) hilt to the tang.
Sincerely,
RobT
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
22nd November 2025, 08:22 PM
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Replies: 6
Views: 4,790
Constellation?
Ian,
Looks like the Big Dipper to me. Can’t help you with the bump though. To me, the odds look good for a differentially heat treated edge if you really work hard on polishing the blade (I'm...
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Forum: Keris Warung Kopi
22nd November 2025, 06:40 PM
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Replies: 28
Views: 10,389
The Reason for My Question
Alan Maisey,
Thanks for your response. I realize that there should be a ninth luk as you indicated. The problem I had was, although the center ridge appears to curve to show luk nine, the blade...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
22nd November 2025, 06:12 PM
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Replies: 27
Views: 13,213
The Word is Khopesh
Interested Party,
My 11/15/25 response to this thread shows three khopesh Philippine blades and a fourth blade with a big belly (sort of Binakuko-ish Binagong-ish). Although the sheaths for all...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
22nd November 2025, 01:17 AM
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Replies: 27
Views: 13,213
Sheath & Blade Not Made for Each Other
Lee,
The sheath hasn’t been made incorrectly. The orientation of the angled suspension is correct and so is the placement of the buckle and belt straps. All these things match the examples I...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
22nd November 2025, 01:09 AM
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Replies: 6
Views: 5,290
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Forum: Keris Warung Kopi
22nd November 2025, 01:02 AM
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Replies: 28
Views: 10,389
Perhaps Naive Question
Hi All,
Please consider this observation in light of my relative ignorance of Indonesian keris but I count 8 luk and the center ridge appears to wander off point. Could the blade have been...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
21st November 2025, 07:51 PM
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Replies: 6
Views: 5,290
Not Just Funny
Sajen,
Re the auction house description: So well written, so comprehensive yet brief in scope, so authoritatively presented, and so entirely clueless. I have copied the description and will put it...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
21st November 2025, 07:38 PM
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Replies: 13
Views: 6,738
Surakarta Hilt & Mendak
drac2k,
A photo of one of the serpentine keris cengkrong I posted shows it with a Surakarta style hilt and mendak. If you wish to rehilt your blade, perhaps Alan Maisey could weigh in to confirm...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
21st November 2025, 05:11 PM
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Replies: 27
Views: 13,213
You Get Some Things Right and Some Things Wrong
First, what I got right.
Here are photos of me wearing the first of the seven examples I initially presented in this thread (the only one with a complete suspension and belt).
The first photo shows...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
21st November 2025, 12:57 AM
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Replies: 13
Views: 6,738
Some Other Pieces
drac2k,
Sajen beat me to it I see and also added another that I was going to add myself. So it shouldn’t be a total loss, here is a serpentine version plus two pedang of interest. It would appear...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
20th November 2025, 01:21 AM
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Replies: 6
Views: 5,290
They are Out There
Sajen,
Here are six more examples. The first one shown has a whopping 12.5” (31.75cm) blade and is double edged with a scarf weld close to the hilt. The rest of the examples are of typical length....
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
20th November 2025, 12:40 AM
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Replies: 13
Views: 6,738
Missing Ganja?
Hi All,
On pg 127 of Ensiklopedi Keris, Harsrinuksmo shows a drawing of a very similar looking blade and lists it as "KERIS dapur Cengkrong. The illustration appears to show a ganja.
Sincerely,...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
19th November 2025, 04:09 AM
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Replies: 27
Views: 13,213
Sheath on Right is Backwards
Ian,
I wouldn't find it odd it for a member of the Philippine resistance to have the primary symbol of the resistance on his sheath. BTW the sun symbol is found on a number of South American flags...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
19th November 2025, 02:12 AM
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Replies: 27
Views: 13,213
It Appears to Fit Correctly
Lee,
Thanks for the new pictures, especially the one with the knife sheathed because I believe that (reverse) view shows the knife as it is meant to be sheathed. The clue is the diagonally...
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Forum: Ethnographic Weapons
17th November 2025, 07:28 PM
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Replies: 27
Views: 13,213
If the sheath doesn't fit...
Ian,
A sun with a face and eight rays was on the flag of the Philippine resistance against the Spanish (and later the US). I count eight rays on the sun on the sheath (three on the top, three on...
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