Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

BANDOOK · Yesterday, 05:19 AM

NORTH BORNEO · MID 20TH CENTURY
The Parang
Candong
A warrior's blade from the jungles of Borneo
What you're looking at is a genuine Parang Candong — a traditional sword from North Borneo, carried by the indigenous peoples of what is today Sabah and Sarawak. Aged, authentic, and remarkable.

THE WEAPON
What Makes This Piece Special

The Parang Candong is immediately recognizable by its elegantly curved, single-edged blade with a distinctive upswept tip — a form refined over centuries for both practical use in the dense Bornean jungle and as a prestige weapon among warrior cultures. This example retains all of its original components in remarkable condition.

⚔️
TYPE
Parang Candong
🌏
ORIGIN
North Borneo
Sabah / Sarawak
📅
PERIOD
Mid-20th Century
c. 1940s–1960s
🔨
HANDLE
Tropical Hardwood
Carved, hooked pommel
THE DETAILS
Reading the Blade & Scabbard

The blade is forged iron or steel showing genuine age — surface pitting, oxidation, and a deep patina that only decades of time can produce. The spine is flat, the edge single-bevelled, and that upswept tip is the Candong's signature. No pamor (Damascus) patterning, marking it as a practical working sword rather than a ceremonial keris-type piece.

The scabbard is a masterwork in its own right: two pieces of dense tropical hardwood held together with multiple bands of finely braided rattan. Near the throat, the binding transitions into an older, more ornate braided collar — a hallmark of authentic North Bornean craftsmanship. The rattan is aged and darkened yet structurally intact, consistent with mid-century dating.

The hooked, pistol-grip handle is carved from a single piece of hardwood — its form suggests an abstract animal or spirit figure, rooted in the animist traditions of Borneo's indigenous peoples.

Yesterday, 05:19 AM	#8
BANDOOK Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: AUCKLAND,NEW ZEALAND Posts: 632	With info gained here I put it onto AI NORTH BORNEO · MID 20TH CENTURY The Parang Candong A warrior's blade from the jungles of Borneo What you're looking at is a genuine Parang Candong — a traditional sword from North Borneo, carried by the indigenous peoples of what is today Sabah and Sarawak. Aged, authentic, and remarkable. THE WEAPON What Makes This Piece Special The Parang Candong is immediately recognizable by its elegantly curved, single-edged blade with a distinctive upswept tip — a form refined over centuries for both practical use in the dense Bornean jungle and as a prestige weapon among warrior cultures. This example retains all of its original components in remarkable condition. ⚔️ TYPE Parang Candong 🌏 ORIGIN North Borneo Sabah / Sarawak 📅 PERIOD Mid-20th Century c. 1940s–1960s 🔨 HANDLE Tropical Hardwood Carved, hooked pommel THE DETAILS Reading the Blade & Scabbard The blade is forged iron or steel showing genuine age — surface pitting, oxidation, and a deep patina that only decades of time can produce. The spine is flat, the edge single-bevelled, and that upswept tip is the Candong's signature. No pamor (Damascus) patterning, marking it as a practical working sword rather than a ceremonial keris-type piece. The scabbard is a masterwork in its own right: two pieces of dense tropical hardwood held together with multiple bands of finely braided rattan. Near the throat, the binding transitions into an older, more ornate braided collar — a hallmark of authentic North Bornean craftsmanship. The rattan is aged and darkened yet structurally intact, consistent with mid-century dating. The hooked, pistol-grip handle is carved from a single piece of hardwood — its form suggests an abstract animal or spirit figure, rooted in the animist traditions of Borneo's indigenous peoples.