Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

David · 20th February 2022, 11:22 PM

Well, this reviewer (if that is what this is), seems pretty confused in a few fronts.

"When I first heard about the Brunei Armed Forces Knife, I was immediately anxious to learn more about it. The knife itself is a modern take on the traditional Malay kris. Many who have only seen the cheap bazaar samples of the kris brought back from World War II, normally with loose handles and blades worn from much cleaning, may find it difficult to think of it as a serious military blade. But remember, the kris killed a lot of U.S. troops during the Philippine Insurrection (though this type of knife is often known as a “kalis” in the Philippines). Although many think of the kris as having the wavy blade, there are also those with a straight blade. Both types are intended primarily for thrusting."
When I first heard about the Brunei Armed Forces Knife, I was immediately anxious to learn more about it. The knife itself is a modern take on the traditional Malay kris. Many who have only seen the cheap bazaar samples of the kris brought back from World War II, normally with loose handles and blades worn from much cleaning, may find it difficult to think of it as a serious military blade. But remember, the kris killed a lot of U.S. troops during the Philippine Insurrection (though this type of knife is often known as a “kalis” in the Philippines). Although many think of the kris as having the wavy blade, there are also those with a straight blade. Both types are intended primarily for thrusting."

Firstly he assumes this is a modern take on the "Malay kris". He then goes on to show he is obviously confused about the difference between the Malay keris and the Moro kris. I would imagine that this is probably a short form take on the Moro kris. He also shows little understanding of the Malay keris when he cites their "Loose handles and blades worn by cleaning" and refers to them and "cheap".
All that said, this is a mass-produced blade, even if it is loosely based upon an ethnographic form so it's a bit outside our bailiwick. I would recommend that you best bet if you are having trouble finding this for sale somewhere would be to contact the folks who wrote the article rather than asking a group of ethnographic weapons collectors.

20th February 2022, 11:22 PM	#2
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,029	Well, this reviewer (if that is what this is), seems pretty confused in a few fronts. "When I first heard about the Brunei Armed Forces Knife, I was immediately anxious to learn more about it. The knife itself is a modern take on the traditional Malay kris. Many who have only seen the cheap bazaar samples of the kris brought back from World War II, normally with loose handles and blades worn from much cleaning, may find it difficult to think of it as a serious military blade. But remember, the kris killed a lot of U.S. troops during the Philippine Insurrection (though this type of knife is often known as a “kalis” in the Philippines). Although many think of the kris as having the wavy blade, there are also those with a straight blade. Both types are intended primarily for thrusting." When I first heard about the Brunei Armed Forces Knife, I was immediately anxious to learn more about it. The knife itself is a modern take on the traditional Malay kris. Many who have only seen the cheap bazaar samples of the kris brought back from World War II, normally with loose handles and blades worn from much cleaning, may find it difficult to think of it as a serious military blade. But remember, the kris killed a lot of U.S. troops during the Philippine Insurrection (though this type of knife is often known as a “kalis” in the Philippines). Although many think of the kris as having the wavy blade, there are also those with a straight blade. Both types are intended primarily for thrusting." Firstly he assumes this is a modern take on the "Malay kris". He then goes on to show he is obviously confused about the difference between the Malay keris and the Moro kris. I would imagine that this is probably a short form take on the Moro kris. He also shows little understanding of the Malay keris when he cites their "Loose handles and blades worn by cleaning" and refers to them and "cheap". All that said, this is a mass-produced blade, even if it is loosely based upon an ethnographic form so it's a bit outside our bailiwick. I would recommend that you best bet if you are having trouble finding this for sale somewhere would be to contact the folks who wrote the article rather than asking a group of ethnographic weapons collectors.