Hello Kai,
Thanks for your detailed response. The information is greatly appreciated.
It is somehow refreshing to know that some things simply don't have a name! I was never happy with calling it a
parang naibur, but could find nothing better in the sources I consulted. To learn that it has no recognized name is not surprising.
I agree that the blade is rather plain, but at the same time it is well made and seems to have some age to it. The sword is quite light in the hand and well balanced.
I'm planning to take this one with me to Australia, so I will likely remove the belt and the fur trim on the hilt. No sense in giving customs people things to be concerned about. I don't think that the loss of the belt and fur will detract from the item.
Ian