Use of the term krabi versus darb

[wilked aka Khun Deng]

Actually since that post the information has improved. Krabi, as used by the Thais, is a term specifically used for sabres. Every reference, except in that first one I referenced, has applied the term to a sword with a typical sabre hilt and guard most with the long thin hand guard. Many times the blade in that weapon is either an imported blade or a local blade much the same as those Bangkok era blades (thinner and parallel, without the belly swell). An example is shown below



I have seen this term used in reference to the fighting style Krabi Krabong but the dictionary just defines krabi as sword and krabong as staff. Of course the dictionary also lists Daab only as sword with no qualification. However in the museum labels, book illustrations and discussions the term krabi has, so far, exclusively been used on sabers. In this poor photo you can just make out that the second rack of weapons and the two crossed on the wall in the background are European style sabers - they are labeled in Thai as krabi while the others were labeled as "meed daab" or "daab", "meed" by itself means knive. Don't get confused by the phonetics I use, there are at least three different sets of phonetics that I know of when translating Thai "darb" is just as correct - it is literally "D" - "long soft A vowel(aa)" - "B" but it really sounds more like "darb" when heard by western ears.