Chinese (or other country) sai/parrying weapon

[estcrh]

The lack of iron production in Okinawa is mentioned in this book "Okinawa:The History of an Island People" By George Kerr, the restrictions on importing weapons into Okinawa is mentioned as well.

[josh stout]

The top one I posted is from an area of Northern Sumatra where Chinese laborers were brought by the British in the late 19th c. The set of two and the other one with a wooden handle are all Chinese. All three are octagonal. The set with brass guards and pommel has a scoring line accentuating the rounded points. The other wooden handled Chinese example has a flat tip. The Sumatran one looks exactly like the other Indonesian examples shown.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by josh stout

The top one I posted is from an area of Northern Sumatra where Chinese laborers were brought by the British in the late 19th c. The set of two and the other one with a wooden handle are all Chinese. All three are octagonal. The set with brass guards and pommel has a scoring line accentuating the rounded points. The other wooden handled Chinese example has a flat tip. The Sumatran one looks exactly like the other Indonesian examples shown.

Josh, thanks for adding your sai here, I put it next to some other sai from the same area to compare. I think this is the most images of sai from the Indonesian area ever in place. Unfortunately I do not know of any sai that is known to have come from Okinawa. Your Chinese sai are quite nice, the vast majority of achinese sai seem to be four sided.

[josh stout]

That is very interesting. One of them looks so much like mine that I think it may be the same one. As far as I know I have never posted a photo, so it would have had to come from the Indonesian seller and be several years old.

What do you think?

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by josh stout

That is very interesting. One of them looks so much like mine that I think it may be the same one. As far as I know I have never posted a photo, so it would have had to come from the Indonesian seller and be several years old.

What do you think?

I thought they looked similar, it did not occur to me that the pictures may have been of the same sai, small world.

[Timo Nieminen]

Some more antique sai (mostly Chinese, including sai/iron ruler hybrids) at http://museum.hikari.us/weapons/

[estcrh]

Here is a modern example of Indonesian sai, you can see that the two pieces are welded together but the form is the same.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Timo Nieminen

Some more antique sai (mostly Chinese, including sai/iron ruler hybrids) at http://museum.hikari.us/weapons/

They have a lot of items but the site and images etc have not been updated for years, some of the descriptions are suspect, they have this sai described as being an

Okinawan sai. Iron with cord and fabric wrapping with small wooden inserts.

It looks just like a four sided Chinese sai, this is how the vast majority of Chinese sai are made, what would make this one particular sai "Okinawan".