Dutch hunting klewang/hanger

[kronckew]

more photos:

[Ian]

Wayne:

Very nice example of an Indonesian version of the Dutch military klewang done up as a European style hunting sword. Congratulations on a good find. Although there are a few of these around, this is a really nice one. I like the brass beetles on the hilt and the one on the throat of the scabbard--very nice touches.

The fittings on these are usually brass, so the white metal (silver?) ferrule is a bit out of place, especially given that the other ferrule on the hilt appears to be brass and there are brass mounts on the scabbard. The white metal ferrule might be a replacement and this would be an easy change to make since the tang on these swords is threaded and the small nut on the butt of the hilt unscrews, readily allowing the whole hilt and guard to be unmounted quite simply.

I would be interested to know what you think the horn handle might be from. These are often a type of stag horn rather than from buffalo, and I wonder whether yours is also stag that has been rounded, carved and blackened--you may be able to tell by removing the hilt and examining the ends and insides of the horn.

Ian.

[Rick]

That is a HUGE blade for one of these !
Beautiful .

[kronckew]

might be the photos but the scabbard mounts are supposed to be silver alloy the beetle is in brass as a contrast. it goes brass -silver-brass-silver-brass-silver, which seems OK to me.

thanks for pointing out they are beetles - i'd not noticed that detail. cool.

i gather it's blade quite long for the area. good size for a sailor.

[Rick]

Those are supposed to be Acorns not beetles; traditional European hunting sword decoration .

[kronckew]

- acorns are OK too.

p.s. the dutch hembrug klewang has a blade about 63.5 cm. (25 in.) which is the same as my solingen one. i gather they were developed to replace the longer european swords which were not doing well in the jungle against the shorter swords of the insurgents they were fighting.


so this new one is a few inches longer at 28. which is my size. i remember being measured for my USCG officer's sword which was 28, just long enough so i did not hit the ground saluting during parades. saw someone who mixed his sword with his taller room mates once during a pass in review. he hit the ground and the blade snapped off. he finished going past the admiral with just the hilt and an invisible sword his partner with the too short version managed to spear his dress hat as he went to bring the hilt to his lips in the start of the flourish. it did not turn out well for them two, but it was funny. i do always remember i take a 28 tho.

sadly, most military sword blades now are stainless parade models, dull & brittle. i bought one with a proper rayskin grip covering (the std. ones are imitaion in plastic) and aproper high carbon steel blade that passes the british proof test & is sharpened correctly, halfway down the blade & six in. on the false edge (which is thus no longer 'false').