Unknown Philippines or Javanese chopper

[Athanase]

Hello,
I think is from west Java, Sunda region.

[Tatyana Dianova]

Hello Athanase,
Thank you for your help!

[Sajen]

Hello Tatyana,

Séverin is correct, it coming from Sunda and it is called "arit", under this name I know this tools, but they are known in complete Indonesia and maybe also under other names.

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Here you can see a very similar one: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=arit

[naturalist]

My first time to saw this kind of blade was close to 30 years ago, at my best friend's home in Yogyakarta, where I come from. He said it's called Kudi.
I have been wandering around in West Java since 1995 to several mountains to climbed and did birdwtching, but I haven't seen this blade being used by people in West Java, btw I am living in West Java for 3 years now.
In the end of 2019, I went to a place called Petung Kriyono (Pekalongan), which is not far from the Central Java capital city, Semarang, just about 3hours. The village is surrounded by forest and has no cell phone connection, a blank spot. This area just well connected with a good road not long ago, approximately in the last 20 years. It is an ancient place, the civilization dated back to at least 1100 years ago, I think the civilization is as old as Dieng Plateau.
And for the first time, I saw this "kudi" being used by the farmer in their garden.
I could send the pictures to anyone here who willing to post the pictures to this thread. Just send me your email address.
If it is said from West Java because of the character of the handle, you could find these kind of wayang character in Central Java as well.

[Tatyana Dianova]

Hello Sajen - it is very similar example indeed!
Thank you for the first hand information naturalist! I have sent you a private message.

[naturalist]

Have been asking around, it seems that I wasn't far enough wandering around my neighbourhood ..
It is still used in West Java as well.
Friends from Central Java (Pekalongan, Pemalang, and Tegal) and West Java (Garut, Majalengka, and Sukabumi) just said that it is still part of farmers tools.
The name itself definitely varies and sometimes in other places referring to different implement tools.
In Central Java, it's called as: cengkrong kembang turi (Javanese=> kembang ~ flower, turi ~ vegetable hummingbird (Sesbania grandiflora), arit bendo, and cengkrong. In this area, this blade is famous in sugarcane plantation. Where i saw this in Pekalongan/Petung Kriyono was in forest and coffee plantation.

In West Java: gaet, bengkrong, and ceblok (gaet kupas). People usually use this for weeding, cutting grass for their livestock, and harvesting their crops. There is gaet waluh (waluh~pumpkin) which smaller by the shape just perfectly similar.

Cengkrong in my place is referring to kind of this type of blade but the back also sharpened. Bendo in other part is referring to billhook, and also thick short and heavy parang

[Sajen]

Here the both pictures Naturalist (Anton) sent me by mail.

Thank you Anton!