Is this an authentic Formosan Paiwan sword?

[milandro]

Originally Posted by milandro

I have got in a deal one straight Tjakit which has been certainly made by the same maker , the hilt is exactly the same and on the ( straight) sheath ( not open) there are the same " tribal" signs.

Though no doubt this is (like mine) a modern blade, the blade itself seems to have been made well and mine is very sharp indeed

Mine, currently for sale in the NL, so I won't show it here as long as the sale is up on a local classified ads page, looks very similar to this one found on David Atkinson's great source site . I am pretty confident that they come from the same maker


I am very curious of the process function of that small cylindrical piece of wood, which I think, is to secure the sheath to a belt but I am curios to HOW this precisely happens.

Mine has the same cylinder

The blade is really VERY sharp and although mine and these example shown here may be a modern production the quality far exceeds anything I have seen simply made to cater for the occasional tourist on a street market. The sword could be used in combat and as a utilitarian tool. It may not be hundreds of years old but it is a very good weapon nonetheless.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by milandro

Mine, currently for sale in the NL, so I won't show it here as long as the sale is up on a local classified ads page, looks very similar to this one found on David Atkinson's great source site . I am pretty confident that they come from the same maker


I am very curious of the process function of that small cylindrical piece of wood, which I think, is to secure the sheath to a belt but I am curios to HOW this precisely happens.

Mine has the same cylinder

The blade is really VERY sharp and although mine and these example shown here may be a modern production the quality far exceeds anything I have seen simply made to cater for the occasional tourist on a street market. The sword could be used in combat and as a utilitarian tool. It may not be hundreds of years old but it is a very good weapon nonetheless.

The cylindrical piece of wood with the holes for the cord is a type of toggle button, you can use it to attach to a belt, or a baldric.


I have a straight (and a curved) one myself, also well-made, chisel edged, sharp as heck, I read here in the past that the hill tribe smiths died off, and their children went to work in more lucrative positions in the city. At the time he posted here he said there was only on old man left making these for use by the tribes, and also for any tourists that came across him.

[milandro]

Thanks Kronckew, indeed this is very similar to mine and the one above.

I am rather positive they may be from the same hand. Many are dismissive of such pieces ad being for the tourists while, I believe, they are simply contemporarily made but that doesn't take anything away from they intrinsic qualities as a weapon or tool. They are well made and sharp and perfectly functional.

I am still not clear auto how this is attached to a belt though if , as you say, this is a toggle button, the entire weight of the sword (granted not much) would be supported by the rather flimsy piece of string (double though it is in my sword) and I can imagine that that would be a lot of stress for the string)


I decided that I can remove the ad and show the piece

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by milandro

Thanks Kronckew, indeed this is very similar to mine and the one above.

I am rather positive they may be from the same hand. Many are dismissive of such pieces ad being for the tourists while, I believe, they are simply contemporarily made but that doesn't take anything away from they intrinsic qualities as a weapon or tool. They are well made and sharp and perfectly functional.

I am still not clear auto how this is attached to a belt though.

I'm adding my curved lalaw style one below. It just has a loop you can put a belt thru that I added. The only pics I can find seem to imply the straight ones just had a loop that you could slip a belt thru, or a cord/strap thru the holes with 2 'tails' that could be tied as a belt. Some, like the lalaw, had a baldric, I'd make a baldric, one end with a loop for the toggle to be 'buttoned thru, the other decoratively wrapped around the scabbard below it. Or dispense with the toggle and just use a loop for the belt.

[milandro]

cheers! Thanks for the pictures. I found another two of the curved variety for sale in the NL (and one side open with metal clamps), most people, including myself, first think of these as African rather then Taiwanese.

[Sajen]

Please keep in mind that all shown here examples are made for those who travel!

[milandro]

Originally Posted by Sajen

Please keep in mind that all here shown examples are made for those who travel!

true, nevertheless, in my experience the blade quality of tourist implements is normally not as good as this.

This blades are made of good steel, they are hardened , have a half diamond chisel grind, profile

Dave Atkinson finds them worthy of being in his collection and so do, apparently, SOME others., if tit is good for him, it is good for me too


http://atkinson-swords.com/collectio.../paiwan-sword/



this is a YouTube video (there is no way for me to load this video on the forum, I think)



It shows how they make these " tourist" blades. I don't see what's wrong with them. This is a curved Atayal, the Tjakit would also be equally made.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQnLfPJ1h4g

[Ian]

Originally Posted by milandro

... I believe, they are simply contemporarily made but that doesn't take anything away from they intrinsic qualities as a weapon or tool. They are well made and sharp and perfectly functional. ...

milandro, I think you have raised a good point about functionality. My experience with most of these contemporary Taiwanese pieces is that the blades are very poor and unsharpened. They probably would not retain an edge if they were sharpened. Such poorly made items are delegated appropriately, I think, as souvenirs for tourists. The (very) few that were of similar style and had decent blades with hardened edges may well be contemporary functioning pieces. What we see on eBay and other online sites are almost always of poor quality in my experience. I bought several when they first showed up online maybe 20+ years ago, just to see what they were like, and they all had junk blades that appeared to have been made by stock reduction rather than forged.

[milandro]

cheers, as shown above in my and other cases ( at the very least for the 3 tjakit ^ ) I can witness the blade is of a very good forged quality. I will take it with me when tomorrow I will go to see a master blade smith local to me, I am going there to ask for advise on another matter but I will also ask what he thinks of the blade of my Tjakit.