Dayak Parang Swords?

CollectingNewbie · 3rd December 2006, 06:23 AM

thanks vandoo, you actually really put me at ease about these swords. Like you i didnt really sepnd that much on them so I didnt take a big loss and I do like the looks of the swords specialy the first one pictured, as I said also the seller of these said that he got the from the Iban people of Sarawak, he mentioned they had been stored in a longhouse for a time but also stated that they were made/owned/carved and used by them, so as you said I think they might be pracital newer makings. As for the details of that only time will tell, and once they arrive I may end up being more happy with them then I am now. Thanks for your help though

VANDOO · 3rd December 2006, 05:32 PM

A GOOD THING ABOUT YOUR SWORDS IS THEY ALL HAVE AUTHENTIC DAYAK DESIGNS AND ARE CARVED NOT JUST PAINTED ON. SOME HAVE THE DESIGNS PAINTED ON OTHERS HAVE NON DAYAK DESIGNS SUCH AS CHINESE DRAGONS, MERMAIDS, ECT. ALL OF THESE TYPES CAN BE FOUND IN THE MANY SHOPS IN KUCHING. I HAVE ONLY VISITED THE MALAYSIAN PARTS OF BORNEO SO DON'T KNOW WHAT MAY BE COMMING OUT OF THE INDONESIAN PART. DIFFERENT REGIONS DO HAVE DIFFERENT STYLES OF TRADITIONAL AS WELL AS SOUVINEER ARTEFACTS. I DID READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT AREAS ONCE AND THEY SAID THE VERY BEST MANDAU WERE MADE UPRIVER IN ONE AREA. UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE THAT WAS OR WHERE I FOUND THE ARTICLE. PERHAPS SOME OF THE VERY KNOWLEGABLE COLLECTORS WILL KNOW, MOST OF THE KNOWLEGE OF THIS AREA IS IN THE NETHERLANDS AND WRITTEN IN DUTCH AS THEY HAVE BEEN COLLECTING SERIOUSLY THE LONGEST. SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE ALL THINGS DAYAK YOUR LIFES WORK LEARN TO READ AND SPEAK DUTCH AND GERMAN.

CollectingNewbie · 4th December 2006, 06:33 PM

Thanks for all your help vandoo, I had a chat with the seller and he assured me that they arent tourist models, the are newer although and i dont have a problem with that as i do like them but they are true authentic swords used by the very people that made them, once again thanks for all the info

utami · 5th December 2006, 03:51 AM

Hei guys, I would like to add few information on indonesian part just like our dear vando on MALAYSIAN PARTS and other member

I've been hunting down the old tradisional mandau blacksmith for almost a year till now, and i was lucky when one of my assosiate found old blacksmith (71 years olds ) in deep & remote area in kutai about 16 hours on the road from samarinda. I belief he is might be the one of last mandau tradisional blacksmith in this century

For making 1 mandau its took him about 2 month to completed from choosing the Ulin Wood, Steel, Forging & tempering, carving, to finishing. Before he start making the mandau, he asking some personal stuff such as birthdate, marital status,etc to me. Almost similiar like empu when they making the keris.

Before we found him, all we found in east, south and west kalimantan ( borneo ) are mandau that made to be sold ( souvenir pieces ). What we found is exactly like information from vando and other member.
Souvenir Pieces

They are some few trick to make mandau look old / ages ( i know this because i try some these trick ) most popular trick is by place the mandau and other artefak in open air for couple of year till the blade rusty and the wood aged. The same kind of trick happen to keris.

As far as I know, the most marketable weaponry for indonesia is keris and mandau / parang. Since couple years ago till today, a lot of greedy people hunting down these weaponry. So the old & antique became more and more difficult to find. And the same time none of the young generation have the skill and interest to make high quality ones. I Belief ( strongly ) in the future the traditional values of these amazing pieces will fade away

To my dear CollectingNewbie, personally i would like to thanks you for fallin in love with amazing mandau

You are not alone, the first mandau that i ever have is souvenir ones

since that i cann't stop loving mandau.

Just my 2 cent, thanks to other member for their opinion

3rd December 2006, 06:23 AM	#1
CollectingNewbie Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 160	thanks vandoo, you actually really put me at ease about these swords. Like you i didnt really sepnd that much on them so I didnt take a big loss and I do like the looks of the swords specialy the first one pictured, as I said also the seller of these said that he got the from the Iban people of Sarawak, he mentioned they had been stored in a longhouse for a time but also stated that they were made/owned/carved and used by them, so as you said I think they might be pracital newer makings. As for the details of that only time will tell, and once they arrive I may end up being more happy with them then I am now. Thanks for your help though

3rd December 2006, 05:32 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A GOOD THING ABOUT YOUR SWORDS IS THEY ALL HAVE AUTHENTIC DAYAK DESIGNS AND ARE CARVED NOT JUST PAINTED ON. SOME HAVE THE DESIGNS PAINTED ON OTHERS HAVE NON DAYAK DESIGNS SUCH AS CHINESE DRAGONS, MERMAIDS, ECT. ALL OF THESE TYPES CAN BE FOUND IN THE MANY SHOPS IN KUCHING. I HAVE ONLY VISITED THE MALAYSIAN PARTS OF BORNEO SO DON'T KNOW WHAT MAY BE COMMING OUT OF THE INDONESIAN PART. DIFFERENT REGIONS DO HAVE DIFFERENT STYLES OF TRADITIONAL AS WELL AS SOUVINEER ARTEFACTS. I DID READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT AREAS ONCE AND THEY SAID THE VERY BEST MANDAU WERE MADE UPRIVER IN ONE AREA. UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE THAT WAS OR WHERE I FOUND THE ARTICLE. PERHAPS SOME OF THE VERY KNOWLEGABLE COLLECTORS WILL KNOW, MOST OF THE KNOWLEGE OF THIS AREA IS IN THE NETHERLANDS AND WRITTEN IN DUTCH AS THEY HAVE BEEN COLLECTING SERIOUSLY THE LONGEST. SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE ALL THINGS DAYAK YOUR LIFES WORK LEARN TO READ AND SPEAK DUTCH AND GERMAN.

4th December 2006, 06:33 PM	#3
CollectingNewbie Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 160	Thanks for all your help vandoo, I had a chat with the seller and he assured me that they arent tourist models, the are newer although and i dont have a problem with that as i do like them but they are true authentic swords used by the very people that made them, once again thanks for all the info

5th December 2006, 03:51 AM	#4
utami Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Java, Indonesia Posts: 49	Hei guys, I would like to add few information on indonesian part just like our dear vando on MALAYSIAN PARTS and other member I've been hunting down the old tradisional mandau blacksmith for almost a year till now, and i was lucky when one of my assosiate found old blacksmith (71 years olds ) in deep & remote area in kutai about 16 hours on the road from samarinda. I belief he is might be the one of last mandau tradisional blacksmith in this century For making 1 mandau its took him about 2 month to completed from choosing the Ulin Wood, Steel, Forging & tempering, carving, to finishing. Before he start making the mandau, he asking some personal stuff such as birthdate, marital status,etc to me. Almost similiar like empu when they making the keris. Before we found him, all we found in east, south and west kalimantan ( borneo ) are mandau that made to be sold ( souvenir pieces ). What we found is exactly like information from vando and other member. Souvenir Pieces They are some few trick to make mandau look old / ages ( i know this because i try some these trick ) most popular trick is by place the mandau and other artefak in open air for couple of year till the blade rusty and the wood aged. The same kind of trick happen to keris. As far as I know, the most marketable weaponry for indonesia is keris and mandau / parang. Since couple years ago till today, a lot of greedy people hunting down these weaponry. So the old & antique became more and more difficult to find. And the same time none of the young generation have the skill and interest to make high quality ones. I Belief ( strongly ) in the future the traditional values of these amazing pieces will fade away To my dear CollectingNewbie, personally i would like to thanks you for fallin in love with amazing mandau You are not alone, the first mandau that i ever have is souvenir ones since that i cann't stop loving mandau. Just my 2 cent, thanks to other member for their opinion