Clurit (Celurit) from Madura!
 

Hi,

I don't think this has often been discussed on this forum.
I bought this old Clurit yesterday. But I don't know the age of it (maybe someone can help me with the age?), but it has a very old patine!

Does anyone has another old one?
I have no sheath with it, but I will get it later on.
The original sheath consists of some kind of bamboo (but it is heavily damaged and has been fallen apart). The seller couldn't find it in short time.

I wonder if there are other forummembers with old Clurits!

Maurice

More pics
 

Hi,

http://picasaweb.google.com/mbloebau...29220068513858

Here you can see all the pics!

Maurice

Maurice

That is a nice solid one you have there. I had bought one of these years ago but it was quite flimsy. Yours looks like a serious weapon.

Congrats

Lew

Hi Lew,

Yes I consider it also to be a very firm weapon, and it feels heavy when holding it.
It is only a pity the sheath is so heavily damaged.
But I will put some pics when the sheath arrives.

Maurice

I CONSIDER THESE AS A TOOL WEAPON TYPE MOSTLY FOR USE AS A SICKLE FOR HARVEST OR PERHAPS SOME HARVEST CEREMONY BUT THEY COULD ALSO SERVE AS A WEAPON. YOURS APPEARS TO BE A WELL MADE OLD EXAMPLE CONGRADULATIONS :)

PERHAPS YOU CAN USE THE OLD SCABBARD AS A PATTERN TO MAKE A GOOD REPLACEMENT OR MAKE REPAIRS TO IT. IF BAMBOO WAS USED I WONDER IF THE BAMBOO WAS FORCED TO GROW CURVED SO IT WOULD FIT THE CURVED BLADE. SOME BAMBOO GROWS VERY FAST SO PERHAPS IT WOULD NOT TAKE AS LONG AS SOME OTHER PLANTS TO GROW ONE.

SOMEWHERE I READ THAT PEOPLE WERE STAKED OUT ON THE GROUND WHERE NEW BAMBOO SHOOTS WERE GROWING AND THE BAMBOO WOULD GROW THRU THEM. IT WAS SORT OF A TORTURE EXECUTION, OLD WIVES TALE OR TRUE STORY :shrug: I DON'T KNOW BUT SOME BAMBOO DOES GROW FAST ENOUGH AND WILL GO THRU WHATEVER IS IN ITS WAY SO I GUESS ITS POSSIBLE. I HAD ALSO HEARD STORIES FROM DAD BASED ON THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC DURING WW2.

Thanks for your story about the bamboo. I never knew it was used for that cruel things.

Anyway, about the bamboo sheath I can't tell you anything about it, because I didn't see the sheath. The former owner couldn't find it.
But I'll place some pics when I have the sheath.

Maurice

leather sheath
 

hi,

why don't you fashion yourself a leather sheath instead of going to the trouble of using bamboo? I'm Madurese and I think most, if not all, Celurits sheaths are made from leather (dunno about the old ones though).

some info about how to make leather sheaths and hotwaxing it (to some extent as strong as wood) could be seen here: http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_artic...id_article=192

hope it helps

I've had a lot of celurit over the years. I've had a couple with wooden scabbards, sort of half open on the back to allow the blade to enter and leave, but all others---- where they have had a a blade cover --- have had leather sheaths.

There are a number of different styles, sizes , weights of celurit. You can have them for general crop work, or to lop light branches off trees, or for garden work, or for cutting grass---or for a weapon. There used to be a good display of celurit in the musium in Sumenep.

Back in the 1960's in my wife's village in East Jawa they rounded up the communist sympathisers, lined them up, went along behind them and cut their throats with celurits. In Jawa most Javanese tend to regard Madurese people in about the same way that a good Baptist would regard a Hells Angel.

In the 1990's when the Indonesian government moved a lot of people from Madura to Kalimantan and gave Dyak land to them, the mandaus seemed to take the day. There was a bit of minor war there for a while, and government just stood back and let it happen.

For the ones with a firm stomach and interested in this "minor" war, click on the folowing link.

http://www.fica.org/hr/ambon/ambon1/Sanggauledo1.html


If it is nog ethical to put this link on this forum, I apologize for that, and ask the forumleaders to delete this, but it is the reality.
I found this on a site of "human rights violation in Indonesia".

At least the previous owner moved on quickly.

Not like some of the minor criminals and petty thieves who were burnt alive by mobs in Central Jawa during the recent civil disturbances.

Steal a bird cage, or a packet of cigarettes, fail to return a motorbike on time---you were just as likely to get doused with kerosene or petrol and burnt alive.

Things get pretty close to the edge in some places at some times.