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#1 |
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Join Date: Oct 2008
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As some of you may have noticed I have a passion for and have been researching Taiwanese Aboriginal (yuanzhumin) blades for some time now. I'm Taiwanese which makes this very close to my heart. I've been trying to get a laraw and saving up ever since I knew about them. Get yourself some food & drink, cause this post is a long one..... and riddled with Chinese and Atayal terms and names, so beware...
On my last trip to Taiwan... me and my father found one vendor who sells aboriginal blades. The maker and his sons are from 銅門, 花蓮 (Tong-men, Hualien). They make a wide-variety of traditional aboriginal blades and a Han Chinese partner of his sells a select range, and mails within Taiwan.The story could end there... but it didn't. I got back to the USA and after some time, decided to do research to try to find these "local smiths". I knew it wasn't going to be easy since I don't read/write much Mandarin Chinese, I don't remember much Taiwanese, and I don't know Hakka, Toisan/Cantonese, and squliq Atayal. On top of that, it'd normally take some connections to know of these things. After surfing the web for what seemed to be several days I came across two promising leads... An old KuoMingTang Nationalist veteran and a Serbian-American living in Wulai. I'm going to leave names out of this but if I accidentally let it slip once, o well...Now I have the laraw... I must have looked like a dumb-happy kid when I first held it. It came with a nice traditionally woven bag, and a traditionally woven but modern dyed rammie (a type of plant fiber) sling on the sheath. Watan made the sheath... I don't know the maker of the blade. It's pretty curved, like a bengkulu, so I imagine saber-cuts will come out of this guy like smoke out of a car. It's pretty hefty, but very well balanced. The edge is scary-sharp. It slices through paper like a swordfish cuts through the sea. I'll probably use it for outdoors stuff, but I have no doubts it can slash through necks. When I have tested it out more, I'll post a review in this thread. The big-ass sheath might be an issue, and the sling isn't good for running through the woods... so I might make a new sheath sometime. Have any questions? Ask away! ![]() Last edited by David; 28th November 2009 at 03:55 PM. Reason: You cannot post links to commercial sites on the forum. |
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#2 |
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The pictures, what you've all been waiting for...
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#3 |
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#4 |
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: 30 miles north of Bangkok, 20 miles south of Ayuthaya, Thailand
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I also obtain my larow(s) from an Atayal smith in Tong-Men.
![]() But your pieces are far more impressive with woven thing on handle. And, yes, finding the place needs a bit of work. ![]() |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Singapore
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Thank you for the interesting write up and congratulations on a successful quest. That laraw is stunning!
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#6 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
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Me jealous? No way
![]() ![]() ![]() Two questions, though. One is whether that hollow handle is welded shut or not. It may sound like a goofy question, but does it ring like a bell when you hit it? I have one of those cheap Cold Steel Bushman knives that has a hollow handle, and it actually makes a decent cowbell. Best, F |
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#7 |
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Location: 30 miles north of Bangkok, 20 miles south of Ayuthaya, Thailand
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The hollow hilt is a socket for an "extender". If the thing weld shut how he can get a spear?
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#8 | ||
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#9 |
Keris forum moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
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Very interesting and informative post. I did, however, edit your link to the website. You cannot post links to commercial sites on these forums. That is for the Swap Forum only.
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#10 | |
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Also, if anyone has laraw and other yuanzhumin blades, I'm sure the rest of us would love to see 'em. |
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#11 |
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Ex-Taipei, Taiwan, now in Shanghai, China
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I can see the Paiwan tribe members with their knifes, but, on the other hand, I don't see any knife pics on this thread. Is it only me ?
Last edited by yuanzhumin; 30th November 2009 at 08:37 AM. Reason: mistakes |
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#12 | |
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I have the photos on flickr if you'd like to see them, but they are smaller... here's is the .link |
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#13 |
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Location: Manila, Phils.
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KuKulzA28, thanks for this thread, and I really enjoyed reading it.
What continues to intrigue me is that how come some of the northern Luzon (Philippines) bolos look almost exactly the same, as pointed out by Dajak for instance here? Of course one logical explanation is that the Austronesian migration to the Philippines came by way of Taiwan (see invasion route below of your great-great-xxx grandfathers). Which points to the fact that we are distantly related, and so you should give me your laraw as a way of further cementing our common cultural heritage ![]() ![]() PS - By the way and as we all know, aside from archeology one other solid proof of this Austronesian migration theory is linguistics. The languages of the subject peoples are related to each other. |
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#14 |
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Yes Migueldiaz, we're really really distant relatives, in a way. As for cementing our common cultural heritage.... I'd rather sell my laptop, cellphone, clothes, and be a little hungry than give you my laraw. It was hard enough to get, and it is a heritage thing too.
![]() It is amazing isn't it? Our austronesian heritage traveled far and wide. My S.Chinese side traveled far and wide too! A big reason why there's chinatowns in almost every country! ![]() As for blades... Taiwanese aboriginal blades tend to have chisel grinds and open scabbards. The Amis and Paiwanese blades are straight. Many have open-socket handles. In Bhutan they have the same style straight blades and open scabbards. The Ifugao/Btonoc/etc. have Pinalug and Hinalung that have open socket handles and open scabbards. Talibon and garabs from Samar often have chisel grind /single bevel edges. Dayaks and Iban Mandaus and parangs are often single beveled as well, though with the concave/convex attribute. Even some work blades from southern China and Japan have similar attributes as the Taiwanese aboriginal blades, though it may go the other way. Very interesting. EDIT: Yuanzhumin you can see the photos? Last edited by KuKulzA28; 9th December 2009 at 03:19 AM. |
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#15 | |||
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#16 |
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Just a thought...
The open scabbard and hollow hilt does not appear in most Northern Luzon peoples and along the entire path of the Austronesian migration. It only appears in the Ifugao and nearby areas (e.g. Kalanguya, I believe through Ifugao influence), but not Kalinga, Isneg, Tinguian, etc. Can we without any doubt directly relate the similarity of the weapons (open scabbard, hollow hilt) between some groups of Northern Luzon (Philippines) and Formosa to the Austronesian migration? Or is it possible that the spread of such weapon types occured long after the Austronesian migration? What is the earliest record on the existence of the open scabbard and hollow hilt in Formosa? It is mentioned in Formosa oral tradition before recorded history? Knowing this may provide a clue as to how old or ancient this weapon has been existence (or how recent it is)? |
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