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#1 |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
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This one is for Jim McDougall.
![]() For those members who have been visiting these pages since the early 2000s, I have a little trip down memory lane. You may recall the infamous "Shaver Cool" thread that discussed a sword with the inscription "Shaver Cool" and "Batavia" on the blade as well as a VOC marking of the Dutch East Indies Company. This was a thread that would not die. The subject of the thread bemused the best of minds here for months. Unfortunately, the thread died when the old UBB forum pages were hacked. Perhaps the "wayback machine" can resurrect some of it. In any case, the purpose of bringing up this subject again is that I had never seen another blade marked with "Shaver Cool" or "Batavia" until a month ago when one appeared on an auction site. The sword was not in great shape, but had the same "Shaver Cool" and "Batavia" marks, as well as an inscribed picture of a schooner and a VOC inscription that was clearly bogus. The basket hilt and garuda pommel were similar to the earlier example also. However, if I recall correctly, the overall quality of this recent sword is not as good as the earlier example. See also here. Attached are the auction pictures. This sword appeared in an auction lot of three or four swords. Maybe someone here now has it. . Last edited by Ian; 19th January 2024 at 01:06 PM. |
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#2 |
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Location: Bay Area
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The Batavia sank more than a century prior to the 1741 date on the blade, though that is far from the biggest issue with the inscriptions.
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#3 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Leiden, NL
Posts: 477
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![]() I saw one get auctioned off last year at catawiki for (IIRC) €1100 plus auction fee and rising (at that point I had to avert my eyes but I believe I posted here - EDIT: Ah, yes, so I did, it was €1101 + 9% + shipping - EDIT 2: Oh god, was searching google to find the catawiki one... there's so many of them... I found three in just two minutes of google image searching). It was not of the same stellar quality as the specimen in this post. Mods, apologies in case this is not allowed, but just to make the point about cautionary tales with bidding sites: 1 2 3 And finally the one I watched in horror: 4 AAAAAAAAAAAAH. ![]() ![]() Last edited by werecow; 20th January 2024 at 01:00 AM. |
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#4 |
Vikingsword Staff
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If we look at the various examples referenced here, it is apparent that no two are exactly alike. The quality of workmanship varies widely, and is generally not of a high standard. Certainly not up to the quality of blades coming from Tjikeroeh and other centers in Western Java during the late 19th and early 20th C.
I think all of these are of Indonesian manufacture and it is unlikely that any European was involved in their production. I believe they were intended for sale to the local and overseas European market (i.e., Dutch colonials and homeland), and are not in any way linked to the VOC. The markings are designed, perhaps, to appeal to nostalgia in the intended market. As to when they were made, I would guess in the early 20th C around the same time the better quality European style knives and swords were being produced in blade centers of western Java. Auctioneers' stories of these swords being supplied to sailors aboard VOC ships are highly unlikely to be correct. ![]() |
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#5 |
Arms Historian
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,895
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OMG IAN!
It wasn't months! it was years! Too funny, thank you for the note, fun days ![]() |
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#6 |
Keris forum moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
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I believe "Batavia" refers to the place, the former capital of the Dutch East Indies that now corresponds to present-day Jakarta, not a boat.
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#7 |
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David,
You are probably right, although there is usually a depiction of a schooner on these blades, which encourages one to think of the ship by that name and assign some nautical significance to the sword. None of this is important, of course, if these are simply locally made Indonesian swords created for a nostalgic Dutch market more than a century after the VOC ceased to exist. |
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#8 |
Arms Historian
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A great book I've had for a long time is "Batavia's Graveyard" Mike Dash, 2001, about the wreck of one of the VOC fleet flagships wrecked of the coast of Australia 4 June 1629 near an island now known as 'Beacon Island'.
Its an incredible true story of mutiny, survival, and all manner of drama that seems to have been an important event in Dutch, and Australian history. I think in the context of being shown in this manner on the blade, it would be to the place as suggested, not to the ship. |
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#9 | |
Keris forum moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
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Java is an island so sailing ships kinda go with the territory. I see nothing particularly incongruent here. BTW, if you google "Cooler Shaver Batavia Sword" right now you can find at least 6 examples of these swords, all of varying quality, though none of particularly good quality. |
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#10 | |
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Join Date: Apr 2005
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Hello David,
Quote:
w Regards, Kai Last edited by kai; 23rd January 2024 at 07:03 PM. Reason: correcting typing error |
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#11 | |
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Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 701
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https://www.sea.museum/2016/06/04/ba...avia-shipwreck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batavia_(1628_ship) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HHfn3eg4_E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y9H0SFfBj8 Last edited by gp; 22nd January 2024 at 07:09 PM. |
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#12 |
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Good point, but for some reason my mind went straight to the ship, and a potential attempt to try to associate the hanger with it. Genuine VOC blades do have city markings, but if I am not mistaken those are one letter only, like A for Amsterdam for example and all referring to cities in the Netherlands, not to any colonies.
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#13 |
Arms Historian
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In looking again at the inscription, the quoted "BATAVIA" WOULD indeed not refer to a place in that manner, but directly in commemoration to that ship.
This is of course a 19th century item in that sense, more of a souvenir type weapon? not of high enough quality for presentation or ceremonial. As you say, the authentic examples of VOC blades have the 'chamber' letter of one of the six kamers (chambers) , which A (Amsterdam) was most common; with M (Middleburg) R (Rotterdam) etc.. These letters were with the VOC and blades were dated with year, seeming to range from mid 18th c. to late 18th. Its been a while since we've been in these waters! Last edited by Jim McDougall; 23rd January 2024 at 02:39 AM. |
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#14 |
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Dear all,
I believe we're getting sidetracked here - references to VOC and Batavia (town/ship/whatever) are completely spurious. The quality of these "shaver cool items" definitely points to the post-independence era - no chance that these originated from the 19th century! I believe we had a thread some years back that showed swords with similar fittings attributed as presentation pieces of the early Indonesian navy. These "shaver cool items" seem to be cheap knockoffs of this style with added spices for making them more palatable to those traveling for pleasure. My 2 cents... Regards, Kai |
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