Sulawesi knife?

Sajen · 20th December 2023, 12:50 PM

It's always very interesting for me to find items which I never have seen before like this knife which I think is of Sulawesi origin, maybe someone of you have seen such a knife before and will be able to tell me more?
Handle is from horn, the scabbard shows some nice carvings and the blade is seemingly laminated.

41 cm inside scabbard
40 cm without
30,5 cm the blade alone
blade is 6,4 mm thick at the spine behind the handle

First two pictures from the seller, it was a very long badik included in the lot.

werecow · 20th December 2023, 01:02 PM

At the risk of stating the obvious, it has a lot in common with a kabeala (but with a less extreme grip curvature).

Sajen · 20th December 2023, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by werecow

At the risk of stating the obvious, it has a lot in common with a kabeala (but with a less extreme grip curvature).

Thank you for the fast first comment!

When I first saw the pictures from the seller I thought myself that it could be a kabeala knife but after closer inspection I am now convinced that it isn't a knife from Sumba but like always I could be wrong.
Attached are two pictures which show the knife in question with a knife from Sumba.

Regards,
Detlef

Sajen · 20th December 2023, 02:02 PM

See also here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=sumba
I miss by the knife in question: the cut out at the scabbard mouth and the cut out at the blade after the handle.
Also the scabbard carving is rather untypical for Sumba knives.

JeffS · 21st December 2023, 09:35 AM

I would lean towards Sumba though most of the kabealas I've seen have been monosteel. What makes you think Sulawesi? The scabbard doesn't look like any Toraja examples I've seen.

Sajen · 21st December 2023, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffS

I would lean towards Sumba though most of the kabealas I've seen have been monosteel. What makes you think Sulawesi? The scabbard doesn't look like any Toraja examples I've seen.

Hello Jeff,

Like I've written before, at first I thought as well it's a Sumba knife but I got my doubts because the blade doesn't have the typical cut out after the handle as well the scabbard don't show the cut out at the scabbard mouth.
The blade form is typical for Sulawesi alamengs and the carvings at the scabbard are very atypical for Sumba. Handle form is also not typical for Sumba. But I could be wrong.

I don't think that it's of Toraja origin.

Regards,
Detlef

20th December 2023, 12:50 PM	#1
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,761	Sulawesi knife? It's always very interesting for me to find items which I never have seen before like this knife which I think is of Sulawesi origin, maybe someone of you have seen such a knife before and will be able to tell me more? Handle is from horn, the scabbard shows some nice carvings and the blade is seemingly laminated. 41 cm inside scabbard 40 cm without 30,5 cm the blade alone blade is 6,4 mm thick at the spine behind the handle First two pictures from the seller, it was a very long badik included in the lot. Attached Images

20th December 2023, 01:02 PM	#2
werecow Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Leiden, NL Posts: 491	At the risk of stating the obvious, it has a lot in common with a kabeala (but with a less extreme grip curvature). Attached Images

20th December 2023, 02:02 PM	#4
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,761	See also here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=sumba I miss by the knife in question: the cut out at the scabbard mouth and the cut out at the blade after the handle. Also the scabbard carving is rather untypical for Sumba knives.

21st December 2023, 09:35 AM	#5
JeffS Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 337	I would lean towards Sumba though most of the kabealas I've seen have been monosteel. What makes you think Sulawesi? The scabbard doesn't look like any Toraja examples I've seen.