sickles/ weapons of other country than India

Michel · 6th December 2009, 04:12 PM

Since we are showing sickles of India, could we look at sickles / weapons of other countries like Malaysia, Indonesia.
The first is a Kelewang from Kelantan (Malaysia) very similar to the Kelewang shown in Spirit of wood (p105) A very powerful cutting tool for the jungle of Malaysia but also a terrible weapon
I personally like it very much.
How about you ?
Michel

Michel · 6th December 2009, 04:19 PM

An other sickle from Kelantan Malaysia named there a Parang.
For the next one I do not have any name and it looks essentially as a sickle . It is also coming from Malaysia.
Can anyone tell me more about it?
Thanks, regards
Michel

Michel · 6th December 2009, 04:40 PM

The following sickle is definitely a tool with an angle between the blade and the handle. The sharp edge is on the exterior of the blade. The interior of the blade being blunt and thicker.
No name, no origin. Purchased in Malaysia

The next one is peculiar, I have no name for it, and do not know its origin, could be a sacrificial knife ? Purchased in Indonesia. Any information would be welcome.

Michel · 6th December 2009, 04:51 PM

This last one is quite amazing. It is a goat(?) horn to which the blade has been fixed. The sharp edge is on the exterior, at the base of the blade is en enlargement to allow the thumb positioning. Nicely decorated with silver. A rice cutting tool ?
Origin : Malaysia, Name : unknown
Every information is welcomed.
Regards
Michel

Emanuel · 6th December 2009, 05:50 PM

Awesome pieces Michel! Thanks for posting these.
I wouldn't call all of them sickle though as many have a convex edge while the sickle has a concave one.

The Dacian falx and the Thracian Rhomphaia are additional examples of such weapons.

Here is also a Spanish sword supposedly used against cavalry that features convex and concave edges.

Emanuel

Michel · 7th December 2009, 10:11 AM

Hi Emanuel,
Thanks you for your message and the links.
I did not know that sickles had to have concave edge.
How do you name cutting tools with convex edges ?
In French, my mother tongue, I do not recall a word for sickles with convex cutting edge.
Thanks for the information
Michel

Sajen · 8th December 2009, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michel

The next one is peculiar, I have no name for it, and do not know its origin, could be a sacrificial knife ? Purchased in Indonesia. Any information would be welcome.

Hello Michel,

very nice collection you have there. The second knife is maybe a ceremonial knife for cutting the umbilical cord, I have seen a similar knife by a friend, also collected in Indonesia.

Regards,

Detlef

Michel · 8th December 2009, 04:34 PM

Hi Detlef,
Interesting suggestion: a ceremonial knife to cut umbilical cord.
I have made a quick search on Google but found nothing of interest.
I will keep looking !
Thank you.

Emanuel,
Is your mother tongue French ? Are you from Quebec and live in English speaking Canada ? You seem to be at ease with French !
If we come back to the N° 3 tool (the one with a brass handle) it is really a convex cutting tool for which I cannot find a reason to the convex sharpened edge. A slashing movement would certainly cut but push away the grass or branches. Now if you want only to cut, it will work with a slicing movement. It is reasonably thick at the base (6mm) and could sustain heavy blow but than the blade is too wide and fragile. (2mm at the cutting edge)

The N° 4 has this very clear angle between the blade and the handle. For me in view of facilitating the slashing movement parallel to earth. But why this really convex blade with more than 180° cutting edge ?

The n° 5 is nice looking but the horn come in to your arm if you try to cut with wrist movement. Strange !
I realize that the forum is full of members having experience with arms but much less with agricultural tool !
Thanks to all for their input
Cheers
Michel

Atlantia · 20th December 2009, 10:30 PM

Don't know anything about this one, but it took my eye. Serrated blade, 15" approx overall length

migueldiaz · 8th December 2009, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michel

Since we are showing sickles of India, could we look at sickles / weapons of other countries like Malaysia, Indonesia.

Thanks Michel for sharing these photos!

It looks like well before modern architects & designers came up with the dictum, "Nature hates straight lines", these blade-smiths have already been heeding the principle

6th December 2009, 04:12 PM	#1
Michel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Switzerland Posts: 139	sickles/ weapons of other country than India Since we are showing sickles of India, could we look at sickles / weapons of other countries like Malaysia, Indonesia. The first is a Kelewang from Kelantan (Malaysia) very similar to the Kelewang shown in Spirit of wood (p105) A very powerful cutting tool for the jungle of Malaysia but also a terrible weapon I personally like it very much. How about you ? Michel Attached Images

6th December 2009, 04:19 PM	#2
Michel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Switzerland Posts: 139	Sickles / weapons An other sickle from Kelantan Malaysia named there a Parang. For the next one I do not have any name and it looks essentially as a sickle . It is also coming from Malaysia. Can anyone tell me more about it? Thanks, regards Michel Attached Images

6th December 2009, 04:40 PM	#3
Michel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Switzerland Posts: 139	Sickles / weapons The following sickle is definitely a tool with an angle between the blade and the handle. The sharp edge is on the exterior of the blade. The interior of the blade being blunt and thicker. No name, no origin. Purchased in Malaysia The next one is peculiar, I have no name for it, and do not know its origin, could be a sacrificial knife ? Purchased in Indonesia. Any information would be welcome. Attached Images Last edited by Michel; 6th December 2009 at 04:53 PM.

6th December 2009, 04:51 PM	#4
Michel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Switzerland Posts: 139	Sickles / weapons This last one is quite amazing. It is a goat(?) horn to which the blade has been fixed. The sharp edge is on the exterior, at the base of the blade is en enlargement to allow the thumb positioning. Nicely decorated with silver. A rice cutting tool ? Origin : Malaysia, Name : unknown Every information is welcomed. Regards Michel Attached Images

7th December 2009, 10:11 AM	#6
Michel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Switzerland Posts: 139	Sickles / weapons Hi Emanuel, Thanks you for your message and the links. I did not know that sickles had to have concave edge. How do you name cutting tools with convex edges ? In French, my mother tongue, I do not recall a word for sickles with convex cutting edge. Thanks for the information Michel

6th December 2009, 05:50 PM	#5
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Awesome pieces Michel! Thanks for posting these. I wouldn't call all of them sickle though as many have a convex edge while the sickle has a concave one. The Dacian falx and the Thracian Rhomphaia are additional examples of such weapons. Here is also a Spanish sword supposedly used against cavalry that features convex and concave edges. Emanuel

8th December 2009, 04:34 PM	#8
Michel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Switzerland Posts: 139	Ceremonial knife Hi Detlef, Interesting suggestion: a ceremonial knife to cut umbilical cord. I have made a quick search on Google but found nothing of interest. I will keep looking ! Thank you. Emanuel, Is your mother tongue French ? Are you from Quebec and live in English speaking Canada ? You seem to be at ease with French ! If we come back to the N° 3 tool (the one with a brass handle) it is really a convex cutting tool for which I cannot find a reason to the convex sharpened edge. A slashing movement would certainly cut but push away the grass or branches. Now if you want only to cut, it will work with a slicing movement. It is reasonably thick at the base (6mm) and could sustain heavy blow but than the blade is too wide and fragile. (2mm at the cutting edge) The N° 4 has this very clear angle between the blade and the handle. For me in view of facilitating the slashing movement parallel to earth. But why this really convex blade with more than 180° cutting edge ? The n° 5 is nice looking but the horn come in to your arm if you try to cut with wrist movement. Strange ! I realize that the forum is full of members having experience with arms but much less with agricultural tool ! Thanks to all for their input Cheers Michel

20th December 2009, 10:30 PM	#9
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	Don't know anything about this one, but it took my eye. Serrated blade, 15" approx overall length