Klewang? ID help

Mefidk · 16th May 2009, 02:47 PM

This is the second piece that I'm having trouble placing. Someone suggested it might be a klewang from Borneo, but I've not been able to find a good match in the references I have. Can anyone shed any light on the origins of this?

Blade is 56cm long, hilt is wood, and there is a stamp on one side of the blade. The blade itself is very heavy and feels like a working tool rather than a weapon.

I guess that at least this one is not a 1796 cavalry sword in disguise

Thanks in advance for your help.
Chris

drdavid · 23rd May 2009, 12:28 AM

Hi Chris
will put in my 2c worth as no one else has piped up. It looks like its from Indonesia or that part of the world. The blade shape is a unusual and pretty roughly made by the looks of it. This could fit into the generic catagories of Golok or Klewang on basis of shape and length. The hilt is interesting but I cant place it anywhere specific and a quick trawl through Van Zonneveld did not give me any other ideas.I would probably just call it a big Golok . Not a lot of help I am afraid. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will chime in.
cheers
Drd

Mefidk · 24th May 2009, 11:48 AM

Thanks Drd - I guess I got as far as that too (Van Zonneveld being my only good reference for this region). When I bought this I rather thought I'd seen a grip shaped like that before, but unfortunately I have never been able to find out where so perhaps it was not Indonesia after all.

I'd agree the blade is pretty crudely made, but with the unusual blade shape I'd hoped it might spark some ideas. I've attached a close-up of the stamp on the blade in case that can give any clues and hopefully someone will be able to supply more information.

Mefidk · 26th May 2009, 06:47 AM

I wondered, could this perhaps be from the Philipines? Both the talibon and pira have a similar 'oddly' shaped blade with its downward curve preceded by a short straight section.

Then I found the following description here: http://home.earthlink.net/~federicom...roweapons.html

"The Pira has a thick falchion shaped single edged curved blade. The handle normally has an upcurving horn, and is often made of various native hardwoods or horn. However like all Moro swords there are exceptions. Primarily a fighting weapon it is favored by those within the Sulu Sultanate, particularly the Yakan. However more modern piras have evolved into a plainer work oriented blade, with a simple hilt lacking the decorative horn."

Could this be one of these plainer work oriented blades and does anyone have examples to compare with?

VVV · 26th May 2009, 10:36 AM

It's difficult to place a parang like this being both quite late (mid/late 20th C) and a working blade (which means it's not in the old ethnographic documentations)
It doesn't look like a traditional Indonesian parang/klewang and the ferrule and hilt somehow indicates Philippines to me too.
But not a pira as those have another kind of blade-point.

Michael

16th May 2009, 02:47 PM	#1
Mefidk Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 157	Klewang? ID help This is the second piece that I'm having trouble placing. Someone suggested it might be a klewang from Borneo, but I've not been able to find a good match in the references I have. Can anyone shed any light on the origins of this? Blade is 56cm long, hilt is wood, and there is a stamp on one side of the blade. The blade itself is very heavy and feels like a working tool rather than a weapon. I guess that at least this one is not a 1796 cavalry sword in disguise Thanks in advance for your help. Chris Attached Images

24th May 2009, 11:48 AM	#3
Mefidk Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 157	Thanks Drd - I guess I got as far as that too (Van Zonneveld being my only good reference for this region). When I bought this I rather thought I'd seen a grip shaped like that before, but unfortunately I have never been able to find out where so perhaps it was not Indonesia after all. I'd agree the blade is pretty crudely made, but with the unusual blade shape I'd hoped it might spark some ideas. I've attached a close-up of the stamp on the blade in case that can give any clues and hopefully someone will be able to supply more information. Attached Images

26th May 2009, 10:36 AM	#5
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	It's difficult to place a parang like this being both quite late (mid/late 20th C) and a working blade (which means it's not in the old ethnographic documentations) It doesn't look like a traditional Indonesian parang/klewang and the ferrule and hilt somehow indicates Philippines to me too. But not a pira as those have another kind of blade-point. Michael Attached Images

23rd May 2009, 12:28 AM	#2
drdavid Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 372	Hi Chris will put in my 2c worth as no one else has piped up. It looks like its from Indonesia or that part of the world. The blade shape is a unusual and pretty roughly made by the looks of it. This could fit into the generic catagories of Golok or Klewang on basis of shape and length. The hilt is interesting but I cant place it anywhere specific and a quick trawl through Van Zonneveld did not give me any other ideas.I would probably just call it a big Golok . Not a lot of help I am afraid. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will chime in. cheers Drd

26th May 2009, 06:47 AM	#4
Mefidk Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 157	I wondered, could this perhaps be from the Philipines? Both the talibon and pira have a similar 'oddly' shaped blade with its downward curve preceded by a short straight section. Then I found the following description here: http://home.earthlink.net/~federicom...roweapons.html "The Pira has a thick falchion shaped single edged curved blade. The handle normally has an upcurving horn, and is often made of various native hardwoods or horn. However like all Moro swords there are exceptions. Primarily a fighting weapon it is favored by those within the Sulu Sultanate, particularly the Yakan. However more modern piras have evolved into a plainer work oriented blade, with a simple hilt lacking the decorative horn." Could this be one of these plainer work oriented blades and does anyone have examples to compare with?