Barung with blotchy pattern welding - Borneo?

kai · 30th July 2008, 03:29 AM

Here is an antique Barung which exhibits a very distinctive pattern welding: Looks almost like bits of high-carbon steel were thrown into melted iron and slices of this material subsequently utilized for sandwiching the high-carbon steel core. Well, I expect this pattern to have been forged but I really have a hard time to understand how this was actually done by the bladesmith!

I have seen this pattern before but only with Barung and not any of the other Moro blades! It seems to be pretty rare, too. A more knowledgeable member commented that this pattern may suggest an Indonesian origin. My guess would be leaning towards one of the coastal Moro settlements of North Borneo, maybe Tausug or Samal?

total length 54.5 cm / 21.5 in
weight 760 g / 1 lbs 10 oz

blade length (without hilt) 39.3 cm / 15.5 in
max. blade width 66.9 mm / 2 2/3 in
max. blade thickness 7.5 mm

30th July 2008, 03:29 AM	#1
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,254	Barung with blotchy pattern welding - Borneo? Here is an antique Barung which exhibits a very distinctive pattern welding: Looks almost like bits of high-carbon steel were thrown into melted iron and slices of this material subsequently utilized for sandwiching the high-carbon steel core. Well, I expect this pattern to have been forged but I really have a hard time to understand how this was actually done by the bladesmith! I have seen this pattern before but only with Barung and not any of the other Moro blades! It seems to be pretty rare, too. A more knowledgeable member commented that this pattern may suggest an Indonesian origin. My guess would be leaning towards one of the coastal Moro settlements of North Borneo, maybe Tausug or Samal? total length 54.5 cm / 21.5 in weight 760 g / 1 lbs 10 oz blade length (without hilt) 39.3 cm / 15.5 in max. blade width 66.9 mm / 2 2/3 in max. blade thickness 7.5 mm Attached Images