Long Glat (?) mandau with questions

kai · 15th November 2021, 11:14 PM

Thanks, Nik!

The double mark is weird. In the coastal communities, there certainly may have been some Islamic bladesmiths venturing into forging such blades - however, marking the blades in this fashion seems like quite a western and/or late influence...

The western mark seems most like a remnant already present from the raw material. Once "modern" western steel became available/affordable, it quickly became the preferred material for tools due to its reliability. The relatively plain look of this mandau blade may support such a utilitarian notion for a real user blade rather than something focusing on ceremonial use.

Regards,
Kai

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15th November 2021, 11:14 PM	#10
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,255	Thanks, Nik! The double mark is weird. In the coastal communities, there certainly may have been some Islamic bladesmiths venturing into forging such blades - however, marking the blades in this fashion seems like quite a western and/or late influence... The western mark seems most like a remnant already present from the raw material. Once "modern" western steel became available/affordable, it quickly became the preferred material for tools due to its reliability. The relatively plain look of this mandau blade may support such a utilitarian notion for a real user blade rather than something focusing on ceremonial use. Regards, Kai