A Monster(as in BIG) Parang!....But From Where???

VVV · 21st September 2011, 02:52 PM

Welcome,

Btw, I (and Ben who has seen my four PPs and also has two himself) suspect that the PP and the Nyabur are related, probably being the two oldest Dayak swords from the West coast. We dated date my all-brass hilted #2 above to early 19th C, maybe even late 18th C, which is very old for a Borneo parang.
Yours is the heftiest PP I have seen (so far).

Michael

CharlesS · 21st September 2011, 04:16 PM

Michael,

I had wondered if the two MUST be related. When I was trying to prepare scabbard dimensions I used the curvature of my niabor to go by...the closest thing I had...and noticed that both the curvature and width of blade were pretty nearly identical to the larger parang. It(the niabor) was only smaller in all other dimensions, primarily the thickness of the blade and weight.

VVV · 21st September 2011, 04:35 PM

Yes,

But your PP is not typical based on weight and blade thickness.
I do however have a Nyabur with a similar blade thickness and probably around the same weight.
But that is also much heftier than my other Nyaburs...

Michael

CharlesS · 21st September 2011, 04:40 PM

That brings me to yet another question....at such a weight and difficulty to handle, what is their purpose....status???ceremonial???...literally 'my sword is bigger and heavier than yours'??!!

VVV · 21st September 2011, 08:13 PM

Maybe a deterring effect?
I can handle them (= use mostly circular strikes) but it's not the most efficient sword in my arsenal.

Michael

21st September 2011, 02:52 PM	#1
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Welcome, Btw, I (and Ben who has seen my four PPs and also has two himself) suspect that the PP and the Nyabur are related, probably being the two oldest Dayak swords from the West coast. We dated date my all-brass hilted #2 above to early 19th C, maybe even late 18th C, which is very old for a Borneo parang. Yours is the heftiest PP I have seen (so far). Michael

21st September 2011, 04:16 PM	#2
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,854	Michael, I had wondered if the two MUST be related. When I was trying to prepare scabbard dimensions I used the curvature of my niabor to go by...the closest thing I had...and noticed that both the curvature and width of blade were pretty nearly identical to the larger parang. It(the niabor) was only smaller in all other dimensions, primarily the thickness of the blade and weight. Last edited by CharlesS; 21st September 2011 at 04:37 PM.

21st September 2011, 04:35 PM	#3
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Yes, But your PP is not typical based on weight and blade thickness. I do however have a Nyabur with a similar blade thickness and probably around the same weight. But that is also much heftier than my other Nyaburs... Michael

21st September 2011, 04:40 PM	#4
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,854	That brings me to yet another question....at such a weight and difficulty to handle, what is their purpose....status???ceremonial???...literally 'my sword is bigger and heavier than yours'??!!

21st September 2011, 08:13 PM	#5
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Maybe a deterring effect? I can handle them (= use mostly circular strikes) but it's not the most efficient sword in my arsenal. Michael