Weird sword for comments, pls.

Maurice · 4th March 2010, 09:41 AM

Hi Michael,

I (and others) was hoping for you to bump in.
Mine is collected in my neighbourhood indeed. The collector I got it from told me it was coming from Java.
My first intuition was malaysia, but that was just my intuition, based on the feeling I had about it.

About the hilt looking like moluccan style, I had the same feeling about. It reminded me immediately on the one Roy(ston) depicted a while ago in a thread.

I hope to figure it out, cause I don't think they are souvenirs.

Maurice

Quote:

Originally Posted by VVV

Nice one Maurice, I haven't seen it with a guard before.
Here is mine which resembles the one Miguel posted.
I have had it for several years but still not been able to figure
out from where it is.
I agree that it looks Filipino in several ways but the elephant trunk
makes me suspect it to be Sumatran. But then the rest of the blade form
is maybe more like the North Peninsular Malay klewang?
The hilt, without the rest of the blade features, could be Moluccan.

My guess is still Sumatra or Malaysia but I do hope somebody solves
this riddle.

Michael

PS A hint? I found mine in Holland. I assume Maurice did too? And where was the one Miguel posted found?

VVV · 4th March 2010, 10:28 AM

Hi Maurice,

Have you noticed that you guard resembles the Sundanese variation of the Dutch hunting daggers?
But the elephant trunk doesn't look Javanese to me?

Michael

Maurice · 4th March 2010, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VVV

Have you noticed that you guard resembles the Sundanese variation of the Dutch hunting daggers?
But the elephant trunk doesn't look Javanese to me?

Yes, the so called Tjikeroe swords have also such guard.
However the guard at my piece is not that firm. I wouldn't be happy having my hand behind it when the opponent makes a heavy blow at this guard.

I guess it is a weird piece, but as we now have seen there are several of them. All with that strange "sumatran" look elephant trunk, "moluccan" style handle, "Malaysian" bladeshape, and the Javanese handguard........

Maybe when most of them acquired in the Netherlands, there is a possibility that they were made for the Dutch people back than to take with them as trophies?

migueldiaz · 4th March 2010, 12:23 PM

dear all,

many thanks for all the replies!

the blade is not mine, it's a friend's. thus i cannot really describe it in some more detail (as i have not seen it yet). but it's supposedly 24 inches (61 cm) long.

thanks again to all ...

p.s. - i never realized until now (after seeing the great pics above) that there is indeed after all such a blade form (a combination of diverse elements, like some sort of a bladesmith's experimental cut-and-paste job!)

VANDOO · 4th March 2010, 03:19 PM

NOW THAT WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION AND THERE ARE SEVERAL SPECIMINS THERE WILL BE A BETTER CHANCE OF FINDING WHERE THEY ORIGINATED. I HAD SUSPECTED IT WAS A ONE OF A KIND HOME MADE ITEM BASED ON MORO BUT WAS WRONG.

IT WOULD NOW APPEAR TO BE A WEAPON CARRIED BY SOME SPECIFIC GROUP AND LIKELY UNDER DUTCH CONTROL IN THE PAST. I THINK THEY WERE MADE FOR USE NOT JUST TO SELL AS SOUVINEERS. THE NUMBER OF ISLANDS SCATTERED OVER A LARGE AREA RULED BY THE DUTCH MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO FIND THEIR ORIGIN BUT IT IS A GOOD PLACE TO START. ITS REALLY NEAT TO FIND THERE IS MORE THAN ONE OF SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

Sajen · 4th March 2010, 05:16 PM

Very interesting swords. The hilt remember to the hilt of my Halmahera sword and the "all-over-shape" of the blade look very similar to a Pade blade. Only the elephant trunk have a sumatran touch like Michael write before.

Detlef

Bill · 4th March 2010, 05:47 PM

Similarities of the sword are striking; as well the slight variations.
Appears to be multi-generations of craftsmanship from the same village.

4th March 2010, 05:16 PM	#6
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 9,269	Very interesting swords. The hilt remember to the hilt of my Halmahera sword and the "all-over-shape" of the blade look very similar to a Pade blade. Only the elephant trunk have a sumatran touch like Michael write before. Detlef Attached Images

4th March 2010, 10:28 AM	#2
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Hi Maurice, Have you noticed that you guard resembles the Sundanese variation of the Dutch hunting daggers? But the elephant trunk doesn't look Javanese to me? Michael

4th March 2010, 12:23 PM	#4
migueldiaz Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Manila, Phils. Posts: 1,042	dear all, many thanks for all the replies! the blade is not mine, it's a friend's. thus i cannot really describe it in some more detail (as i have not seen it yet). but it's supposedly 24 inches (61 cm) long. thanks again to all ... p.s. - i never realized until now (after seeing the great pics above) that there is indeed after all such a blade form (a combination of diverse elements, like some sort of a bladesmith's experimental cut-and-paste job!)

4th March 2010, 03:19 PM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	NOW THAT WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION AND THERE ARE SEVERAL SPECIMINS THERE WILL BE A BETTER CHANCE OF FINDING WHERE THEY ORIGINATED. I HAD SUSPECTED IT WAS A ONE OF A KIND HOME MADE ITEM BASED ON MORO BUT WAS WRONG. IT WOULD NOW APPEAR TO BE A WEAPON CARRIED BY SOME SPECIFIC GROUP AND LIKELY UNDER DUTCH CONTROL IN THE PAST. I THINK THEY WERE MADE FOR USE NOT JUST TO SELL AS SOUVINEERS. THE NUMBER OF ISLANDS SCATTERED OVER A LARGE AREA RULED BY THE DUTCH MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO FIND THEIR ORIGIN BUT IT IS A GOOD PLACE TO START. ITS REALLY NEAT TO FIND THERE IS MORE THAN ONE OF SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

4th March 2010, 05:47 PM	#7
Bill Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Chicago area Posts: 327	Similarities of the sword are striking; as well the slight variations. Appears to be multi-generations of craftsmanship from the same village.