Rencong Knowledge Share

[utami]

Dear all

Introduction
Since early 2005, I looked for an Indonesian-traditional-weapon blacksmith all over Indonesia. Finally, I found a few people (families) who had the expertise of making them. They mostly got the mastery in their blood, handed by their ancestors. And now, I would like to share some knowledge I’ve got with all of Vikingsword.com’s members. This knowledge has actually been passed for many generations. However, even many Indonesian may not know about this due to the lack of information. Happy reading..

Rencong
Rencong is basically a traditional weapon of Acehnese. It’s a kind of dagger. It’s used to stab someone, and not to cut something. The maker of rencong is called “utoh” (similar to “empu”). Most utoh were the people who controlled and knew the characteristics of the iron very well.

In the old days, a famous utoh made rencong with their bare hands. They made a rencong blade by forming the iron with their hands, instead of forging and burning it in fire. What I’ve heard from the elders who understand a lot about rencong, rencong is made not only by pure finest or meteoric iron, but it was added with the utoh’s charm/spell/prayer.

Old and antique rencong was believed to have a special relation with its owner. Therefore, when something dangerous/crime coming to its owner, it was believed that the rencong would tell or gave its owner an insight about the threat. And another believe was a particular charmed rencong could never be used to harm or hurt its owner and his family. These beliefs rooted so deeply in most Acehnese, that made them hand a rencong down only to their off-spring and not sell it to other people. The receivers would also carefully take care and preserve the rencong they’ve received. That’s why old and antique rencong is quite hard to find in the market. Another cause of this condition was the devastating disaster of tsunami in 2004 which made lots of old and antique rencong vanished.

Old and antique rencong is hardly used daily. It’s usually used in an emergency and in traditional rituals and events. These rencong were made before and during Aceh war.

Utoh (Rencong maker)
At the moment, only several families left in Tanoh Anow, Aceh Besar and in Tanah Pasir, North Aceh that can make rencong with traditional tools and methods. In 1992, there was a 93-year-old utoh, who was also a poet, whose name was Tengku Ibrahim Nukman or was well known as Tibranus. He was one of the last utohs back then.

Another famous utoh was Tengku Meulaboh, who was Tibranus’ pupil and younger brother. He lived in Tanah Pasir, where he passed his expertise down to several local people. Up to now, we can still find a few of last utoh.

The Making of Rencong
Rencong is usually ordered by its blade length. Different from Indonesia’s standard measurement, i.e. metric measurement, in ordering rencong, you need to use international measurement. So instead of using “cm”, you need to use “inch”. The length of rencong blade is usually 3 – 10 inchies. The length of blade tells the value and the status of the owner. The longer the blade, the more valuable and can only be possessed by high rank people. For example, a 10-inch blade can only be ordered and possessed by noble or highly respected people.

The rencong blade is mostly made by white iron, steel, brass and car spring. The sarong (scabbard) and gagang (hilt) are usually made by buffalo horns, deer horns, elephant tusks, wood, silver and even gold.

Rencong is made at a workshop called teumpeung, where some men forge burning steel; some others pump the air to the stove with a simple pump made from used cement bag or goat leather, usually called pupout; and some other men use traditional drills to drill buffalo horns to make the scabbard and the hilt, and afterwards filed them. The smell of burnt meat is the typical smell or aroma in this workshop when a blade is struck into its hilt.

During the making of the scabbard and hilt, an utoh uses a grindstone, a knife and wooden tweezers to straighten a curved horn. And then to scour them, an utoh uses a sandpaper, “serumpit” leaves and “abu gosok” (special wooden ashes).


The Difference of Souvenir Rencong & Rencong
The blade of souvenir rencong is usually not sharp and pointed. While rencong is usually sharp, pointed and charmed.

Rencong made for war is usually charmed by this spell, “Haram kau minum darahku, haram kausentuh kulitku, haram kaumakan dagingku. Urat kawat, tulang besi, kulit baja. Aku keluar dari rahim ibunda. Aku masuk pada kalimah la ilaha illahu." In English, “I forbid you to drink my blood. I forbid you to touch my skin. I forbid you to eat my flesh. Wire vein, iron bones, steel skin. I came from my mother’s womb. And I believe in “La Ilaha Illahu” (There’s no other Gods, but Allah).”

A good quality rencong usually has these characteristics:
- the scabbard and hilt are made of finest materials (buffalo horn, deer horn, wood, silver, gold, tusk)
- the hilt is comfortably grapped, making it easy to stab the chest part
- the tip of the blade is sharp and pointed
- the blade bends in various arch.


Generally, there are 2 kinds of rencong.
- Reuncong Meucugek ( meucangge / canggei ) :
* Black Buffalo Horn



* White Buffalo Horn






- Reuncong Pudoi (puntung, puluen) :
* Black Buffalo Horn






This article was compiled from various sources, such as interviews with elders, utoh, related parties and also from books and manuscripts. This article is a part of my personal efforts in preserving Indonesia’s culture, especially traditional weapons. By doing this, we hope Acehnese rencong would not be extinct for I believe there are still many people who love Indonesian traditional weapons.

We are open to any thought and response that would come in the future. Please kindly use this article as something that gives you more information on rencong since we’re just trying to share our knowledge and exploration. And we expect and welcome any comment, response and question to make this information more valuable for all of us, in terms of accuracy and actuality.
=======
Zola
Cibubur, Indonesia

PS: All image is my rencong collections, made from tanah pasir

[Montino Bourbon]

This is an excellent article, IMHO

[RhysMichael]

I agree excellent information
Thank you for posting this

[VANDOO]

INTERESTING INFORMATION THANKS FOR SHARING. THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF SIMULARTYS WITH THE BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INDONESIAN AND MALAYSIAN KERIS. THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE I SEE IS THAT SOME RECENT RENCONG BLADES ARE BEING MADE OF MODERN MONO STEELS FOR INSTANCE CAR SPRINGS OR CHAINSAW BARS. THE KERIS IS STILL BEING MADE OF THE PARMOR STEEL AS FAR AS I KNOW.
THE RENCONG LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD WORK WELL FOR A DISEMBOWLING SLASH AS WELL AS STABBING SO I HAVE ALWAYS ASSUMED IT WAS USED FOR BOTH KINDS OF ATTACKS. THE EXAMPLES YOU SHOW ARE QUITE ATTRACTIVE ARE RENCONG STILL CARRIED DAILY BY MOST LOCALS OR LEFT AT HOME EXCEPT FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS.

[VVV]

Thanks for the very interesting article!

Rencong, like Keris, is indeed a fascinating and unique weapon.
Internet is great for sharing information between collectors.
For Rencong lovers I have also summarized some of the information I have found at:

http://www.kampungnet.com.sg/modules...view_album.php

Michael

[CharlesS]

Superb info! Most appreciated!

[utami]

PS: I've updated the article by adding a picture of Acehnese Warriors.


To All thanks for your comments and opinions much appreciated

to VANDOO: i strongly agree with you. For your info, beside keris, there is another Indonesian weapon that is made of the parmor steel, i.e. Golok Sulangkar. Golok sulangkar is traditional weapon created by Baduy tribe.


to VVV: mate, you are lucky to have such a precious rencong. I envy u

[Mick]

Here is another Rencong that has been on the forum earlier. I was talking with Rick a while ago and he suggested that I re-insert some pictures that have dissappeared from the forum archives. So I am placing this one again.

[VVV]

Utami,

Thanks for the compliment but it's nothing compared to some of the Rencong of my senior European collector friends. They have Rencong that the major museums would envy. With hilts more resembling the nice Rencong that Mick posted.

Isn't the Badui tribe a very secluded spiritual people of old traditions who doesn't use parang for anything else than farming?
It would be interesting to see the blades of those parang?

Michael

[utami]

Originally Posted by VVV

Utami,

Thanks for the compliment but it's nothing compared to some of the Rencong of my senior European collector friends. They have Rencong that the major museums would envy. With hilts more resembling the nice Rencong that Mick posted.

Isn't the Badui tribe a very secluded spiritual people of old traditions who doesn't use parang for anything else than farming?
It would be interesting to see the blades of those parang?

Michael

Michael, those collector must be lucky to have such as rare and high quality rencong it would be nice if we could see more picture for those high quality rencong.

correct michael, the badui is very spritual people. Till now, they valued theirs culture very deeply. For your info, every baduy man and boy carried the golok everyday, they used golok for daily activities mainly to cut the wood ( for Firewood ) and other thing.

I'm planning to go to baduy village in september/october, i'll take some picture of pamor golok sulangkar and hopefully i could get take some picture of Old Pamor Kujang from Pajajaran era.

[VVV]

Thanks Utami,

Look forward to the coming pictures from your trip
Unfortunately I can't show other peoples Rencong and they aren't very active on the internet.

Michael

[drdavid]

I would like to add my thanks to you Utami, and re-present another nice rencong which I showed earlier in the year. Ivory hilt and sheath. Does anyone have a good pic of a Golok Sulangkar blade?
drd

[Battara]

Originally Posted by Mick

Here is another Rencong that has been on the forum earlier. I was talking with Rick a while ago and he suggested that I re-insert some pictures that have dissappeared from the forum archives. So I am placing this one again.

Mick, I was offered one just like this years ago, but did not have near enough money......AAARRRRGGGG!

[RhysMichael]

Most of you have probably already seen this but this is what Barbara Leigh says in her book on it

Extract from "Hands of Time: The Crafts of Aceh", by Barbara Leigh, 1989, Jakarta
Acehnese say that the rencong takes the shape of the invocation, "Bismillaah In the name of God, the merciful and compassionate."

According to Drs. Syamsuddin and Drs. Nur Abbas of the Department of Education and Culture in Aceh, the component parts of the rencong can be likened to individual letters of the formal Arabic script huruf gundul, literally bare lettering, of the phrase Bismillaah

The hilt of the rencong is in the shape of "ba"
The decoration at the base of the hilt is "sin"
The blade's shape is "mim"
The shape of the metal parts at the top of the blade is "lam"
The base of the scabbard has the shape of the letter "ha"
Together, "ba, sin, mim, lam and ha" make up the world, "Bismillaah" 1

Yahya bin Ahmad raised his saw and cut into the smooth curved elephant tusk. The ivory gave off a soft glow, so that the jarring cut of the saw seemed to be an almost sacrilegious act. Yahya is a big man with strong arms and sturdy frame. It seemed fitting that such a massive figure of masculinity should be working with this part of one of the largest and most powerful of beasts to fashion a rencong, the dagger that represents the might and inner strength and power, kekuasaan, of the Acehnese people.

Yahya is the head workman in the workshops of Sibreh village. Sibreh is not far from the capital, Banda Aceh, but it is situated off the bitumen road through, many kilometers of rice fields. There are nineteen work huts in the village, eleven of which are used for making rencong. Knives and sickles ire produced in the others. In each work but are approximately seven workers, most of whom are men of the village.

Yahya, the son of Ahmad, belongs to a family of weapon makers. As a small child, he helped his father in the same way that his son now helps him. His position of responsibility has taken him all over Aceh in the search for raw materials. Now people usually come to him to sell their scrap metal; he needs one kilogram for the blade of a medium sized rencong. They bring their buffalo horn, which will be whittled down into hilts and scabbards for new blades, and the rare ivory tusk, which is used in the production of the more expensive rencong. He is pleased that the work huts have become so well known that it is no longer necessary to travel in search of raw materials. Yahya wipes his brow and removes his coat, as he gets ready to begin his work.

Rencong blades are forged and annealed 2 from metal. Yahya sits at an open coal fueled fire where he hammers the red hot metal into shape. At critical points of forging, air is pumped by goatskin bellows into the coals to increase the heat. This heating and hammering continues until the metal has taken the shape of the blade.

A non-tarnishable steel is used for blades that will be fitted with buffalo horn hilts and scabbards. A brass alloy is used for those with scented wood or ivory hilts and scabbards. Stylized bamboo shoot motifs, pucuk rebung, are worked into what will become the lower end of the hilt. Above this is a sharp point which will later be inserted into the hilt, when the two parts are joined together.

The blade is sharpened. Out in the open air, Yahya holds the knife against a circular whetstone while Ridwan alternately pulls the two ends of a string wound round the axle which turns the stone.

When making the hilts, the requisite material is cut into rough shape. Ivory, gading, wood, kayu keumuning, (Murraya exotica L), or buffalo horn, tanduk, may be used. The pieces are filed and smoothened. A hole is bored in the center of the hilt into which the sharp point at the upper end of the blade is inserted and glued in place.

The scabbard, whether horn, wood, or ivory, is shaped to fit the blade. The bottom end is decoratively worked first, then the inside is hollowed out, gouging out the core of the scabbard material from both the top end and through a small slit cut into the convex curve of the scabbard. When finished, the small wedge removed to make the slit is replaced and secured with three narrow metal bands spaced at an even distance from each other down the length of the scabbard. The completed weapon measures about 40 cm. in length; smaller ones are made for visitors to the capital.

Horn, wood and ivory are not the only materials used for rencong hilts and scabbards; silver and occasionally gold may also be used. Such rencong are not made by iron workers, tukang besi, but by goldsmiths. They are used for ceremonial purposes by those who can afford to buy them.

Tucked away in a small goldsmith's shop in Meulaboh, West Aceh, Abdullah PK spends much of his time melting down old silver and making, among other things, new rencong.

Abdullah PK rubs his hands over his smooth head, then adds 300 ml. of hydrochloric acid, air keras, to 80 grams of melted silver. He heats the molten compound in a small crucible over a gas burner, using his foot to pump the gas up to his workbench from a container of bottled gas on the floor.

When the mixture is ready, Abdullah PK pours the silver into an ingot or oblong rod. When it has cooled slightly, he beats it with a mallet. He reheats the silver and hammers it again. The heating and hammering process continues over a period of five days, until the silver is no more than 5 mm. thick.

Four large pieces of this flat silver are needed for the hilt and scabbard of the rencong. Small pieces are required for the decorative pucuk rebung which is wrapped around the bottom of the hilt, and for the disc which covers the upper end of the hilt, tutup rencong.

The rencong blade is forged from an alloy composed of 60% silver and 40% brass. It is glued to the hilt by filling the aperture in the hilt with an adhesive and fitting the sharp upper end of the blade into the aperture.

The rencong is now ready for ornamentation. Abdullah PK takes up a hot chisel, and with a practiced hand engraves scrolls, curves and chevron patterns in the silver scabbard and hilt. He notches the base of the scabbard further, giving greater realism to the rencong's invocation of "Bismillah - in the name of Allah, the Merciful and the Compassionate."

Aceh's history is filled with a large array of weaponry. Swords and daggers have been used throughout for both ceremonial purposes and war, Aceh having experienced both in abundance. The rencong is one of those weapons which has been elevated to the position of a symbol for the whole province.

Whilst it is true that the rencong is in the shape of the invocation "Bismillah" it is quite possible that a similar dagger was used in the region prior to the coming of Islam and was then later sanctified by likening it to Arabic script, a script which is quite flexible in its rendition 3 The noted authority on Malay crafts, Mubin Sheppard writes that it is possible that a first century Dong Son dagger from the Gulf of Tonkin provided the prototype for the keris 4. However the keris differs from the rencong in that the blade is usually wavy and is sharp on both sides. Sheppard also writes of one sided sharp daggers which were common in the Malay world; the badek and the more elaborate tumbok lada which has a tubular hilt and more closely resembles that Acehnese siwah 5. Unfortunately he does not give any evidence of the earlier use of these weapons.

As Aceh was an important military power within the Malay world, its weaponry was extremely important. Because of its international links westward, it is possible that the shape o the rencong was partly influenced by weapons used by Aceh's western neighbors, particularly Turkey and the Indian subcontinent. The shape of the rencong blade bears a resemblance to the Turkish sabre, the kilij. An emerald dagger which belonged to the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud I has the same curved blade 6. The rencong is also reminiscent of the Mughal scimitar, although much shorter. An Indian wall hanging from Madras dated 1610-1620 depicts several fashionable men with rapiers and daggers hanging from their belts. Some of these are quite long. Others are shorter and curved, and closely resemble the rencong in size 7.

A popular magazine article claimed that the shape of the rencong was invented in Aceh in the 16th century by Sultan AI Kahar 8. This was the Sultan who enjoyed a close relationship with the Ottoman Turkish Caliph, and on several occasions requested Turkish assistance in repelling and attacking the Portuguese on water, and the Bataks of the highlands on land. Another Acehnese source says that the rencong was already known during the first Islamic Sultanate in the 13th century 9.

We know that the rencong existed in Aceh in the 18th century, for the heroic literary figure Poecut Muhamat ordered that "reuntjong daggers be made", and that "the steel pile up in whatever direction" 10. Example of 17th and 18th century rencong may be seen in the Military Museum in Prague 11. The most precious rencong in the Jakarta Museum date from at least the 19th century. They are embellished with engravings in Arabic, with strophes from the Holy Qur'an 12. According to the noted authority on Indonesian weapons, Moebirman, the rencong used by Cut Nyak Din against van Heutz in the late 19th century is now in the Hague 13. Dutch sources show a particularly fine array of Acehnese weaponry from this period 14. Examples of weaponry in use at this time may be seen in the well illustrated book on the Dutch colonial war produced by the Documentation and Data Centre in Aceh in 1977 15.

There was a great demand for weapons in Aceh. Draeger tells us that the Minangkabau manufactured arms for their own use and "to supply the enormous Aceh demand" 16. The rencong was a particularly effective weapon; instructions for its use are as follows: The rencong is usually worn sheathed on the left hand side of the bearer. When it is used as a weapon, then it is usually drawn with the left foot forward so that by a quick short step forward with the right foot, the thrust of the knife receives added impetus. The blade is withdrawn from its sheath, cutting edge toward the enemy. It is then whipped to the right by a snap of the hand which brings the palm upward; the elbow is held fairly close to the body. The thrust is made by extending the right arm almost to full extension and turning the palm downward just prior to penetration of the target 17.

In the past, the Islamic symbolism of the rencong was linked with fighting the Holy War, jihad. Users allied the power of their weapon with the power of Allah. Certain rencong were said to have ilmu, which literally means knowledge but is better translated as ‘power'.

"Tatob ngon reuncong jeuet Ion peu-ubat, nyang saket that tapansie haba."
To be stabbed with a rencong can be treated; much more hurtful is criticism with words.

This well known Acehnese saying conveys the opposite meaning of the English ditty: "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me." In Aceh, name calling is more hurtful than physical harm. The Acehnese saying, above, gives an indication of the importance placed on external form and appearance in which the correct use of words plays a significant role. Correct gestures and clothing are also valued. Traditional formal costume is the correct form of dress 18. For a man in traditional costume, pakaian adat, the rencong tucked into his waistband is an absolute essential. The gleam of gold or silver at his waist tells of a rencong hidden in the folds of his dress.

The rencong is worn on a man's wedding day in coastal Aceh. It is part of the costume of the seudati dancer as he performs the energetic dance movements with seven other men. It is .given to visitors as a token of respect, a sign of admiration and of the giver's feeling of being honored by the visit.

Today, the Islamic symbolism remains evident. Indeed, the rencong is considered one of the foremost symbols of Aceh, representing a confluence of masculinity, Islam and power.

Two other important Acehnese weapons are the ceremonial dagger and the sword. Excellent examples of both can be seen, in Indonesia, in the provincial museum in Banda Aceh, the National Museum in Jakarta, and in several private collections, as well as in European depositories 19.

The ceremonial dagger, siwah, is a royal weapon, the prerogative of the sultan and men of substantial wealth. It differs from the rencong in appearance in that it has a more bulbous hilt. The smooth haft of the precious metal looks as though it would crush in too tight a grip, but has, in fact, been reinforced with gum filling. The siwah scabbard is usually more highly ornamented than a rencong scabbard. The decoration on these fine, old weapons befits their royal heritage. Precious jewels, ivory and intricate gold filigree work adorn particularly the protuding portion at the upper end of the scabbard where the blades enters the sheath. Some siwah have straighter blades than rencong, however both blades are sharpened on one side only and end in a fine, sharp point.

The long sword, peudeueng, was popular during the Acehnese wars. Each was named after the shape of the hil, for example "hilt like the tail of a cat", "hilt like the mouth of a crocodile", "hilt like the horns of a deer", "hilt like the legs of a horse", and "hilt like the tail of a duk" 20.The hilt may be decorated with a tampok, a smaller version of the star shaped Acehnese hat. This ornament is mentioned in the 18th century epic poem, Hikayat Poecut Muhamat: "He gave them a... sword with a tampo ornament on the hilt" 21.

The peudeueng as a weapon of war probably goes back further in history. The sketch of a 17th century Acehnese, a man of Aceh's Golden Age, shows him sporting a strap over his left shoulder through which two long swords protrude 22.

The rencong, siwah and peudeueng have each played a significant role in Aceh's history. They are a powerful reminder of the blood, the glory, the religious commitment, and the pride of the people of Aceh. The rencong continues to embody these characteristics today. It is revered by Acehnese of all generations. Older people remember the wars; the younger generation admire the kingly traits of honor and respect in a time of peace. To each, the fine sweeping curve still represents the statement: Bismillah.


Notes:

1. Syamsuddin, T, and Nur Abbas, M.,1979: 7.

2. Annealing is a process undertaken to remove stresses in metal that may have been introduced by rolling out, hammering and bending. It prevents the metal from cracking or breaking up. The metal is placed on the hearth and with a large open flame, the temperature is raised to bring the metal to an even, dull cherry red. It is then allowed to cool gradually. After annealing, the metal is cleaned of oxide using acid.

3. Dr. Achmad Shboul, University of Sydney, was very helpful in showing me renditions of Arabic script.

4. Sheppard, M., 1979: 124.

5. ibid: 131, 134 5. See also plate 9.7, p. 135.

6. Levy, 1975: Fig 77.

7. Gittinger, M., 1982: Fig 83. p. 96.

8. Gadis. September 21 October 1, 1978: 25.

9. Syamsuddin, T. and Nur Abbas, M., 1979: 1

10. Siegel, J., 1979: 125.

11. Wagner, E., 1979: 96, 98.

12. Moebirman, 1970: 41. See Jakarta Museum entries 2297, 20778, 22805.

13. Interview with Moebirman, October 22, 1980.

14. For a comprehensive listing of weapons extant in Aceh in the early years of the 20th century, see Kreemer, VolI I, 1922: 291 ff, and jasper, J.E. and Mas Pirngadie, Vol V, 1927: Figs 331 338, p. 236 ff.

15. Perang Kolonial Belanda di Aceh, 1977. For example p. 167 shows a Panglima from Jeuram wearing a rencong,

16. Draeger, D.F., 1972:129.

17. ibid. p.151.

18. In Australian suburbia where l was raised, primary importance was given to one's heart or soul or motives over and above one's outward appearance. I grew up believing that if one was good inside, there were a great many ways in which this could be manifested in behavioral terms and dress was an insignificant factor. In Aceh, and other parts of Indonesia as well, I found that the emphasis given to dress was much greater than that to which I had been accustomed. This was particularly true when it came to wearing traditional dress. For the Acehnese, the correct external form is deemed very important. In fact it was seen to reflect the correct inner state of the person. It shows that a person is pure and clean within, and in true accord with his historical links. I do not want to draw a marked difference between the two societies, but merely to draw attention to the separate emphases as I experienced them.

19. Many Dutch museums have large collections of Acehnese weapons, particularly Bronbeck Museum (formely Museum van het Koninklijk Tehuis voor Oud-Militairen) in Arnhem, the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde in Leiden, the Tropen museum in Amsterdam, and the Museum voor Land en Volkenkunde in Rotterdam.

20. Kreemer, Vol II, 1922:293

21. Siegel, J. 1979: 153

22. Lombard, D. 1967: Planches IV dan V. Gambar 21 A.

[utami]

Originally Posted by Battara

Mick, I was offered one just like this years ago, but did not have near enough money......AAARRRRGGGG!

Battara, you are not alone, me too. Till today, many people offering me their antique / old indonesia weaponry such as keris, mandau, rencong, pedang, and others. But unfortunatly, i was out of cash so unlucky

To RhysMichael: Thanks and much appresiate for your contribution by sharing with all of us here this valueable article. its give us more knowledge about rencong. Does anyone here would like to post the article about rencong from the book "Traditional Weapons of Indonesia Archipelago" by Albert G Van Zonneveld. It might give us more valuable information related to tencong.

to Mick, drdavid & VVV: Many-many thanks for such a good looking rencong that all of you share with us here. Mick rencong's have some unique scabbard. I never see this kind of scabbard, mostly the end of scabbard is kind of rounded. Seem to me drdavid Canggei Rencong's and some of VVV Hulu Puntung's ( Puluen Rencong ) made from ivory, which is only the noble ( "tengku" in acehnesse ) can owned in the old days. The carved on the ivory is very detail in acehnesse motif. All of you much be proud to have it congrat mate

[Alam Shah]

Late entry... better late than never. One of my old rencong. Rencong Aceh, Sumatra, Hulu Meucangge. Blade Length: 28cm.




The sheath. Acehese artwork found throughout the sheath, on this side.
Engraved scrolls, curves and chevron patterns via chisel-works.


Stylized bamboo shoot motifs, pucuk rebung carvings at the lower portion. Artwork, typical of Acehese found on one side of the sheath.

[utami]

I would like to add the picture of leaves and abu gosok, as been state in above article.


This is the picture of serumpet which send directly from aceh.

I dont know about species / family name of this leaves.


And this is the picture of Abu Gosok

After asking the blacksmith, they teach me how to create "abu gosok" with the same quality as their "abu gosok". You can create "abu gosok" by burning the coconut fibre till the fibre became white ashes. Before I burn the coconut fibre, I put in the sun to dry. After the coconut fibre became so dry, then I burned it till became abu gosok.

[VVV]

Utami,

Thanks for sharing new interesting information to this forum on the making of the rencong.

Michael