Unknown Philippines or Javanese chopper

[Tatyana Dianova]

Hello all,
an unknown chopper came to me in an auction lot together with a Keris.
It is most probably from Philippines, or maybe from Java?
Any comments are welcome.

[Athanase]

Hello,
I think is from west Java, Sunda region.

[Tatyana Dianova]

Hello Athanase,
Thank you for your help!

[Sajen]

Hello Tatyana,

Séverin is correct, it coming from Sunda and it is called "arit", under this name I know this tools, but they are known in complete Indonesia and maybe also under other names.

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Here you can see a very similar one: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=arit

[naturalist]

My first time to saw this kind of blade was close to 30 years ago, at my best friend's home in Yogyakarta, where I come from. He said it's called Kudi.
I have been wandering around in West Java since 1995 to several mountains to climbed and did birdwtching, but I haven't seen this blade being used by people in West Java, btw I am living in West Java for 3 years now.
In the end of 2019, I went to a place called Petung Kriyono (Pekalongan), which is not far from the Central Java capital city, Semarang, just about 3hours. The village is surrounded by forest and has no cell phone connection, a blank spot. This area just well connected with a good road not long ago, approximately in the last 20 years. It is an ancient place, the civilization dated back to at least 1100 years ago, I think the civilization is as old as Dieng Plateau.
And for the first time, I saw this "kudi" being used by the farmer in their garden.
I could send the pictures to anyone here who willing to post the pictures to this thread. Just send me your email address.
If it is said from West Java because of the character of the handle, you could find these kind of wayang character in Central Java as well.

[Tatyana Dianova]

Hello Sajen - it is very similar example indeed!
Thank you for the first hand information naturalist! I have sent you a private message.

[naturalist]

Have been asking around, it seems that I wasn't far enough wandering around my neighbourhood ..
It is still used in West Java as well.
Friends from Central Java (Pekalongan, Pemalang, and Tegal) and West Java (Garut, Majalengka, and Sukabumi) just said that it is still part of farmers tools.
The name itself definitely varies and sometimes in other places referring to different implement tools.
In Central Java, it's called as: cengkrong kembang turi (Javanese=> kembang ~ flower, turi ~ vegetable hummingbird (Sesbania grandiflora), arit bendo, and cengkrong. In this area, this blade is famous in sugarcane plantation. Where i saw this in Pekalongan/Petung Kriyono was in forest and coffee plantation.

In West Java: gaet, bengkrong, and ceblok (gaet kupas). People usually use this for weeding, cutting grass for their livestock, and harvesting their crops. There is gaet waluh (waluh~pumpkin) which smaller by the shape just perfectly similar.

Cengkrong in my place is referring to kind of this type of blade but the back also sharpened. Bendo in other part is referring to billhook, and also thick short and heavy parang

[Sajen]

Here the both pictures Naturalist (Anton) sent me by mail.

Thank you Anton!

[Tatyana Dianova]

Thank you for the picture and detailed information!
Perfectly the same blade and scabbard! Any ideas, why a farmer's tool has sometimes a highly decorative handle like in my example?

[Rick]

Possibly to make it more attractive to people from 'away' to bring home as a memento of their visit?

[Tatyana Dianova]

[naturalist]

Originally Posted by Tatyana Dianova

Thank you for the picture and detailed information!
Perfectly the same blade and scabbard! Any ideas, why a farmer's tool has sometimes a highly decorative handle like in my example?

We have community activities called "gotong-royong", it is very common in rural villages.
The purpose of gotong-royong mainly maintaining the environment-tidiness-cleanliness in the village, it can be cleaning all of the branches that have grown over the road, clean and maintain the irrigation, clean the cemeteries or building/repairing houses for the poor.
That kind of activity sometimes has less chance for your blades/tools will be damaged or hitting hard objects (rock etc) but definitely, in most cases, you have to prepare for the worst.
Many of them, if they knew that will have less chance for their tools will be damaged then bring the fancy one. And in every community, there will be some one that just wandering around giving order do the smart ass job with his mouth, most of the time he will have the fancier tool.
In West Java, where some of us believe that golok historically is a weapon but of course the others may thought that golok historically just a farming tool.
For golok, there is ordinary golok and golok sorenan.
Golok sorenan is a keeper or called as "simpenan" (it can be sacred or just because of high quality and truly dedicated as a weapon and also made from valuable high-quality material). The other just ordinary golok that you bring around your garden/forest.
What i would like to say is, men knew when the time to dress up or just play simple.