Borneo Parang?

Lew · 11th February 2009, 02:20 AM

Picked this up today it looks like it's from Borneo but I am just guessing?

Battara · 11th February 2009, 04:24 AM

To me it looks more Borneo than Moro.

CharlesS · 11th February 2009, 04:49 AM

I'm with you Lew and Battara....looks like a Borneo "working man's" blade.

Gonzalo G · 11th February 2009, 09:06 AM

Very nice handle in it´s simplicity, and the blade is interesting. Louie, do you have the measures of this piece? I am curios specially about the thickness of the back of the blade at it´s beginning after the handle. The point of balance must be very forward, I think. Thank you.
Regards

Gonzalo

VVV · 11th February 2009, 10:16 AM

No parang found in any of the old books but my guess is also Borneo.
Maybe Sabah - where there is a mix of Malay, Moro and Dayak influences?

Michael

Lew · 11th February 2009, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gonzalo G

Very nice handle in it´s simplicity, and the blade is interesting. Louie, do you have the measures of this piece? I am curios specially about the thickness of the back of the blade at it´s beginning after the handle. The point of balance must be very forward, I think. Thank you.
Regards

Gonzalo

The blade measures about 16 1/2 inches, with the thickness at the handle being just under 1/4 inch. The blade tapers in thickness towards the tip.

Lew

asomotif · 11th February 2009, 12:26 PM

It is quite different from the daily working parangs that you normally see on Borneo.

Normally they are more curved and the scabbard does not have the cunning protrusion to keep it between you belt.
But the overall impression on this one says Borneo to me too.

Handy for some serious gardening

Gonzalo G · 12th February 2009, 06:34 AM

Lew, thank you very much! I appreciate your answer.
Regards

Gonzalo

t_c · 12th February 2009, 08:41 AM

Hi Lew,
Nice piece. I agree that it definitely looks like a Borneo blade, but I had some observations or a possible wild goose chase

. A minor detail, the wood looks (IMO) like something that would come more from the Philippines than from Borneo. The things that really caught my eye were the recessed bands of woven rattan and the way the back flat of the blade is treated. The way the back of the blade is treated reminds me of Piece A. On Piece A the back flat of the blade is ground out flat to a taper at the back edge, with a steeper angle ground in at the "fuller" line to accent the definition - it looks like a triangular fuller, but is really tapered on a distinct plane to the back edge. It looks like yours was done this way as well - is this so, or is it a regular fuller? This isn't a specific treatment I had seen before. Surfing around one day I found Piece B. I thought that due to the similarities in B and A (handle and scabbard), that A might be from nearby (on Palawan). So (to keep this short) if C (yours above) is like B and B is like A, is C like A? Could it be from Palawan? Was Palawan a cross-cultural sort of place - influenced by both the Philippines and Borneo?
Somebody stop me if the limb is too long.

Lew · 12th February 2009, 12:11 PM

T C

Great observation!

Thx

Lew · 14th February 2009, 10:49 PM

The parang arrived today and it's a real sweet piece.

The is quite small so the original owner must have been of short stature?

11th February 2009, 02:20 AM	#1
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Borneo Parang or Philippne Bangkon ? Picked this up today it looks like it's from Borneo but I am just guessing? Attached Images Last edited by LOUIEBLADES; 11th February 2009 at 04:13 AM.

11th February 2009, 04:24 AM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,229	To me it looks more Borneo than Moro.

11th February 2009, 04:49 AM	#3
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,857	I'm with you Lew and Battara....looks like a Borneo "working man's" blade.

11th February 2009, 09:06 AM	#4
Gonzalo G Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nothern Mexico Posts: 458	Very nice handle in it´s simplicity, and the blade is interesting. Louie, do you have the measures of this piece? I am curios specially about the thickness of the back of the blade at it´s beginning after the handle. The point of balance must be very forward, I think. Thank you. Regards Gonzalo

11th February 2009, 10:16 AM	#5
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	No parang found in any of the old books but my guess is also Borneo. Maybe Sabah - where there is a mix of Malay, Moro and Dayak influences? Michael

11th February 2009, 12:26 PM	#7
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,225	It is quite different from the daily working parangs that you normally see on Borneo. Normally they are more curved and the scabbard does not have the cunning protrusion to keep it between you belt. But the overall impression on this one says Borneo to me too. Handy for some serious gardening

12th February 2009, 06:34 AM	#8
Gonzalo G Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nothern Mexico Posts: 458	Lew, thank you very much! I appreciate your answer. Regards Gonzalo

12th February 2009, 08:41 AM	#9
t_c Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: ca, usa Posts: 92	Hi Lew, Nice piece. I agree that it definitely looks like a Borneo blade, but I had some observations or a possible wild goose chase . A minor detail, the wood looks (IMO) like something that would come more from the Philippines than from Borneo. The things that really caught my eye were the recessed bands of woven rattan and the way the back flat of the blade is treated. The way the back of the blade is treated reminds me of Piece A. On Piece A the back flat of the blade is ground out flat to a taper at the back edge, with a steeper angle ground in at the "fuller" line to accent the definition - it looks like a triangular fuller, but is really tapered on a distinct plane to the back edge. It looks like yours was done this way as well - is this so, or is it a regular fuller? This isn't a specific treatment I had seen before. Surfing around one day I found Piece B. I thought that due to the similarities in B and A (handle and scabbard), that A might be from nearby (on Palawan). So (to keep this short) if C (yours above) is like B and B is like A, is C like A? Could it be from Palawan? Was Palawan a cross-cultural sort of place - influenced by both the Philippines and Borneo? Somebody stop me if the limb is too long.

12th February 2009, 12:11 PM	#10
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	T C Great observation! Thx

14th February 2009, 10:49 PM	#11
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	The parang arrived today and it's a real sweet piece. The is quite small so the original owner must have been of short stature?