West Sumba knife

[JeffS]

This Sumba chopper was a recent Ebay purchase. Nice patina on the handle and scabbard, seems to have some age. The figurines are fun, cool to see a nod to their horse culture and the clever use of handle and the kabeala scabbard style to create the interlocking horse and rider. Would the forging flaw on the blade visible in the photo below indicate layered construction? Also, I was surprised that the spine does not taper until it almost reaches the point. This is much more common in blades made by stock removal.

[Sajen]

Hello Jeff,

Yes, it's a Sumba knife, nice one but not very old. But it isn't a typical West Sumba knife, frankly said I never have seen a West Sumba knife.
The swords from West Sumba have a very specific appearance, see this thread:http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=sumba, see #7.

Regards,
Detlef

[JeffS]

Originally Posted by Sajen

Hello Jeff,

Yes, it's a Sumba knife, nice one but not very old. But it isn't a typical West Sumba knife, frankly said I never have seen a West Sumba knife.
The swords from West Sumba have a very specific appearance, see this thread:http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=sumba, see #7.

Regards,
Detlef

I see, I was following the sellers description (always risky). The description also calls this a WWII take home. Do you think it is from after mid 20 C?

[Sajen]

Hello Jeff,

The time frame the seller stated could be correct, the horn ferrule is today not very common anymore.

Regards,
Detlef

[naturalist]

Originally Posted by JeffS

Would the forging flaw on the blade visible in the photo below indicate layered construction? Also, I was surprised that the spine does not taper until it almost reaches the point. This is much more common in blades made by stock removal.

In the rural villages in Indonesia, in regards to utilizing scrap metals, people believe that how the initial metal being used has "value" for the blades made from the scrap metals. Also the given condition of "best scrap metals" usually won't be removed totally after the blades finished.

The first, for example, is on chainsaw bar, the bar that frequently used for cut trees in the forest in some part of Indonesia valued more than a brand new bar because all of sap/resin/oil from the trees may give extra "power" to the blades that made from the chain saw bar.

Second, bearing is known as one of the best scrap metals in rural areas, the notch usually won't be removed during the forging. I am not sure if the "forging flaw" in this blade is really a flaw or the material of the blade is from bearing.

[ausjulius]

Originally Posted by JeffS

This Sumba chopper was a recent Ebay purchase. Nice patina on the handle and scabbard, seems to have some age. The figurines are fun, cool to see a nod to their horse culture and the clever use of handle and the kabeala scabbard style to create the interlocking horse and rider. Would the forging flaw on the blade visible in the photo below indicate layered construction? Also, I was surprised that the spine does not taper until it almost reaches the point. This is much more common in blades made by stock removal.

hi. these are still made in the traditional way today, exactly as yours. generally they have very little taper bigger ones are normally about 7-8mm at the base to about 4mm at the tip for example.. .. the smiths are just skilled ant forging and leveling the blade.. before was by hand with a scraper but now with an angle grinder.. they are not making them from flat stock with stock removal.. i have a bunch of these they are generally well made blades, even ones made today are well made and well finished, and dont normally show a quench line indicating some degree of tempering is taking place, from what ive seen its a broad partial quench and then they let the hot spine partially temper it back,

[ausjulius]

Originally Posted by Sajen

Hello Jeff,

The time frame the seller stated could be correct, the horn ferrule is today not very common anymore.

Regards,
Detlef

id say its still very much the standard in sumba, other islands maybe not so. but in sumba its quite typical on any weapon, some ruder goloks than sell for 2 or 3$ maybe now they are steel pipe, but generally the parangs are still considered da primary item of defence/offence there and are used to sacrefice water buffalo aswell, here you can see horn furrels still used. these swords arnt costly but regular parangs https://youtu.be/kbW-T-l0fKA

[Sajen]

You may be correct but I've seen some apparently vintage blades without this horn ferrule.

[ausjulius]

Originally Posted by Sajen

You may be correct but I've seen some apparently vintage blades without this horn ferrule.

oh for sure i dont think theres any definate rule, i think its just a preference, but most are horn.. any.. most old ones will not have a metal furrel but also most new ones wont either.
they do sure make it clear there they prefer the horn for asthetic and cultural reasons.. but generally the type of parang with a horse rider on the handle have more oftern a metal furrel than the other "tusk" shaped handled blades