Batak Sabre ?
 

I don't know why these get no love . :confused:
Anyway, now I have two . :p :D
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VERY-UNUSUAL...p2047675.l2557

More pictures when it arrives .

Congratulations Rick. I think you made a nice score. I also believe the blade might be a good pattern weld or even possibly wootz. Take a good close look in some good sunlight because it has that appearance in the pictures provided.

good score, i think rick is right..................jimmy

This is a piso podang, and quite a nice example of the rarer eagle hilt. I am especially intrigued by the script on the blade.

Though piso podangs are classically associated with the Battak, I would not necessarily attribute this one to them. Trade allowed these blades to be seen throughout the Indonesian archipelago and into the Malay peninsula.

These blade type seems to be especially popular on the eagle hilts. I would not be surprised to find a pattern welded blade, but would be surprised to find wootz on this particular type.

Thanks for the comments .
This looks like a good blade; not sure whether it will be wootz; but if it is anything like the blade on the example I already own it will be well tempered with a nice hardened working edge .

Charles, you definitely get around more than I do; this is only the third example of this sword that I have ever seen .

I'm very doubtful that the script is Arabic; it reminds me more of Batak
phonetic script .
Wherever it originated I'm glad to have won it .

A NICE CATCH! :) I AGREE WITH CHARLES THE PISO PODANG SELDOM HAS ANY WRITING ON IT AND THE EAGLE HEAD IS SELDOM SEEN. THE ORIGIN OF THESE SWORDS STILL SEEMS TO BE LARGELY UNKNOWN BUT LARGE NUMBERS OF THEM BECAME AVAILABLE AND POPULAR THRU OUT THE REGION. WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND WHERE THE SWORDS CAME FROM OR WHO THE TRADERS BRINGING THEM INTO THE AREA IS UNKNOWN TO ME. I ALWAYS WAS REMINDED OF INDIAN SWORDS BY THEIR FORM AND HANDLE.

A very nice win indeed.

I am betting this is what you will find, if not pattern welded. Please post when you have it and have had a chance to etch it.

Will do, absolutely . :)
I tried a vinegar etch on my present example; it didn't come up as pattern welded; it looked more like monosteel . :shrug:

Still, that sword is a good 'cutter' . ;)

You made yourself a nice Christmas present! ;) Unusual piso podang, I like the inscription on the blade.

Regards,

Detlef

congrats on this one, Rick... i'm with rsword; i wouldn't be surprise if it's wootz. i saw a similar blade earlier this year, and yes, it was wootz.

I'm just a bit surprised that either no one else knew what it was or they looked at it and said meh .
The garden variety piso's go for more than this one fetched .



I'm not complaining, mind you .

Cartouches For Translation ?
 

Pictures of the cartouches .
Translation anyone ?
Interesting about these; when you look at them the work looks a bit sloppy what with the material running off the edge .
Well, it actually carries across the edge and links with the cartouche on the other side . :cool:
Any ideas anyone cares to float about this phenomenon ?


The blade is not wootz as far as I can tell; I hit it pretty good with ferric chloride diluted to 20% . :shrug: