What is this!

VANDOO · 19th April 2007, 03:54 PM

AN INTERESTING THINGY IT LOOKS LIKE A MARRAGE OF A MANDAU BLADE AND A SWORD GAURD WITH SOME AMATURE USING A WELDING TORCH AND A BRAZEING ROD TO MAKE THE GRIP AND ATTACH IT ALL TO THE BLADE. THE WRITING ON THE BLADE OR AN ID ON THE SWORD GAURD SHOULD PIN IT DOWN TO JAPANESE OR CHINESE . I KNOW OF AT LEAST ONE PRESENTATION MANDAU COMEING OUT OF CHINA DURING WW2 THE FAMILY SAID THEY HAD OWNED IT FOR A LONG TIME BUT DIDN'T HAVE A STORY AS TO HOW IT GOT THERE. THE BLADE ON THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE A PRESENTATION BLADE BUT IS MORE CUT OUT THAN IS USUAL IS IT A GOOD HEAVY BLADE OR ON THE THIN SIDE?
THERE IS A WHOLE CATAGORY OF EDGED THINGIES MADE BY SERVICE MEN DURING WARS OR WHEN STATIONED OVERSEAS. SOME ARE VERY WELL MADE FROM SCRATCH SOME ARE PIECED TOGETHER FROM PARTS. THEY RANGE FROM VERY GOOD WORKMANSHIP TO EXTREMELY POOR WORK BUT ALL ARE ONE OF A KIND. A PROFESSIONAL WEAPONS MAKER WOULD NOT WANT ANYONE TO KNOW HE MADE SUCH A THING BUT A SAILOR OR SOLDIER WOULD NO DOUBT BE PROUD OF IT. I LIKE SUCH THINGS AS THEY SHOW ALL THESE INTERESTING THINGS, ITS TOO BAD THAT WE WILL NEVER KNOW ITS STORY.

DaveS · 20th April 2007, 04:06 AM

Vandoo: The blade is thick and heavier than you might expect from looking at the pictures. It could be used for fighting if need be. When the mandau is looked at close up, you can tell definitly that it was cast in one piece. Could it be that this handle was cast in the Sarawak area where some lantakas were cast? Just a thought as lantakas are really works of the casting art, and not nearly as crude as this handle..............Dave.

Valjhun · 20th April 2007, 07:38 PM

The guard is from an original japanese shikibo. The blade is very nice. I also think that it is a WWII japanese souvenir from Borneo made on borneo from a caputred blade or something. What does the kanji say? Can anybody translate it?

19th April 2007, 03:54 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	AN INTERESTING THINGY IT LOOKS LIKE A MARRAGE OF A MANDAU BLADE AND A SWORD GAURD WITH SOME AMATURE USING A WELDING TORCH AND A BRAZEING ROD TO MAKE THE GRIP AND ATTACH IT ALL TO THE BLADE. THE WRITING ON THE BLADE OR AN ID ON THE SWORD GAURD SHOULD PIN IT DOWN TO JAPANESE OR CHINESE . I KNOW OF AT LEAST ONE PRESENTATION MANDAU COMEING OUT OF CHINA DURING WW2 THE FAMILY SAID THEY HAD OWNED IT FOR A LONG TIME BUT DIDN'T HAVE A STORY AS TO HOW IT GOT THERE. THE BLADE ON THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE A PRESENTATION BLADE BUT IS MORE CUT OUT THAN IS USUAL IS IT A GOOD HEAVY BLADE OR ON THE THIN SIDE? THERE IS A WHOLE CATAGORY OF EDGED THINGIES MADE BY SERVICE MEN DURING WARS OR WHEN STATIONED OVERSEAS. SOME ARE VERY WELL MADE FROM SCRATCH SOME ARE PIECED TOGETHER FROM PARTS. THEY RANGE FROM VERY GOOD WORKMANSHIP TO EXTREMELY POOR WORK BUT ALL ARE ONE OF A KIND. A PROFESSIONAL WEAPONS MAKER WOULD NOT WANT ANYONE TO KNOW HE MADE SUCH A THING BUT A SAILOR OR SOLDIER WOULD NO DOUBT BE PROUD OF IT. I LIKE SUCH THINGS AS THEY SHOW ALL THESE INTERESTING THINGS, ITS TOO BAD THAT WE WILL NEVER KNOW ITS STORY.

20th April 2007, 04:06 AM	#2
DaveS Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 327	Vandoo: The blade is thick and heavier than you might expect from looking at the pictures. It could be used for fighting if need be. When the mandau is looked at close up, you can tell definitly that it was cast in one piece. Could it be that this handle was cast in the Sarawak area where some lantakas were cast? Just a thought as lantakas are really works of the casting art, and not nearly as crude as this handle..............Dave.

20th April 2007, 07:38 PM	#3
Valjhun Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 692	The guard is from an original japanese shikibo. The blade is very nice. I also think that it is a WWII japanese souvenir from Borneo made on borneo from a caputred blade or something. What does the kanji say? Can anybody translate it?