I was recently introduced to a local guide from Kuching, Sarawak by a mutual friend. Danny Voon is a kayaker, adventurer and a guide that specializes in less travelled routes in Borneo. After several exchange of emails, I also found out that he has a keen interest in promoting the preservation and awareness of traditional skills and crafts. One of them being parang makers. Besides adding to his own collection, he has been tracking down traditional parang makers, especially in the remote villages around Kuching.
He was recently in Kuala Lumpur and I had the chance to meet up with him. He surprised me with two pieces of parangs from a native parang maker that he has recently met. He placed the order for the parangs just a few days before flying over. I am amazed at the carvings especially and according to Danny, they are all handcarved without any template tracing. Below are some pictures of one of the parangs.
Here are some pictures from another parang maker in the Sarawak highlands by Danny.
Obviously, we chatted for hours about parangs. He described to me how some of the parang makers would actually keep many chickens. My first thought was that they would have used the chickens for cutting tests but it turns out that the feathers of the chicken were uses as piston rings on the blower pump of their furnaces! And I told myself I gotta see this someday.
In the mean time, I am so looking forward to be joining Danny on a trek to a remote highland village in end February where he will be introducing me to a traditional Bidayuh parang maker, native women who are still wearing metal rings on their arms and legs as well as a spectacular waterfall. Cant wait now.
KEONG
He was recently in Kuala Lumpur and I had the chance to meet up with him. He surprised me with two pieces of parangs from a native parang maker that he has recently met. He placed the order for the parangs just a few days before flying over. I am amazed at the carvings especially and according to Danny, they are all handcarved without any template tracing. Below are some pictures of one of the parangs.
Here are some pictures from another parang maker in the Sarawak highlands by Danny.
Obviously, we chatted for hours about parangs. He described to me how some of the parang makers would actually keep many chickens. My first thought was that they would have used the chickens for cutting tests but it turns out that the feathers of the chicken were uses as piston rings on the blower pump of their furnaces! And I told myself I gotta see this someday.
In the mean time, I am so looking forward to be joining Danny on a trek to a remote highland village in end February where he will be introducing me to a traditional Bidayuh parang maker, native women who are still wearing metal rings on their arms and legs as well as a spectacular waterfall. Cant wait now.
KEONG
