Handling a borneo parang

[bandel4]

Hi everyone.
Not sure if I am posting this at the right place. Would just to share my latest project.
Got the blade from a blade smith in Sarawak. I liked the shape and weight, so decided to give it a go. The maker was making 4 pieces, an order he says was made by an Iban. I paid him and left
Note the tip of the parang has a chip...me was clumsy enough to drop it, tip down first on the concrete floor

The blade in comparison to my Mora. The piece of guava wood used. The only piece of wood I have laying around.

The done up blade. Now I have to figure out the sheath.

The steel pin I used to keep the blade from flying off while using. Though I sealed the hole with epoxy, its extra protection. The other two holes are my initial 'drill holes' to look for the tang. Missed the first two times. Got it on the 3rd drill (the metal pin). So, I had to plug the holes with bamboo pieces. Kind of like that actually...maybe I can use it as my 'signature'

Comments...suggestions appreciated.

 

[ex-member Raikey]

Guava wood as in the fruit tree? it looks soft, or is it me,..

it looks very rustic,...

how did you form the handle?, what tools have you access to?

What is going to be its main use?

 

[forrestdweller]

dumb question: how are the natives handling their parangs?- i've a small parang from "valiant knives" with a buffalo horn handle and i cannot see any pins holding the handle in place...

 

[bandel4]

Guava wood as in the fruit tree? it looks soft, or is it me,..

it looks very rustic,...

how did you form the handle?, what tools have you access to?

What is going to be its main use?

Hi Raikey...guava wood is not the hardest you are right. But I have been told to avoid totally hard wood because when using for chopping in our jungle, they tend to crack. The one in the pic looks soft especially because I have applied a coating of linseed oil.
I will be using it as a general purpose blade. When walking in the jungle. Not too heavy this one. I find the weight just nice. Now it is on to the sheath!

 

[bandel4]

dumb question: how are the natives handling their parangs?- i've a small parang from "valiant knives" with a buffalo horn handle and i cannot see any pins holding the handle in place...

An important question actually. From what I have gathered, due to the lack of tools (unlike these days, we have access to electric drills etc), the natives would actually re-heat the tang of the blade to glowing red. They will then use this to 'burn' by stabbing the block of wood they want to use as handle. They repeat this process until the tang is all the way in. Hence the shape of the tang.

And remarkable, many do not use pins. They use some sort of tree sap/ glue to fill the hole in the wooden handle and then with one final re-heat (after retemper), they push the tang in.

One parang maker, a Penan in Miri told me the end of the tang on the parangs they make are 'twisted' and that helps it to hold on to the handle.

Well...that's what I gathered so far

 

[forrestdweller]

I will be using it as a general purpose blade. When walking in the jungle. Not too heavy this one. I find the weight just nice. Now it is on to the sheath![/QUOTE]

some pictures of that one would be nice!!! the original sheath of my parang does not allow belt/baldric wear(only on the outside of my backpack) and i'm planning to make a better one...

also: how do the natives prevent their blades from geting rusty- just a few drops of oil every now and then or is there another trick?

 

[bandel4]

The usual parangs I have seen used by the natives here do not have belt loop/ attachment as well. They normally come with cordage or a string (about 4-6mm diameter) that is attached to the parang sheath. They then tie this cordage around their waist.

I have been wondering about the same (how do they keep the blades from being rusted) and I have not truly gotten an answer except from my own observation. As for the natives in Borneo, I noticed that they use their blades almost everyday and I have a feeling that helps to reduce rust.

Some of the natives I have seen also uses the same blade to prepare food! Yeah, rust or not, it is used to prep game, slice cooked pork and all sorts. Doing so indirectly transfers 'oil' to the surface.

And then there is Patina which forms sort of like a natural protection over the blade. This is just a guess I make having observed them using the blades almost constantly on plants etc.

I am going back to Borneo in Jan 2010. Maybe I should make it a point to find out this time around

 

[forrestdweller]

the cordage-trick wo'nt work with my sheath- you wold have to untie it every time you want to pull and use it. bit of a misconstruction... .

 

[ged]

To prevent excessive rusting I wonder if there's some sort of case hardening going on, perhaps carbiding. That's used in the west for iron door and window furniture for example. Cast iron is about 5% carbon and it doesn't rust anything like so quickly as mild steel (<0.5% carbon).

Do the bladesmiths put the blades in a furnace with a lot of wood or charcoal packed closely around the blades?

 

[bandel4]

Do the bladesmiths put the blades in a furnace with a lot of wood or charcoal packed closely around the blades?

Yes they do! In fact, for as most I have seen, the blade is usually submerged in red hot burning charcoal!

 

[bandel4]

the cordage-trick wo'nt work with my sheath- you wold have to untie it every time you want to pull and use it. bit of a misconstruction... .

Maybe the below can give you an idea.
Many of the natives in Sarawak I see wear their parangs sideways, the blade almost horizontal to the waist. Hope the pics below will give you an idea.

 

[Trackerman]

Nice rehandling! The parang have a nice rustic look. The shape of the blade reminds of Bear Grylls new serielmade Parang.

Is it from your type Bear got the idea of the Parang?

 

[BOD]

Nice rehandling! The parang have a nice rustic look. The shape of the blade reminds of Bear Grylls new serielmade Parang.

Is it from your type Bear got the idea of the Parang?

Well bandel certainly didn't get any ideas from Bear!!

I like the signature pins. It is reminscent of a Shriner sign.

 

[Trackerman]

Well bandel certainly didn't get any ideas from Bear!!

Obviously not. Hope people doesn´t misunderstand my reply...

 

[sargey]

Obviously not. Hope people doesn´t misunderstand my reply...

best thing i've read all day.

cheers, and.

 

[Hedgehog]

Really nice looking Parang there.

Not keen on th BG one, though not much a bit of paint stripper & a new handle couldn't sort out.

There is a rather tasty one over in Makers Sales on BB at the moment too...

The horn handled Valiantco's are held together with powdered ants, heat & friction.

 

[bandel4]

Really nice looking Parang there.

Not keen on th BG one, though not much a bit of paint stripper & a new handle couldn't sort out.

There is a rather tasty one over in Makers Sales on BB at the moment too...

The horn handled Valiantco's are held together with powdered ants, heat & friction.

Nice parang this is.