Parang/Machete design
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BOD
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Well a parang is not a machete and the two ought to be discussed separetely.
The Parang is a wide term but i think you will find that the most common design here (ie BCUK) is the martindale tree beater.
Of course a true jungle man would not be seen dead with one
The Parang is a wide term but i think you will find that the most common design here (ie BCUK) is the martindale tree beater.
Of course a true jungle man would not be seen dead with one
Well, what do you want to do with it? I mean, length, weight, grind and profile are all dictated by the intended purpose. The interesting thing is, or it seems so to me, that while the machete has a thin blade with little more than a bevel filed on it, and the parang is all tapers and bevels, the tasks that they are used for do not seem all that different.
For my money I like the parang better. It just seems to be a better wood cutter, while the machete seems better for softer vegetation. I have an 18 inch parang and the blade length is great for everything but serious bramble bashing, or packing insided a rucksack. I don't want too much weight. Nearly all the parangs that I have handled that were made by people in the UK have been heavy and cumbersome with handles that encourage a firm, imovable, grip. I want something lighter and faster with a longer, straightish handle with a big dropped butt to keep it in my hand.
If I can get some decent light this weekend I will try to photograph my one. It isn't pretty, but it works well. Its based on a Penan one that Stuart brought back from Borneo
a reprofiled martindale can be resurected to do a fair bit, the golok shape is supposed to be a get by as the three foot jungle bolo machete was deemed too extreme.
its mainly down to the user, if you dont know how to use a big blade because you are used to axes then you'll generally struggle whatever blade you try.
a lot of mods to the martindales involve taking stock off the rear third to move it more towards a parang shape. I am a bit suspicious of the hardness of these blades so it may be worth re tempering while you are at it.
a cheap thirty quid belt sander can do all the mods you need if you clamp it into a workmate. its quick enough to see results but slow enough so you dont right it off in 5 seconds.
its mainly down to the user, if you dont know how to use a big blade because you are used to axes then you'll generally struggle whatever blade you try.
a lot of mods to the martindales involve taking stock off the rear third to move it more towards a parang shape. I am a bit suspicious of the hardness of these blades so it may be worth re tempering while you are at it.
a cheap thirty quid belt sander can do all the mods you need if you clamp it into a workmate. its quick enough to see results but slow enough so you dont right it off in 5 seconds.
BOD
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Yes that's the difference. Machete is grasses and soft stuff while a parang is more general and a better chopper.
Your parang, strictly speaking, is not a parang Chris. The assymetrical Kayan-Kenyah pattern is quite unique though it is refered to as a parang ilang when even those people speak Malay.
My money is on the flat grind Iban duku which is the top one in this photo. Compare it with the standard convex parang below
Hey Bod, and guys; interesting thread and one close to my heart.
I've done a bit of jungle work and if I can bring you to look at the two designs i've worked with in the piccy below, well my prefered tool would be the very top one guys, I just like it better, balance, weight, etc, what do you think?
Bod mate, in borneo have you come across the piass/craft knife, second one down?
I've done a bit of jungle work and if I can bring you to look at the two designs i've worked with in the piccy below, well my prefered tool would be the very top one guys, I just like it better, balance, weight, etc, what do you think?
Bod mate, in borneo have you come across the piass/craft knife, second one down?
BOD
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Hi timboggle,
If I had to chose I’d take the top one too over the sheepsfoot.
Your sheeps foot is a bit like the chandong of the Iban. Superb chopper
You asked about the piass.
Now this has got me going but because I don’t want to hijack the thread I’m opening a new one in a few minutes in Edged Tools
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=463595#post463595
If I had to chose I’d take the top one too over the sheepsfoot.
Your sheeps foot is a bit like the chandong of the Iban. Superb chopper
You asked about the piass.
Now this has got me going but because I don’t want to hijack the thread I’m opening a new one in a few minutes in Edged Tools
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=463595#post463595
I am used to big blades, and small blades and axes and saws etc etc etc however I use my "Tree Beater" for wood chopping, Kindling splitting, rough shaping, feather sticks, DIGGING?!?!?!?
Does this make it clearer?
Does this make it clearer?
Having bent the blade that Stuart brought me (I was able to straighten it again, but it scared me) I had a symetrical blade made to the same profile. The maker ground a little too much off the blade, near the handle, so one can't choke on it as well as on the original, but otherwise it seems a tough enough blade and made very short work of the saplings we used at the Moot for some shelter building.
The brass ferrule didn't fit as planned, and there were a few other things that I screwed up when fitting the handle and making the sheath, but it works, and for a first try that is as much as one can ask. The picture does not show it, but the blade has a distal taper, its about 1/4 inch thick at the handle and about 1/8th at the spine near the tip.
The brass ferrule didn't fit as planned, and there were a few other things that I screwed up when fitting the handle and making the sheath, but it works, and for a first try that is as much as one can ask. The picture does not show it, but the blade has a distal taper, its about 1/4 inch thick at the handle and about 1/8th at the spine near the tip.
BOD
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
That is very impressive work Chris! :You_Rock_
You should make them for sale!
What wood did you use for the sheath?
Out of curiosity, since you braided the sheath 'holders' and obviouslty have the skills why did you not use natural cordage for the belt around the waist. Would add that natural touch.
You should make them for sale!
What wood did you use for the sheath?
Out of curiosity, since you braided the sheath 'holders' and obviouslty have the skills why did you not use natural cordage for the belt around the waist. Would add that natural touch.
Lol.
This is probably one of the most expensive parangs ever. I traded a big block of stabilised wood, plus one of my 5" knives with a Micarta handle, in a leather sheath, for the blade, then had to regrind the bevels, fit the handle and make the sheath. I don't think that many folk would want to fork out over £150 for a parang
The sheath is some cherry from Swyn, it wasn't wide enough as was, so I had to laminate it a bit for shape and the thumb release ramp. Handle was some osage that I had around.
I used packing strap for the braid since a) I have heard that this is getting to be the material of choice over ratan due to its strength and rot resistance, and b) I can get it from work, while ratan doesn't grow on trees here in the UK. I guess I could have made a belt from lime bark, but I wanted a working parang rather than a show piece of traditional crafts, so I took the lazy way and used a bit of natural fibre rope that I had lying around.
Maybe on the next one I will try more traditional methods, but to he honest, I would first like to try making something with a Micarta handle and Kydex sheath
This is probably one of the most expensive parangs ever. I traded a big block of stabilised wood, plus one of my 5" knives with a Micarta handle, in a leather sheath, for the blade, then had to regrind the bevels, fit the handle and make the sheath. I don't think that many folk would want to fork out over £150 for a parang
The sheath is some cherry from Swyn, it wasn't wide enough as was, so I had to laminate it a bit for shape and the thumb release ramp. Handle was some osage that I had around.
I used packing strap for the braid since a) I have heard that this is getting to be the material of choice over ratan due to its strength and rot resistance, and b) I can get it from work, while ratan doesn't grow on trees here in the UK. I guess I could have made a belt from lime bark, but I wanted a working parang rather than a show piece of traditional crafts, so I took the lazy way and used a bit of natural fibre rope that I had lying around.
Maybe on the next one I will try more traditional methods, but to he honest, I would first like to try making something with a Micarta handle and Kydex sheath
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