Wood parang sheath
- Thread starter topknot
- Start date
Dreadhead
Bushcrafter through and through
I did something good with plaited packing strap, much stiffer than paracord, doesn't hold water.
IMG_0407 by Last Scratch, on Flickr
Parang+sheath by Last Scratch, on Flickr
There is a slot in the scabbard so the wraps pass through to the inside, and a rebate on the inside so the blade can't touch them. That stops the wraps from just sliding up and down the wood, as they might if they were just wrapped around the outside.
IMG_0407 by Last Scratch, on FlickrParang+sheath by Last Scratch, on FlickrThere is a slot in the scabbard so the wraps pass through to the inside, and a rebate on the inside so the blade can't touch them. That stops the wraps from just sliding up and down the wood, as they might if they were just wrapped around the outside.
Last edited:
Apparently it is genuine, authentic for a Penan type parang...taking over from rattan. When Stuart acquired the parang he got me (not this one) he asked for traditional materials, rattan and tree resin; the locals thought he was a bit thick and kept trying to explain how much better packing strap was, "...it not rot!" 
There is something to know about the wooden sheaths though, the wood used by the Penan is specially chosen because it does not readily absorb more water and swell, so the fit of the sheath changes as little as possible. My sheath is cherry, and although I treated it with hot wax, it takes on moisture readily. Wooden sheaths made in the UK and taken to the tropics are likely to swell so much that the blades can't be drawn. Not sure how your Teak would fair, probably better than cherry. Just a thought for anyone planning to take a parang on a jungle adventure.
There is something to know about the wooden sheaths though, the wood used by the Penan is specially chosen because it does not readily absorb more water and swell, so the fit of the sheath changes as little as possible. My sheath is cherry, and although I treated it with hot wax, it takes on moisture readily. Wooden sheaths made in the UK and taken to the tropics are likely to swell so much that the blades can't be drawn. Not sure how your Teak would fair, probably better than cherry. Just a thought for anyone planning to take a parang on a jungle adventure.
Similar threads
