Thick knife frome Bali/Lombok

[David]

Originally Posted by RobT

I am well aware of the form of the Javanese wedong and have an example. When I said that the knife I presented in this post was “some form of Indonesian wedong”, I meant that I believed that it was some sort of ceremonial knife from Indonesia that had a roughly equivalent function to a wedong (eg the Balinese pengentas tiuk). Antiques by the Sea is currently offering a pengentas tiuk for sale and they are selling it as a “balinese wedung”. Wikipedia also shows a pengentas tiuk example which they call a “Balinese style Wedung”. There is also a rather full discussion on vikingsword of these knives begun by Gustav on 12/20/2012 (http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?p=149921) in which Atlantia says “shall we call them 'Wedung'? I know some do and some don’t”.
I don’t know whether my knife is from Bali or from somewhere else in Indonesia. I assume that it had a ceremonial function like a wedong but for all I know, it could just as well have been some sort of utilitarian knife.

Hi Rob. I completely agree with Detlef here. We just need to stop calling Balinese pengentas tiuk a "Balinese wedhung". It's not a matter of whether "some do and some don't". It is simply indorrect, regardless of what Antiques by the Sea or a wikipedia page calls them. The bottom line is that there just is incorrect information floating about out there and as annoying as it might become regarding these particular knives i am afraid that i will step up and say the same thing every time someone calls a Balinese pengentas tiuk a "Balinese wedhung". LOL!
Yes, both Balinese pengentas tiuk and Javanese wedhung serve ceremonial purposes, but they are not at all related. The wedhung is solely for wear in the court of Javanese keratons. It symbolizes the wearers obligation and promise to "cut a path" for their Sultan. Though mostly symbolic, the wedhung might indeed be put to practical uses at the bidding of Sultan for small tasks around the keraton. The keraton is really the only place that the wedhung is worn.
Balinese pengentas tiuk, as i think you already point out, serve a ritual funerary function. During a cremation, a priest uses the tiuk pengentas to cut the deceased's cloth cord from their body. This symbolizes cutting the person off from earthly life.
That said, to me your knife most resembles a Balinese temple golok. These knives are used by priests (Brahmin) for the preparation of temple offerrings. Compare yours with one from my collection. Mine is a fairly large and heavy blade, weighing in at 900g (2 lbs). It is also razor sharp.