Klewang Sumatra

KuKulzA28 · 29th May 2011, 04:39 PM

I too have never seen another one like it, where it is the shape of the typical pommel (Makara?) but without the carvings... so because of that and because it has my favorite Indonesian pedang blade shape (I call "Katana-tip"), I had to get it. Rick, would you mind explaining to me why the uncarved is so special? To me, it would seem like carved takes more work than uncarved, so if uncarved was better, wouldn't you see more of those??

Yea, novice questions

Rick · 29th May 2011, 04:49 PM

I can't explain, I can guess; these 'natural' forms that mimic hilt pommels and keris handles come from the 'natural' world not from the hand of man .

That makes them special .

KuKulzA28 · 29th May 2011, 08:36 PM

Perhaps, though the resemblance is too much - I think someone simply shaped buffalo horn into the look of the typical pommel and then did not proceed to make the traditional carvings, but I don't know for sure.

These blades were definitely big in Lombok from the little I've read, and apparently found in central/south Sumatra... I wonder what factors prompted their being readily adopted in Sumatra?? ...versus Borneo and Java which seem to have had their own endemic parangs and pedangs already well-established. I could be wrong about my assumptions however, I am pretty new to Indonesian weapons.

Sumatran weapons are the most fascinating to me, but there seems to be the least information on them... aside from the occasional Batak place, piso podang, or Acehnese collection...

29th May 2011, 04:49 PM	#2
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,365	Esoterica I can't explain, I can guess; these 'natural' forms that mimic hilt pommels and keris handles come from the 'natural' world not from the hand of man . That makes them special .

29th May 2011, 04:39 PM	#1
KuKulzA28 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: between work and sleep Posts: 731	I too have never seen another one like it, where it is the shape of the typical pommel (Makara?) but without the carvings... so because of that and because it has my favorite Indonesian pedang blade shape (I call "Katana-tip"), I had to get it. Rick, would you mind explaining to me why the uncarved is so special? To me, it would seem like carved takes more work than uncarved, so if uncarved was better, wouldn't you see more of those?? Yea, novice questions

29th May 2011, 08:36 PM	#3
KuKulzA28 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: between work and sleep Posts: 731	Perhaps, though the resemblance is too much - I think someone simply shaped buffalo horn into the look of the typical pommel and then did not proceed to make the traditional carvings, but I don't know for sure. These blades were definitely big in Lombok from the little I've read, and apparently found in central/south Sumatra... I wonder what factors prompted their being readily adopted in Sumatra?? ...versus Borneo and Java which seem to have had their own endemic parangs and pedangs already well-established. I could be wrong about my assumptions however, I am pretty new to Indonesian weapons. Sumatran weapons are the most fascinating to me, but there seems to be the least information on them... aside from the occasional Batak place, piso podang, or Acehnese collection...