long parang nabur for comments

[Sajen]

A monsster beauty, thanks for sharing!

[CharlesS]

Very nice example. Shame about the horn damage, but it doesn't seem to alter the appearance of the sword much at all.

This is one of my favorite types of swords to handle. They always seem so well balanced regardless of their size.

[asomotif]

Originally Posted by CharlesS

This is one of my favorite types of swords to handle. They always seem so well balanced regardless of their size.

Charles,
Are you referring to this long slender type of parang nabur or to Parang naburs in general ?

[Lew]

Horn damage? Looks fine to me

[weapons 27]

There is no damage in Horn handle!!!!

[T. Koch]

Hi Weapons! I recently also picked up a Beladah Belabang/PN. Mine shares the hilt style of yours, but is mounted with a blade of a more Langgai Tinggang-like profile, though.

It looks like the crevices on your knuckle- and thumb-guard are also filled with dirt or crud of some sort? Mine has that too! Is yours also hard as cement - I mean hard as in really bloody hard and impossible to remove?

Any idea as to what this gunk is and why it was put in the guard?


Cheers, - Thor

[asomotif]

Originally Posted by T. Koch

It looks like the crevices on your knuckle- and thumb-guard are also filled with dirt or crud of some sort? Mine has that too! Is yours also hard as cement - I mean hard as in really bloody hard and impossible to remove?

Any idea as to what this gunk is and why it was put in the guard?


Cheers, - Thor

I think that these brass guards where casted in earth, so the cavities are probably filled with burned earth, hence the hardness like cement.

I would not remove it if it was still there.

Best regards,
Willem

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by asomotif

Charles,
Are you referring to this long slender type of parang nabur or to Parang naburs in general ?

I would say "in general". My longer ones are a little more awkward than the more typical ones.

I really like both of Maurice's examples...very interesting in different ways.

[VVV]

We have discussed the BB a lot in previous thread so no need to repeat it all again. I save some of my new finds for Baltimore...
It's interesting how many oversized BB that are found in private collections, based on that the longer version was supposed to be more symbolic and carried as a scepter?

Michael

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by VVV

I save some of my new finds for Baltimore...
It's interesting how many oversized BB that are found in private collections, based on that the longer version was supposed to be more symbolic and carried as a scepter?

Michael

A pity I will not be there to see your new finds in Baltimore!!!


Indeed I've seen several oversized BB also in private collections. And unfortunately nobody could tell me why they were so long.
I presume that the "symbolic and carried as a scepter" is a suggestion?

I hope we'll find a tight proof soon about the oversized BB's....

Maurice

[T. Koch]

Thank you so much Maurice - your mind is like a golden archive of all things Borneo! I am so thrilled to finally see a pic with a BB in situ, just fantastic!

The two examples you've posted above are a great couple as well.

The first one with the all-bronze hilt is just spectacular. The one I have at home is with a similar blade profile, although not executed with nearly as much attention to detail. Everything is so sharp and crisp on the one you show and it just excudes "QUALITY"!

The second one is as interesting as the first is gorgeous. Its the first BB I have seen dressed up with a sheath like that, katong evok, carvings and everything. Quite impressive! Maybe a Malay going 'native' or a Dayak joining the ranks?


Gustav, thank you very much for those references. From your quote it certainly seems as if Banjarmasin was a busy hub teeming with forge-work around this time. I will see if I can dust up the original articles - maybe they're accessible on KITLV, somewhere.


Thanks again guys and take care, - Thor

[DaveA]

My parang nabur, total length just under 79cm