Malaysian parang?

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ThunderLips
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Malaysian parang?

Post by ThunderLips »

Hello everyone, I'm looking for a bit more info on an old Malaysian machete that I have. First a little background on it. My aunt had a boyfriend who was on a student exchange in Kuala Lumpar in 1975. He came back with this parang(I think it's a parang) and gave it to my father who was 12 or so at the time. My father gave it to me when I was around the same age as he was. We grew up in the country so it's seen a lot of use and abuse in the forest and on the farm. My father passed recently so I dug out this old parang and I'm trying to restore it. The blade is chipped, pitted and bent, the wooden sheath is splitting. I'm looking for any information on this knife like what kind of wood may have been used for the sheath/scabbard and the handle, who the maker was would be nice to know but I'm almost positive it was hand forged and could have been done by just about anyone. And is there a way to prevent the scabbard from splitting even further? The two little screws held in a leather strap but I don't remember if it was used to secure the knife or attach it to your belt.
I have attached before and after I started working on it yesterday, I have a long way to go but it's nice to see progress already.
Oh, what kind of oil should I use on the wood?
Thank you.
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btrwtr
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Re: Malaysian parang?

Post by btrwtr »

Very cool knife and story.

Parang, barong or bolo? What is the overall length? Don't know much about it but good old Elmer's woo glue and rubber bands to hold it while drying should fix the wooden sheath. Just use a sharp blade and 320 grit sandpaper to remove any dried excess glue.
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steve99f
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Re: Malaysian parang?

Post by steve99f »

With regard to the oil question what do you want to accomplish? You are better off using a wax like Renaissance wax than using oil if protection is what you want.
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jerryd6818
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Re: Malaysian parang?

Post by jerryd6818 »

Welcome to AAPK.

If you have the patience (a half hour to an hour a day, every day for three months), hand rubbing Linseed Oil into the wood will give it a beautiful finish and protect the wood.
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ThunderLips
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Re: Malaysian parang?

Post by ThunderLips »

Thanks guys. I left it in my office by accident so I can't measure it but I would guess it's between 10"-12" from tip to end. Wood glue it is :) I have all the patience in the world. I just picked up some mineral oil for the wood. Any suggestions on what I should use for the blade? Should I blue it like I do to my firearms? Any ideas on the kind of wood it may be? Thank you
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jerryd6818
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Re: Malaysian parang?

Post by jerryd6818 »

Because they do not dry to a solid film, non-drying oils are considered a wood treatment, but not a finish. The most common and least expensive of the drying oils is boiled linseed oil. Tung oil dries a little bit faster than linseed oil, and sometimes it is modified to cure even more quickly.
Forged on the anvil of discipline.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.

This country has become more about sub-groups than about it's unity as a nation.

"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
--T.J. Murphy 2012
ThunderLips
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Re: Malaysian parang?

Post by ThunderLips »

Is there a finish that I can use that won't effect the natural look of the wood?
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jerryd6818
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Re: Malaysian parang?

Post by jerryd6818 »

ThunderLips wrote:Is there a finish that I can use that won't effect the natural look of the wood?
There's an old woodworkers trick to see what you will get as a look for sanded wood once it has had a clear finish applied. Wipe it with a wet (water) rag.

To answer your question, use Linseed Oil and rub it in by hand. I can tell you from experience that several coats applied in this manner will give you a very nice natural finish. Sometimes the most simple solution is the best solution.
Forged on the anvil of discipline.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.

This country has become more about sub-groups than about it's unity as a nation.

"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
--T.J. Murphy 2012
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whitebuffalo58
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Re: Malaysian parang?

Post by whitebuffalo58 »

I believe it's Teakwood, if so, it won't need protection from the elements. JMHO, but a couple of good rub downs with Teak oil would be my choice. Too, if it's Teakwood, you'll need to clean the cracks with alcohol before gluing in order to remove the natural oils, otherwise it won't bond correctly. I also wouldn't use bluing on the blade, but rather a natural agent to add a little patina. citrus, vinegar, some use a potato, etc...again JMHO.

Cool knife BTW,


WB

P.S. Be careful with using power sanders, etc...
ThunderLips
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Re: Malaysian parang?

Post by ThunderLips »

Thanks a ton! That is a lot of helpful information. Yeah, I went overboard on the grinding. It's my first project so I'm learning as I'm going. Here is an updated pic. A little more sanding and 2 coats of mineral oil. I am going to look for teakwood oil in a few days now that I have that info. Again, thank you.
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glennbad
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Re: Malaysian parang?

Post by glennbad »

That's looking good!
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