Unidentified Knife

[ElfTengu]

Can anyone identify this knife?

My feeling is that it may be of Thai, Malaysian or similar origin. The leaf pattern blade is about 8mm thick on the back edge and tapers all the way down to the tip, about 25mm wide at its widest point, and the whole knife is 495mm in length. There is a narrow tang and the handle is made from bamboo or rattan wrapped with a thin plaited cord that looks more organic than string or factory produced material.

[Soulend]

While in Thailand and the Philippines, I ran across a staggering variety of styles of knives, most of which didn't have names. They were limited in design only by the smith's imagination. One of my Negrito guides while I was in JEST (Jungle Environment Survival Training) had a very similar knife to the one shown, but to him it seemed it was simply 'a knife'.

It may well be that this is a 'type' of knife, with it's own name and possibly even it's own style of use - but it looks to be a rather generic form of tribal/indigenously produced tool.

[Peter H.]

I dunno know about a name, but I've seen a lot of knives that look fairly close to that at swap meets and flea markets in Del Rio, Acuna, and San Antonio. Most of the time the handle isn't bamboo or rattan, just a plain unidentifiable wood. But, there is a type of cane that grows here, don't know the name of it, but in many instances, it is pretty much indestinguishable from rattan or bamboo, so much so, that we have made pretty convincing copies of Shinai with it.

[pgsmith]

But, there is a type of cane that grows here, don't know the name of it, but in many instances, it is pretty much indestinguishable from rattan or bamboo ...
Hi Peter,
It's indistinguishable because it is bamboo. Its scientific name is arundinaria gigantea , and it is the only bamboo species native to North America. You can actually order it from some of the bamboo society sites, but it's easy enough to find growing wild that it would be silly to buy it.

Sorry to jump in there, but it's another of my pet peeves. There are alot of people that will say "that's not bamboo, that's just cane". :)

Cheers,

[Peter H.]

Now I know, I'm not big on horticulture, I just didn't think we had Bamboo in Texas. Now bring on the Pandas.

[ElfTengu]

Thanks for your efforts thus far guys, I hope to nail it down a little more geographically as the thread goes on, but plenty to think about.

Would that be the Paris Pandas by the way?

(The famous baseball team that I just made up!)

[pgsmith]

No pandas in Texas, but the cows love that stuff when it's young. Ever since they stopped keeping cattle on the property next to my father's, his patch of bamboo has started to go crazy. I've been trying to convince him to plant a stand of moso in his unused pasture. Now that would be interesting!

Cheers,