Parang Latok

Parang Latok (which is also known as Latok, Latok Buku or Parang Pathi) is a sword from Kalimantan, Indonesia, that also functions as a machete.

Parang Latok
A Parang Latok as seen in the middle, is labelled as number 1 (in sheath) and 3 (unsheath).
TypeParang, Sword
Place of originIndonesia
Service history
Used byBornean Malay people, Dayak people
Specifications
Lengthapproximately 55 cm
Blade typesingle edged, one sided chisel grind
Hilt typewood
Scabbard/sheathwood

Its used for both timber felling, agricultural activities and warfare is characterised by the noticeable bent at an obtuse angle from one-third of its length starting from the pommel.[1] This parang features a single-edge blade that is heavier and wider towards the point of the blade. The handle of the Parang Latok is made of wood without a guard and often tied securely with rattan at its grip. It is carried in a long, two-piece wooden sheath to properly hold the blade.[2]

In the past, the Parang Latok is also used for executing condemned criminals, and the decapitation is normally achieved with a single blow.[3] This parang is used two-handedly, with one hand holding the hilt and the other holding the blade's shoulder, enabling its user to strike downwards.

A smaller version of the Parang Latok is called the Buko, while another variant of the Parang Latok is known as the Sadap.[4]

See also

References
  1. H. S. Cowper (2012). The Art of Attack and the Development of Weapons: from the Earliest Times to the Age of Gunpowder. Andrews UK Limited. ISBN 1-78150-359-1.
  2. George Cameron Stone (1999). Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times. Courier Corporation. ISBN 0-486-40726-8.
  3. Frederick Boyle (1865). Adventures among the Dyaks of Borneo. Hurst and Blackett. OCLC 475350124.
  4. Albert G Van Zonneveld (2002). Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago. Koninklyk Instituut Voor Taal Land. ISBN 90-5450-004-2.


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