ellusive parang

[Simon]

Years ago I bought a French Army machete. It does not have the shape of a typical machete, it looks more like a straight parang to me. It is made out of a good quality, thick carbon steel, has an extremely durable wooden handle that is a bit but not overly crude. It also has a thick, heavy, well made leather sheath. Like a kurki, the weight is biased toward the tip. It has served me well, I gave away my regular machete. I have no idea if they can be found on the market or not, but if you can find one they are well worth it.

Mine was sold to me mail order as a French Army Machete, and I have no reason to believe that it is not, but oddly, it does not have a single identifying mark on the blade or sheath.

Be curious to see a pic of it

 

[bushscout1]

thanks for all the responses peeps, to be honest they all look a little delicate to me im looking for somthing to replace my gransfors and i just dont think anything pictured would get through 9 inches of hardwood and be intact
any idea if ray mears one was his own design maybe? it looks a lot shorter and more robust than the ones ive seen maybe its not a classic parang or somthing looks like ill have to have a go myself maybe start with a billhook , any other sugestions ?

IIRC Ray has a number of machetes / parangs etc as you may expect.

I believe that one of them is a golok as issued to the British Army for jungle use, if you Google 'Martindale Golok' you should find an example (there are other makes / suppliers and some are very reasonably priced). As usual no links etc.

These are more sturdy, with the steel approx. 1/4" thick, so may be more akin to what you're after than the parangs made from spring steel?

I hope this helps.

 

[Chinkapin]

I haven't mastered that elusive art of posting a pic, just yet. If I could, I would post a pic of the french machete. I have really got to get someone who is a bit more computer literate than myself to help me master this.

 

[chas brookes]

Hi
nice parang for sale over on british blades

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77269

 

[Goatboy]

Hey Lydon,

You ever thought of switching over to a billhook? http://www.woodsmithstore.co.uk/shop/Products/Tools/Billhooks/
You'll pick one up pretty cheaply, will last you a lifetime and they were designed ( there's a few different shapes mind) with European woodlands in mind.
My billhook and or snedding axe were daily companions when working the woods and the bill pretty much lives in the possibles bag.

Worth a look anaway, never understood why more bushcrafters don't use them.

Cheers
Goatboy.

 

[Hoodoo]

I got lucky a few weeks ago at a knife show and picked this one up. The blade is nice and thin too. Fairly lightweight chopper.

 

[Templar]

Hmmmm... some nice choppers here... but I will second BOD's question... why not the right tool for the job?

9 inches of hardwood would be in the axe range of tools, unless you plan to spend an hour whacking away at a single piece of timber... Weed whackers like these are designed for clearing brush and light construction work, not heavy wood cutting... ideally you shouldnt be cutting anything thicker than your own forearm with a Parang / Golok anyway or even a khukri for that matter...

Just my two cents,

Karl

Ps: if you look back through some of the posts here there is quite a discussion on this topic too... and my own choppers can be found in the pics area...

 

[stukenn]

I see this is an old thread but i just bought a Duku Chandong from this guy on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/330574631689?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

I love it, has an ugly beauty but what a great tool. its very well made, i will make some mods, probably pin the tang through the handle and make a new sheath as the one that came with it was a left hander.

i live in Australia now and it got here quickly with no interferance from customs.

another site that sells them is:
http://www.outdoordynamics.com.my/main.php?section=search&page=product_search

big range and you can buy blanks too.

 

[Basha72]

Hey Lydon,

You ever thought of switching over to a billhook? http://www.woodsmithstore.co.uk/shop/Products/Tools/Billhooks/
You'll pick one up pretty cheaply, will last you a lifetime and they were designed ( there's a few different shapes mind) with European woodlands in mind.
My billhook and or snedding axe were daily companions when working the woods and the bill pretty much lives in the possibles bag.
Worth a look anaway, never understood why more bushcrafters don't use them.

Cheers
Goatboy.

If Ray used a billhook on his next series you wait and see the prices go up on flee bay, to be honest they have already along with old axe heads etc

Each to their own at the end of the day, I have parangs and a billhook, you just have to remember what you have in your hand when chopping, if your taking out small hazel all day then a decent parang will suffice. The billhooks are heavy in comparison to parangs but that helps you in the swing, I've laid many a hedge with billhook and a axe.

It all depends on how good the parang is made also, if the tang is weak at the handle the first time you give it a good wack on some decent hardwood it could snap, as could the billhook, difference being though most of the billhooks I have seen have bigger tangs in them so less likely.

If your going to get one made I would make sure that the tang is not tapered down but the same size as the handle and at least 5mm thick

 

[northumbrian]

have a look on endicotts ive just seen a genuine issue one ! just type knife in their search box.


cheers andrew.

 

[robevs73]

I just finnished this parang for myself, blade by Dave Budd to my design (Dave would have made it with a stick tang as thats his preferance ) with a full tang, zebrano wood on red linners with brass bolts and pins, sheath and handled by myself.

 

[kard133]

That is nice, how thick is the blade?

 

[robevs73]

About 5mm at its thickest point on the spine

 

[Diamond Dave]

That is one very nice Parang and Sheath. Any chance of borrowing it for a year or two...:You_Rock_

 

[udamiano]

now thats a nice Parang and Sheath, very jealous.

:notworthy

 

[ged]

I see this is an old thread but i just bought a Duku Chandong ... I love it, has an ugly beauty but what a great tool. its very well made, i will make some mods, probably pin the tang through the handle ...

Not a bad idea that, ask JonathanD.

 

[Dave Budd]

Rob did the blade proud

I've made another since this one for another customer, I think I might have to make some more!

 

[robevs73]

Action shots!!! great for chopping, snedding and splitting not to bad at feathering wood but a bit big for scraping a firesteel, I did light a feather stick with it but it took a few goes.

 

[ged]

I suppose a passaround is out of the question?

 

[robevs73]

ask Dave mines staying with me!