Nice one Pitman! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Darn! Mine looks kind of Plain Jane. But I want one in SR77 with a Res C handle!

Late to the game, but yeah, what Horn Dog said!

Bump for Vic!!

I blame this thread for this buy! Vic's blade ate into my brain and I couldn't wait for a parang from the yard. The specs looked close to Vic's but check out the spine on this beast! Think 1/4" means something different at HI! No way I'm whipping this monster around like Joezilla did with the Marchand.

I have a couple big customs coming later this week (hopefully! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ) Gonna have a chop off when they land...maybe I'll get mine posted before Jared does his! (kidding!) Anyone seeing me in the buy section of BF...tell me to keep walking! I'm a little crazy lately!

A parang or something of the like would be cool. it would fill in the spot for the busse KZ2 that i REALLY want but can't afford. plus IMO res c > micarta or G10.

This would be a PERFECT time to unveil it in the STORE....Christmas is coming, and a Scra-Parang would top my list...the market is ripe! and I want one in my stocking! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif" alt="" />

I would be down for a Scrap Yard Parang. What a chopper that would be!!! It would be cool full tang and cord wrapped like the Scrapizashi. I love the look of that Rick Marchand parang Horn Dog has. And in SR77 or SR101(differential) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Paarang! Paarang! Paarang! Paarang! Paarang! Paarang! Paarang! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

I thought I would bump this up to the top again .... perhaps because it is the reason I first came to the yard .... I had a Blackjack Maurader as pictured earlier and gave mine away to the son of a friend who was going into the Army and missed it ... however it is not the "ideal" shape for me and is more "bolo knife" than true Parang ... but the reason I settled on using it is because of the "superior heat treatment" and "the Res C handle" ...

Let's have a look at why these combinations are so "perfect for field use" ...

Take the DFLE ... probably the most used Res C blade I have as the Basic 11 is still a recent acquisition ... I have used this knife for years now chopping wood and making sticks for my woodburning stove ... this knife has done boxes and boxes of wood for me over the years ...

Splitting wood is where it excels ...



It has done countless boxes of wood for me over the years ...



It's fundamental benefits are the handle comfort ... the hidden tang design which saves weight and gives a good forward balance to the knife for chopping ... and the heat treatment on the blade makes an edge really last a long time in these applications.

But let's now look at the design of the knife ... for chopping purposes is a straight Bowie shaped blade without a clip point the ideal shape for chopping ?

Unfortunately the answer is a resounding "No" ... if you want a blade good for chopping you need something which has a heavier forward weight and which has depth where needed for the chopping section .... so the taper can be gradual and convexed will bite deep into the wood .... and when in the wood can be twisted and flexed to split sufficiently thin sections for sticks without the need to baton them through the full length of the section ...

Now to look at blades which have this benefit and after years of "use" to gain an appreciation of what works well ... the best contenders are either Khukri's or Parang's ... the latter is a very "collective" description but the shape that works best is the Parang Bandol ... here is mine ...



The lowered section of the chopping edge gives safety for your hand when using it as a machete for vines and limbs ... and when chopping wood it has such a blade heavy performance through the design that it acts as well as an axe.

The disadvantages of these knives though is mainly in the heat treatment .... made from spring steel from old cars and treated in "bush forge's" the heat treatment is very "soft" in parts ... which means edge holding is compromised ... and you basically need to sharpen it every day when out in the field if it is to be of any "use" ....

The use of natural Buffalo Horn for the handle gives a superbly smooth shape but used on hard trees and the section of the handle by the spine and choil can sometimes crack ... Cliff Stamp managed to do this when using one in one of his tests years ago ... but did say he was taking the blade to a level not intended and to see where the parameters of breakage were ...

However if you were to adopt a Res C grip and hidden tang ... the risk of this would disappear ... and as far as design goes when compared to a khukri ... it is much easier to sharpen and in my experience for none "weapon" functions it works just as well .... if not better.

The parang just works. It is strictly a chopper with no point for thrusting, but I'd sure hate to get whacked with one! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Hey Steelfan, what's your name on BF? Did you snag the HI Parang recently? Probably will sell mine post chop off I have coming...a bit heavier than what I was hoping for...wanted one a bit more whippy like Vic's.