parang shoot-out

June 6, 2005
Ongawi

Fakawi
Parang Shoot-Out

”WOW! You carry machetes on your bikes?”, Bop, a biker friend from Down Under once asked. His astonishment is understandable because he comes from a country where most trails have very little undergrowth and deadfall, and where most wild animals encountered on the trails during the rides can be shoo-shooed away with a stick or a bike pump.

Perhaps what sets us apart in these parts of the woods from other riders from other regions is our biking parangs or machetes (I will refer to them as ‘parang’ in this article). It has become second nature for wise riders here to grab the parang first then the bike pump and tools when setting off on a ride in the jungle. Sure it may add a few more grams to the bike/backpack (custom titanium machetes anyone?) but having a parang handy can make a world of a difference to your ride.

These nifty hacking tools have saved many a biker’s lives. They have proven their worth in warding off attacking rival biking tribes, and in fighting off panthers, wild boars and the occasional rabid barking deer. They are for the most part indispensable for ‘real-time’ on the spot trail maintenance.

Shopping for a Parang

What should one look for when purchasing a parang? It all depends on how often and how much of hacking is done on the trails. The performance of the blade is vital. Other features to consider include portability (fits in the Camelbak? Mounts on the bike frame?) and comfort (does it give you a ‘parang elbow’ after 5 minutes of hacking?).

Perhaps the gold standard test when checking out the performance of a blade is how well a parang cuts bamboo. Any kitchen knife can hack through wood but when it comes to cutting bamboo, you need a fine balance of weight, blade thickness and the angle of the cutting surface of the blade. Thin, lightweight blades just get deflected and bounced off bamboo.

The contenders:
>The regular hardware store ‘Black’ Parang.
>The Golok
>The Kukri

Hardware store ‘Black’ parang

The common parang is found in almost every hardware store here. Available in a few sizes from baby sized to big man’s sizes.

Build: Steel blade. Tried and tested angular plastic handle secured by a rather industrial-looking nut and bolt. Faux leather sheath with strong stitching complete with belt loop and safety buttoned loop to keep the parang sheathed.

Performance: The longest version (tested here) weighs a bit on the porky side but for a reason. The momentum of the added weight of the blade combined with the balanced length cooks up the right recipe for hours of effortless hacking. The plastic handle does not absorb shock and vibrations well and is known to crack. The length of the parang does interfere with pedaling when strapped to the waist, and when jammed into a day-pack the handle sticks out just a little. It is not too bulky to be mounted on the bike frame.

Overall: Heavy but durable parang with reliable performance. It is proof that you don’t need fancy designs and material to make a good blade.

Golok (Short cleaver style)

This baby Golok was purchased in Perak from a craftsman near Sg. Perak. It also comes in various shapes and sizes.

Build: The blade is handcrafted from recycled steel from truck leaf suspension. The scabbard and handle is wood. The wood is lacquered but with no fancy intricate carvings. No safety latch is needed. The blade stays snug in the sheath even in the most jarring rides.

Performance: Even though short in length, the wide blade is surprisingly heavy. The short blade means finding a ‘sweet spot’ is easy, with the end of each swing resulting in a confident “thwack!”. The wooden handle absorbs shocks beautifully.

Due to its compact size, the whole Golok fits in a small day-pack with room to spare for two pumps and a spare tube. No belt loop is provided on the sheath but a simple DIY loop can be fashioned from old inner tubes. The Golok is barely noticeable when strapped to the side when riding and the wooden sheath offers good protection from accidental stabbing during crashes.

Overall: Due to its similarities with the butcher’s cleaver, one tends to get teased a lot. But when put to work, alongside the parang, this Golok still impresses every time.

The Kukri

The most exotic blade of the pack has to be the Kukri. It’s a traditional Gurkha weapon that is recognized worldwide. This particular specimen was imported from Nepal (post 9-11 by in-flight hand-luggage!).

Build: It is beautifully handcrafted in Katmandu from iron and bronze bits, and adorned with an ornate hardwood handle with bronze detailing. Due to the kukri’s boomerang shaped blade, its leather sheath only sheaths the tip-end of the blade, with the part closer to the handle ‘saddled’ but not fully sheathed. Beware of Made in China imitations.

Performance: The boomerang curve makes carving a breeze as the concavity enfolds the surface well. When chopping, the inward angle seems to pack an extra punch, sinking the blade deeper into the target. The steel used is of higher quality. The non cutting back of the kukri is thicker than the other two local blades and is perfect for hammering pegs etc. The bronze ornamental lip at the tip of the handle prevents the kukri from slipping out during a hacking frenzy but it can bite into the flesh. Best used with gloves on.

Overall: This blade sings! It looks great and intimidating when mounted on a bike but looks better when worn on the side. And yes, it does return to you when launched like a boomerang (don’t try this at home, kids).

The Verdict:

The clear winner of this shoot-out is the humble hardware store Parang. It is cheap, easy to get hold of and has a user friendly profile. It performs soundly achieving fluid cutting and hacking in all conditions.

Parangs are low-tech, low maintenance additions to our high-tech jungle bikes. Keep ‘em happy by sharpening them before every ride, and oiling them (cooking oil will do) after use for rust-proofing. Happy hacking!

-Ongawi