My Daab (Krabi)

[GonzoStyles]

I did not want to post this in the Krabi thread, out of respect to Chalambok.

It is such a great thread I felt I would be out of place in it.

I wanted to post some pics of the Daab I own. I traded it to a freind from Japan who bought it in Thailand, (trade items were motorcycle parts about 100$ in worth)

I treat it with great respect and never allow anyone to fool around with it.
I am hoping to soon take up Muay Thai again seriousley with more time soon to be available to me for personal things.

It is my desire to one day learn Krabi-Krabong and maybe one day introduce the world of Thai martial arts to my neice and nephew. Till that day the sword and small dagger (I forget the name in Thai) rest in a stand. I have a picture of them together somewhere but cannot locate it at this time.



I have no Idea if this is a quality sword but it feels solid. I oil it lightly every month or so. And hope to have it examined one day by someone who knows more about the art. The prayers on the blade intrigue me and I still do not know their exact meaning or if they were done by chemical etching or another method.

Any info about care and traditions would be appreciated

Kop Kun Kop!

[chalambok]

Thanks, Gonzo, but there is no disrespect to me at all. I have some swords like that, I believe. Mine are of 2 different designs but one of them (the design) is surely the same as yours. I am not so sure about acid-etching, however, because the Pali writing on mine seems to be above the metal, not etched into it. I love the balance, there is a good weight to the point. After using a nice pair you can see why I am reticent to endorse aluminum training blades; the balance can really change your actions. Many people ask why the hand guards are so small on Thai swords. Just so you know, it is for when you are using two swords to block an overhand strike. As you cross your swords the hand guards meet the backs of the blades and support the block. So you see, although we call them hand guards they are not. They might more properly be called head guards... Remember to never step across them, and always stand them point up if you lean them against something, such as the wall or a bookcase.

[GonzoStyles]

Thank you for your reply sir! you are right about the etching in Pali it is above the steel, I am now even more mystified as to how it is done, I will be sure to respect the daab and dagger in the manner you have instructed me in. Thank you again for your time.

Here is a close up of the Pali etching, there seems to be a reflection from the table leg in the picture as the blade has no rust, you can see the forged welding of the two steels.

[chalambok]

Wow

That is very different writing than mine have, now that I can see it better. I have script, approximately 3/8" tall, written the length of the blade on both sides. Curioser and curioser. Some Buddhist manuals have Pali-Thai-Phonetic pronunciation-English prayers, you might find something in one of them. Good luck.

[sportmuaythai]

I have posted pictures of your daab on Thai Blades web site, and received good information. While your daab is not suitable for real krabi krabong practice due to the weight, balance and shape of the handle, it's better than most tourist daabs The etching on the blade is not common, so this could be a special edition. Nevertheless, this is mass produced, so the etching doesn't have mythical (mystical?) power. It's worth about what you paid for, $100. I put the thread below in case some one has a Thai friend to translate to you.

http://thaiblades.com/forums/showthread.php?p=139701&posted=1#post139701

[GonzoStyles]

Kop Kun Kop for the reposting of the pics in Thaiblades.com SportmuayThai!
I have a few Thai freinds I will send this link to them along with the pictures
, it seems to me it would be tough to discern the handle type/weight from pictures, but then again I am not a swordsmith!

Although there is what appears to be a torch mark at the base of the hand/head guard (for Ajarn Chalambok!) which would suggest mass production to a degree,it still (to me) appears to have two grades of steel hammer forged/welded, where as the dagger, is of a single type of steel. When I get a chance I will take a pic of the dagger alongside the Daab.

Since I am not a Krabi-Krabong practitioner, these blades serve as an inspiration to me to never forget what I have learned from the Thai people and to renew my practice of the Thai martial arts. I am currently drawing up a Thai-style sword stand which will hold the blades point up, and I will post pics here of the finished product and at Thaiblades.com, thanks again to Ajarn Chalambok and SportMuayThai for all the help and advice!

[GonzoStyles]

accidentaly deleted a pic so I am reposting one of the Daab and Meed Sahn(dagger) and another blade detail