James Helm's Sweet Parang

Parang:

After a lot of political rants I am back to Knives again. Seriously folks this gun control thing is way out of hand. If you think you can ignore it because it only applies to “Assault Rifles” you better think again, because like England, it will eventually trickle down until you can no longer even carry a locking folder. Nuff said?

So anyway here is a beautiful hand forged parang by James Helm. I actually bought this weapon-tool since starting the idea of writing a series on choppers and big blades. It showed up on the USN forum and I immediately bought it. It is destined to be attached to my big Bug-Out-Bag eventually. The handle is uniquely forged as a hollow tube, as James calls it a “socket handle.” The handle is oval in cross-section to prevent the parang fro rolling in your hand during use. This method is similar to many garden tools or Cold Steel’s cheap line of knives. There is a surprising benefit to this method of construction I never expected. A good chopper needs to have a blade that is tip-heavy, but a parang with a full-tang handle often ends up being very heavy overall. By rolling the handle into a tube from the parent steel you end up with a one piece weapon that is more rugged and lighter than a full-tang model.

James leaves the forging hammer marks in the steel which creates an interesting design/pattern as well as leaving no doubts about how it was made. The handle is wrapped in Olive Green cord and finished off at each end with a cord Turk’s head knot. The entire handle is then immersed in a coat of sealant to prevent it from unwinding. I really love the overall design and lines of this knife! James can be reached through me here or on the USN Forum.

By the way go to our Fairbairn Sykes website  to http://www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com/ seee the latest additions, an Achnacarry first pattern and a mini-FS that belonged to Capt Peter Mason of the SAS, Licensed to Kill