The mystery KNIFE that YOU DON'T KNOW! Lalau Laraw

[@TheLegendMaster]

"Probably, initially, predominantly, these were probably backup weapons... primarily" I've never seen so many adverbs in one place!

[@scholagladiatoria]

Thanks sweetie

[@jeremiahshine]

Unlike modern education, in the ancient times of the '70's and '80's we were drilled sentence diagramming, syntax, and grammar. The Standard American lingo of those long gone days said, "No more than three adverbs in a row" and, "if you put one at the end of the sentence there should be a comma, for if there's not Sister Anita will waterboard your #$$ for the duration of recess".

[@thePavuk]

I miss "Obviously". Such a nice word.

[@Prospro8]

'Pingpu' is the name of the particular set of indigenous Taiwanese tribes who used this. To say it is a 'Pingpu knife' doesn't imply that Pingpu is the name of the weapon.

[@girthbrooks39]

Master legend, where did you see all of those adverbs?

[@LittleDeadMan1522]

Hi. I'm from the Philippines. The fact that you said about the scabbard is part true. Thou we austronesians can no longer explain why some scabbards were open. We are often told that it is a way to prevent dust and mud from staying inside the scabbard and to make water out of it. (During headhunting era; to prevent blood staying in the blade so not to rust the metal) It is also a way to intimidate an enemy as well as to see if your tool is clean or rusted.

[@陳奕釩-i4c]

thank u for sharing this,we Taiwanese don't appreciate that part of our heritage enough

[@jeremiahshine]

May you never have a need to access the memories.

[@williammiao8862]

From headchopper to bushcrafter

[@Sk0lzky]

No wonder, unfortunately lack of interest in history is a worldwide trend, especially regarding the material culture. You still have some awesome museums there though, with really high quality exhibition and great staff

[@Zanemob]

Uncultured swines

[@世鹏江]

出草番油是吧

[@MelonMafia1]

Being from Indonesia, that kind of open scabbard would be useful for river crossings. All the water would leak out vs being inside the scabbard. It's not uncommon when traversing rivers to have to go chest deep into water. The open design probably helps with that. It is quite peculiar though. Here in Indonesia the woods used for making scabbards are usually resilient enough to not warp and get damaged by water. Maybe the trees in Taiwan and mainland Asia do not have such properties? Thus the open design.

[@trapperscout2046]

"I love a wide butt." I love how you can say all these things in your videos with a straight face.

[@Ingeb91]

His dad jokes are next level for sure. I would think we all aspire to fire off dad jokes like these without losing our cools.

[@makeitbetter.1402]

you are so right! this video had soooo many dirty jokes perfectly delivered with his classic dead pan way! he's so clean dirty its amazing!

[@TheDocLamkin]

I too love a wide butt Matt

[@MichaelROC]

Sooooo excited to see someone introducing this weapon to the world. Aboriginal people served in Japanese army in WWII carrying these in the south east Asia and they have great reputation as skilled jungle warriors. This is a spiritual and cultural tool to Taiwanese indeed, and practical as well. Nowadays most hikers and mountaineers, aboriginal or Chinese descendants like me, all admires lalau and carry them in the mountains. Thank you for the wonderful video.

[@Pravdik918]

Looks like one of those knives that indigenous people of Taiwan used to use. I think it was also part of their kit when they served in the Imperial Japanese Army as Takasago volunteers, like Gurkhas and their kukris. If not, it looks very simillar. EDIT: Nice, got it right :)

[@ghostoperationswithcheukgu9844]

tru

[@severdonwan]

"Not the British this time!" I laughed out loud.

[@darienthevolcanoman8624]

Oddly enough I got my first exposure to that kinda knife at college. The Taiwanese club used some of those for a culture night dance. It's cool to see you talk about it here!

[@-Zevin-]

This is actually very interesting to me because it is very similar to traditional Thai knives, As in Thailand not Taiwan. The Thai knives like this are found in the Lana culture in the northern mountains. The blades tend to not have as much of a curve and broaden near the tip, and the scabbard material is made of woven rattan vine, basically wicker. The Thai enep is a fantastic kukri like knife I would love for your to review as well. In fact, if you are willing to cover one, I would be willing to buy one for you next time I am visiting family in Thailand.

[@blakelowrey9620]

I feel like you should just assume he wants it and go ahead and buy it lol. Khap khun Khap

[@-Zevin-]

@@blakelowrey9620 Fair enough, I suppose worst case scenario is I end up with another knife for the collection. I would want to get him something of decent quality. Enep in Thailand vary widely in quality as they are very much tools like parang as well as weapons. Enep being used to this day as tools means you can find them very cheap and traditionally constructed for about the equivalent to 5$ for a hand made "farmers enep" On the other end of the spectrum you can find very finely made ornate pieces that can cost hundreds of dollars each.

[@FireHawkISA]

@@-Zevin- if he ends up not wanting it, let me know! I was very little when I was in Thailand last, but I have other traditional knives from around the world, and would love to see one of those in person! Get a nice(er) one for the channel/yourself and a few of the farmers enep for channel/yourself to giveaway 😉

[@-Zevin-]

@@FireHawkISA I have actually considered getting bulk Thai knives or swords or setting up some type of arrangement for international shipping. So it's good to hear there is some interest. There is very little to no Thai sword/knives available on places like eBay, and the ones I have seen are poor quality or overpriced. The occasional antique does show up though if you keep an eye out.

[@dougsinthailand7176]

Do they generally have round-crossection handles?

[@claspe1049]

There is a movie about this called Warriors of the Rainbow, about the Japanese invasion in 1890s. So if you find this in the Himalayas and on Taiwan, but not on the Philippines, Borneo and other parts of South East Asia. Indonesia and Philippines are linguistic relatives of aboriginal taiwanese, so I would rule out some ancient comon cultural root. The more minimalist construction of the blade may simply be rooted in the fact that the blade is a weaponisesable tool and not a high prestige object like a weapon. I could imagine that the close proximity of metal working cultures, made bladed weapon less of an high status object.

[@miguelmendoza4513]

Seediq Bale

[@SuperOtter13]

That movie was tragic. First thing I thought of when I saw that blade was warriors of the rainbow

[@alamatarnis1009]

It is resembles the hinalung blades in the northern part of the Philippines. There are ethnic groups here that have a lot of similarities with the natives of Taiwan: images.app.goo.gl/NwHttWj9oJUaeoeE7

[@shadowphoenix8962]

Couldn't think of the name,it was very good ,subject little known these days.

[@derrickguffey4775]

You seem to forget that there are many knives in South Asian countries that are in fact status symbols or prestige objects as well as being weapons for example the Kris was most definitely both

[@Daveed56]

Long ago I had one of these weapons, a genuine antique, the scabbard had many more thin iron straps. The one I had was very large, the blade part 20 inches long, the hilt was all forged iron integral with the blade and it was hollow so that it could be used as a pole arm.

[@jeremywashburn562]

It looked like many of the ones in the photos he showed were also significantly larger, with perhaps ~18" blades instead of ~10" blades.

[@WoodrowSkillson]

That fucking genius. The idea of essentially "fixing bayonets" and having a group of soldiers go from being armed with short swords to polearms is really cool.

[@petersze7127]

Thank you sir ! I have been studying edged weapons for 50 years..and seldom learn about anything new.. What an interesting blade!

[@Hissatsu5]

I like that it kind of has a stereotypical sword sound when you draw it

[@hendrikvanleeuwen9110]

Imagine standing on sentry duty and the last thing you hear is 'schhhhhlk!'

[@Hissatsu5]

@@hendrikvanleeuwen9110 you knew what was fixing to go down but it was too late .

[@afromaximus]

I love how you managed to blow straight past the picture of the dude carrying the decapitated head. I think I know why they were carrying those knifes all the time. From my understanding, the mountain tribes were very keen on this, and decorated their houses with the boiled skulls.

[@ighmur]

I have been pruning for several years and used a similar tool among others. The enlarged base of the handle allows you to slightly release the grip on impact without the risk of dropping the tool, thus avoiding the pain that occurs after a few hours of use.

[@SoldrfMfortune]

I've always heard, among my friends in the military, that a knife isn't truly a part of you until it's drawn your own blood, either in use or during maintenance. It's something we referred to as "being bitten". Soldiers in the US Army can sometimes be so superstitious about it, that if a new knife is ever handed to a friend, and it "bites" the friend first, that's now his knife. Kinda weird stuff, but as a lover of knives, I noticed that every knife that bit me didn't break, but every knife that didn't bite me always broke a tip and became chipped after even the lightest use.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

Sir Mix-A-Lot said "I like big butts" Matt Eason said "I love a wide butt" Lol But Matt also said "Something good to secure to get you hand right on that butt. And you're not going to slip off. And you don't want to slip off when you're...especially when you're riding right up that butt you don't want your hand to come off...it gets fatter..it swells I'm your hand and is less likely to slip off..." #Context LMAO

[@hendrikvanleeuwen9110]

Watch out, or you will get blisters!

[@Diomedes_XXII]

Got to make sure you can hang on no one wants to slip off when you're riding the butt

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

@@Diomedes_XXII right!

[@alcmantyrtaeus]

The former adolescent in me was thinking something similar.

[@DerFauleHund]

I wasn't the only one. Yay.

[@roryallden70]

Last time I was this early, Matt had hai... wait

[@scholagladiatoria]

There was no channel THAT long ago...

[@VacuousCat]

Yeah I recognize that immediately. Hello from Taiwan!

[@ghostking2687]

Hi yo c3

[@SirWombat]

I live in Townsville in Australia, in the tropics with humidity. I can’t leave my swords in there scabbards, even with oil they start to rust. I have to from time to time reapply oil, give them a good cleaning. Dry and light polish, then reapply Renaissance wax. Open scabbards are a great idea.

[@jojoismyname08]

Open scabbards are actually common with some northern tribes/groups here in the Philippines. From what I have heard from other blade enthusiasts here in our country, the reason for that is to prevent moisture from being trapped inside the blade.

[@nono547]

So i am a engineer in thermodynamic, and i think that the main difference between England and taiwan that would push them to make open scabbard, might be the temperature. Indeed at higher temperature the air is capable of absorbing at lot more moisture, meaning that when the temperature drop, let's say at night it will release some of that water, and if you have an enclosed space like a classical scabbard for instance you'll get water inside even if it was protected from the rain, add to that the fact that in low oxygen environement (for isntance an enclosed scabbard) water can do anaerobic corrosion, and i believe it become fairly reasonnable to think that an open scabbard could protect the blade better than a closed one in an environnement with high humidity and high temperature. In England you dodge that problem because the air is a lot colder and therefore a lot dryier to begin with, meaning that the rain is a much greater risk than the humidity of the air itself.

[@Rune_Scholar]

"I love a wide butt." And he doesn't miss a beat. Not quirk of the lip, no wink, nothing.

[@raphlvlogs271]

the original people of Taiwan is not Chinese( Sino Tibetan) they are Austronesian.

[@michaelshelton5488]

"If I did that motion all day, I'd get some nasty blisters." Not if you use lotion 🤣

[@Errtuabyss]

I hope it will stealth the pic at 5:20 trough the algorithm because that isn't exactly the standard policy, even for these type of channels. Very interesting video. Loved the music and the whole edit magic. Videos getting better and better. Love the content.

[@s.w.4409]

Exactly my thoughts as well...

[@derstoffausdemderjoghurtis]

Great Video Matt!

[@edwardanderson1053]

in hot humid climates leather and cotton rots quickly, and you can put an open scabbard in the sun to dry quickly.

[@houayangthe3rd]

Do you have a source for that? Because leather and cotton can easily be dried in the hot sun to slow down decay.

[@antonbuno6844]

“I like a wide butt. Something you can secure your hand on and it won’t slip of” Yeah, Mat, we got ya)

[@maus9777]

Didn't expect to see a knife of my country to be on your channel tbh, the grip is probably rapped by ratten instead of bamboo, they are way easier to work with for such construction and have more tenacity, I have one that's rapped by strings and accidentally poked it with another knife and have to wrap the entire thing myself. btw there another kind of handle for these knifes, they don't really have a tang, instead they have essentially a large peice of the steel wrapped into a cone with the same shape as the handle, which also doubles as a socket for mounting on a stick and yes they are well loved by the aboriginal peoples and many that likes to go hiking/camping as they are very good at cutting through vegetations in the mountains

[@fritzk3627]

These are found in SE Asia (Indonesia, specifically)and strangely enough, Taiwan. My Father is from Sumatra and encountered these, in the inland forests.

[@ottohahn-herrera8618]

Love the Cobra Kai shirt, a nice change from the Superdry collection

[@toddellner5283]

A number of Filipino edged tools/weapons have similar open scabbards. Various sizes from knives on up; I'm guessing convergent evolution. The humidity management idea is a good one. I'm still going to go with ease and economy of manufacture. There's only half the woodwork to do, and less work holding the two halves together. If you've had to deal with wood scabbards held together with strips of rattan ... it can be a pain and dangerous. Purely leather scabbards are not all that common in the nearby parts of the world with which I am familiar. And in the tropics leather has its own problems with durability and moisture. If it's like other similar tools the wrapping is probably rattan. You could probably use the skin of an Aboriginal Taiwanese person's hands to shingle roofs.

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

I've come across West African scabbards constructed similarly, I believe it to be a design that's evolved independently in several tropical and semi-tropical rainforest environments

[@gusty9053]

Makes sense: why do double the work when half will do just as good a job? And if it gets wet or mud in you just shake it a bit and clear the issue.

[@Glimmlampe1982]

@@gusty9053 actually it's not double the work. You just need a flat board as a lid.

[@ortpaderanga]

It might not be convergent evolution as the tribes from Taiwan and northern Luzon in the Philippines are said to be related, with some saying that Taiwan is the source of most people in SE Asia.

[@hermespino9985]

Southeast Asian martial arts utilise the excess grip for control of an opponents limbs or weapons. I'm currently studying Kali and it's a big part of it.

[@tai-lunchou660]

Looks like an Atayal, Seediq or Truku knife.

[@backblaise1255]

The link to Alex Cheng's article is well worth clicking. It's a well written analysis about many historical things I had never thought about.

[@sealo97]

Matt repeats “we look at its features in a minute” My response “ Alright JoergSprave calm down!”

[@ArkadiBolschek]

Come for the features, stay for the context ^^

[@jokarpinski22]

Edit *Matt I also appreciate that no water bottles were harmed during your filming. I guess you didn't know ancient warriors filled plastic water bottles and used them to attack their enemies and only those with sharp swords survived. Living in Brazil, in the tropical weather, seeing this scabbard instantly gave me an idea on how to emulate this, perhaps with kydex. When you discussed scabbards in rainy conditions around 13 min, my problem is my leather sheaths can get sweaty or wet when hiking or fishing and weigh down your belt/pants. One reason why I don't use leather belts to hike, the sweat and humidity and your waist and butt are wet all day, although I prefer leather sheaths to kevlar/nylon for their shape and retention. With this old design, the knife/sheath is exposed to the sunlight, the water and sweat evaporates quickly. What an intelligent design. Thanks!!!!

[@HeadsFullOfEyeballs]

I would imagine that in _warm_ humid places an open scabbard is convenient because your blade will dry by evaporation if you leave it out in the sun and wind for a bit (or just wear it while you're out in the sun and wind)? Which wouldn't work so well in, say, Ireland.

[@MrArthoz]

Not really. Any scabbard made from wood is good to keep the blade dry compared to iron and leather. I'm not sure what type but some wood have good moisture wicking that keeps the blade dry and absorb the smell of blood like the scabbard we have for machete we use to slaughter animal. Some wooden scabbards have small gap between the joints either intentionally, poor workmanship or the wood shrunk from drying (in case where greenwood was used). In hot humid area specialized wood will sponged off moisture from blades. Damp doesn't mean we are dripping with water all the time. Open scabbard is just easier to make or have become a popularized pattern. Full scabbard is time consuming to make. My father during his free time took weeks scraping and shaving a block of wood to make sure the scabbard not only snugly fits but also his machete does not rattle and jump out when running or jumping in the jungle. I think the flexible staples on the open scabbard helps prevent slippage and rattling since each time he draws out the blade there's a sound of hissing iron scraping against each other.

[@Glimmlampe1982]

I guess it's because of moisture and mold. Wooden scabbards can swell and lock the blade in the scabbard (i think there are historical accounts of that). That's why they had wool and felt inside (mainly the earlier ones, why ever they stopped using it), that holds the blade in the scabbard, while it doesn't lock it up when the wood swells up. But in cold, humid areas I guess the scabbard will dry eventually inside in a nice, heated house. While in warm humid places, it's humid everywhere. Thus it won't dry and eventually mold will form and destroy it An open scabbard wouldn't be prone to mold or to lock the blade inside

[@corruptedminds5679]

Many parangs I've seen have an enclosed wooden sheath with small notches on the bottom (or sometimes along the entire length) to let moisture drain out.

[@hoathanatos6179]

Another reason could be that it allows one to show off their blade while it is sheathed and for it to seem more menacing with the large blade constantly exposed to onlookers.

[@MelonMafia1]

@@Glimmlampe1982 I am from Indonesia and closed wooden scabbards are definitely what's popular here in South East Asia. Never seen an open scabbard like that before. The wooden scabbards actually get looser over time vs tightening up. Our trees and woods are very resilient to hot and humid weather due to evolution. It's not uncommon for people to go chest high deep into rivers while having their machetes on their hip with the wood scabbard. And most scabbards have holes on the bottom for excess water to drain out.

[@vidard9863]

The open sheth, personally I found that in cultures where metal was rare they liked displaying the wealth. Simple efficient design that still shows off your valuable tool? Perfect!

[@bookman7409]

This is close to my initial thought on this point, the difference being the intent behind the display. My own thought was that it was a display of the quality of your weapon, but there are other possible motivations, some unrelated to status. That said, IMO it was probably some combination of the two, possibly with other factors tossed in, like a fashion accessory. Trying to tie down something like that to a single reason is a fool's errand. Case in point, if only one thing really mattered, all cars would be identical. The reality is that there are an array of different things that go into each design, above and beyond simply moving down the road. Is that last thing all that matters about a car?

[@Aulvikdngr]

I'm not sure about mainland SEA countries, but in peninsular SEA, if you want to show wealth, this isn't what you do. What you would do instead is to either wear a curvy, ornate sword like a kalis/kris/keris, or go big and ornate like kampilan. Both of those swords are mainly worn with enclosed (often ornate) scabbards so no, these scabbards are not for showing wealth. In fact, these are poor men's scabbards.

[@vidard9863]

@@Aulvikdngr they are now, but they are also traditional now. Two hundred years ago, I don't know how many people could afford to own more than one of these knives.

[@Aulvikdngr]

@@vidard9863 you can't, but I do. Even then this is still a poor man's scabbard. If you look at traditional rich men's scabbard, they would often have enclosed floral patterns or complex etchings. As for blade ownership, owning blades like these is common in SEA. This kind of knife is way too plain to be a status symbol. This knife, much like the barung, pinute, dah, are more like weaponized tools than anything fancy, since it isn't fancy. People then have owned weapons that are more fashionable to this, and those fashionable swords even had rudimentary, common versions that are used as tools.

[@bookman7409]

@@Aulvikdngr Rich and poor are relative terms, though, and if good steel's expensive, it's still a display of relative wealth, not to mention other display purposes. Not to mention that wood's cheaper than wire, so why not just use that? As for Taiwan, how tied in to your SEA peoples are the "original" people behind this weapon, culturally and linguistically? I'm not trying to "debunk" you, but these are all substantive questions your assertion raises. With that being the case I think your position isn't the slam-dunk you seem to believe it to be.

[@Komican]

In my tribe(Bunun),we call it”haili” Sounds like “hi lee”

[@yournoneexistencefather5869]

Bununs are Seediq’s rival tribe I think, In the movie “Warriors of the rainbow”.

[@Komican]

@@yournoneexistencefather5869 it’s true,our rivalry can be traced back way before Japanese or Chinese set foot on this island

[@georgebulbakwa9017]

I've had bolos that have that type of scabbard. I've always thought that the open scabbard was so you can let dirt fall off. The household bolos that my parents owned when I was growing up and my own later on are general purpose tools. You chop and more importantly, dig with it. The muck on the blade can fall off when it dries off with open scabbards instead of gunking up a closed scabbard. The one I owned that had a closed scabbard had the scabbard chucked at the first time it was used for gardening. It's a pain in the ass to clean or dry a closed scabbard when you dig around wet soil with a bolo.

[@ChumblesMumbles]

At 16:58 Matt vigorously rubs his "hilt" saying "I could do this all day!".

[@bloodykenshiro8218]

What impressed me the most here was both the shape of the blade and its distinctive color, very cool! cuts impressively well, too.

[@CrimeVid]

The long grip thing, this is a tool as well as a weapon, different uses require different grips and speeds.

[@khust2993]

I'm from the Philippines and has some familiarity with different regional blades of my country, this style of hilt and scabbard looks similar with the blades of ethnic groups in Cordilleras, you can search 'pinahig' or 'hinalung' in Google. It's similar in a way that the hilt is also wrapped in rattan and the scabbard is 'open', though the blade profile is different. Interesting!

[@perciusmandate]

With the open scabbards, it might also solve the problem of the wood swelling with the humidity and causing the blade to stick or not draw free easily

[@stefthorman8548]

Also for water drainage and easy to clean the inside of it for plant gunk after using the blade.

[@aristotlegomez1201]

The scabbard is design for fast draw thats why its open design. The idea is you got a very high carbon steel knife is a forest, when a inclosed sheath once it rust and you need it you might not ensheath the weapon fast enough.

[@blackhornedmountainchicken3720]

Come for the bladed weapons stay for the sexual innuendo.

[@jrhamilton4448]

Awesome weapon! Good to see this being featured. That scabbard is super cool too! It's definitely designed to help drain humidity and water from it easier.

[@enriquekahn9405]

What an interesting (and good-looking) weapon. The scabbard alone is so unique it deserves its own study. More obscure weapons please!

[@Lasenggo]

Looks similar to the type of knife used to cut coconut flowers (kagot, cagot, manggot) to access the sap for wine, vinegar or sugar production. Southern part of Luzon, Philippines.

[@ForgeFireCustoms]

On the subject of non-European weapons, I would love to hear more about the weapons of the Yakut, Evenki, and similar peoples of Siberia. The typical "Yakut knife" is fairly easy to find, but what is much lesser known are the larger versions, which vary in blade and handle length from large knives to machetes to pole arms. It's hard to even find a name for them, but I have seen them called Batiya and Khotokhoon, or simply "Yakut machete." I hope someone sends you one.

[@dd11111]

I must admit, the first thought I had when I saw the scabard was. "Huh, if you fell into water it would deffinately Drain well." I think you're right, I think the scabard is open to allow the blade to dry and prevent damp seeping in from the air.

[@trasnulachemumulache8590]

I like that this gentleman is well documented in history too

[@TheWhiteDragon3]

There's some evidence to say that the natives of Taiwan, the Philippines, and some parts of Indonesia were originally colonized in ancient times by peoples coming from continental SouthEast Asia, the progenitors of the 100 Yue. It's said that the peoples of the 100 Yue were renowned sailors, swimmers, and adventurers. It's no wonder that in form and aesthetic it resembles other blades from SouthEast Asia.

[@Grunzur]

That blade looks like what inspired the design of the dagger that Aragorn is given at Lothlorien!

[@tl8211]

5:21 Now that's an ad for your knife!

[@CSGraves]

A Taiwanese-American chap who sold me a few shih-ling dao, parang, and goloks had a couple of laraw. I think he re-sold his first one because the second was custom forged to be a better fit for him personally. Wish I had scooped up that first one when I had the chance! Edit: Also, good to hear Matt acknowledge the 'divide & conquer' tactic of colonialism.

[@bobsmoot2392]

It seems to be better at chopping/slashing than the Kukuri you demonstrated. Maybe because it's of thinner stock?

[@SeijinDinger]

Just wanted to say happy to see that you seem to be feeling better

[@TheUncleRuckus]

I think the open Scabbard servers the purpose you stated to allow moisture to escape but also so the blade is on display.

[@notslaughterpaws640]

5:26 at first I thought there was somebody hiding in the bushes

[@Kusina_at_Patalim]

A specific indigenous tribe in my country use the open faced scabbard with a similar blade design. - Check out the Philippine Cordillera Bladed Weaponry particularly the ifugao tribe, North of Luzon island.

[@laksivrak2203]

In the village back home in Alaska where I’m from, I knew hardcore hunters who’s best knife sheath was made from a beer box and duck tape, also wildernesses fire fighting water hose works good if you can steal some from the supply tent 😉

[@NecroBanana]

I think the reason for the open scabbard is mostly because the jungle, although not "wet", it is humid. And if it isn't raining, you can keep the blade dry easily. Plus, it's cheaper to make.

[@EldarKinSlayer]

I want to see Lucy's review of this video. How does she feel about Matt liking a Fat Butt and whether she thinks it is as long as Matt does, and why is Matt doing that motion all day?

[@l0rf]

It's all perfectly normal in context. What context that is, we may never know.

[@superdupergrover9857]

My first thought on the difference between Taiwan and England on scabbards has more to do with humidity than rainfall. It may rain all the time in England, but (I believe) the average humidity is not so high, and there regular periods of relatively low humidity. Therefore, in England it is more important to keep rain out than to let the blade dry out. In Taiwan, and especially in the wider region, the average humidity is very high and consistently so, rain or otherwise. It takes a long time to dry things in humid air, so open scabbard. Also, an open scabbard would allow the knife to more rapidly follow the temperature of the surrounding air, so it will not gather condensation.

[@Barberserk]

5:20 casually showing a man holding another man's decapitated head.

[@adamding3873]

Open scabbard drains/vaporizes easily and it is an advantage in wet jungle area. Besides, it reminds you to maintain it as you can see it without unsheathing it. The knife is multi-functional. You can use it to cut branches and twigs when walking in the forest, to process a prey after hunting, and to cut off the head from a body, which was a common practice among aboriginal warriors in Taiwan.

[@iangrau-fay3604]

Awesome review of a previously unknown weapon and James Bond level double entendres. I love this channel.

[@dylanholderman]

Cool to hear you talk about these, I have one of these that I got in a trade with a guy who lives in Taiwan for work, handy tool/weapon.

[@carlbergmann3294]

I just love the look of it. Really timeless. Never saw one of those, but I imagined the knives used by the Fremen quite similar.

[@rasmusn.e.m1064]

This is pure conjecture, but maybe the sheath is made asymmetrical because a symmetrical construction is more vulnerable to warping from moisture. For instance, if one side of a scabbard splits or warps, the whole scabbard is probably either useless or has made the blade stuck and the same happens if it's the other side, whereas, with the one-sided construction, only one side is actually going to warp with humidity and if so it's probably easier to remove the blade.

[@scooterdogg7580]

looks like an everyday tool to me , good blade for chopping , good grip for swinging , sweeping curve for slicing and skinning , just the ticket for a person living in the wilderness of Taiwan :)

[@Rune_Scholar]

This is a really great blade. It performed so smooth in that last cutting test.

[@FortyTwoBlades]

As a tip, one method of preventing turning in the hand is to lock your thumb over the top of the ferrule. You likely could have completed many of the cuts on the saplings/branches if using a looser rolling snap of the fingers and wrist like one does with a machete. A lovely combination tool/weapon from a region rarely discussed in English speaking circles.

[@clduhon]

I had one of these many years ago. it was given to me by a friend and we never could figure out where the blade came from. nice to get the answer.

[@ciddax754]

I can't keep myself from giggling when he refers about the butt....

[@thomynator6002]

I think open scabbard is useful for humid places and closed is better for rainy places.

[@michaelsexton70]

As it happens I have a more decorative version (carved wooden handle and sheath) of that knife. My grandmother worked cruise ships in the 1960s. I had always thought it was from Africa but I do know she made more than one trip to the far east. Thanks for sharing!

[@thomasturner4253]

Tbanks for the education You always have something interesting To teach

[@bumbumbutter3189]

One of the reasons why the scabbard has a exposed section rather than an encased one is probably due to the sheer humidity and the heat in southeast equator. If it has a fully covered scabbard like the ones in Europe or England, the intense heat and moist will deteriorate the adhesive and the integrity of the encased scabbard. Heard from a friend in Taiwan.

[@bumbumbutter3189]

What’s more, there’s also a socketed tang in this type of blade. That way it can be mounted to a pole as a makeshift pole arm.

[@P.ilhaformosatherium]

It is a head hunting weapon this particular design is from the atayalic speaking tribes and may range in different lengths this is a secondary weapon and used to finish off a target that was shot by an arrow or a gun

[@seanthomasdowd]

my understanding is that if it is rigid it is a scabbard but if flexible a sheath, a lovely knife though

[@RikthDcruze]

Such Scabbards are also seen throughout North Eastern India. among the tribal weapons there. Not just in Sikkim sir. Other examples: Naga Dao (Nagaland), Mishmi Dao (Arunachal Pradesh), there are a few more.

[@chowalex8646]

thank you for these examples !

[@chowalex8646]

btw i am surprised both knife are called Dao , Dao is a Chinese term

[@Adventurer-Rikth]

@@chowalex8646 well, it probably got into the language due to trade links and other contacts... The North Eastern Indians are Tibeto Burmese in origin, so they originated from areas closer to China before being absorbed into India.

[@varanid9]

Sweet looking knife. I love those island knives like parangs and bolos.

[@phillipdennick8509]

Just thinking, an open scabbard in a hot and humid environment would likey avoid condensation. In a colder climate the inside of a closed scabbard would not be significantly cooler than the outside air so condensation would not be as significant an issue.

[@whatisbestinlife8112]

You might want to consider when you do future cutting segments that you have some sort of vice or clamp setup, or even various-sized holes bored into those stumps, to be able to fix the target branch into quickly and easily. Something to simulate the resistance encountered when chopping at a living tree that is actually planted in the earth. Anyway, great video. Your deadpan during the wide butt bit was impressive.

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

Funny thing you say about spears and long polearms. I've watched videos and read articles that the philipine army is one of the few modern armies left on the world that still trains with swords.

[@wendigo1619]

i never knew what this was called, but a similar knife is sitting in my display case that i bought at an antique shop, don't have a scabbard but i made a leather one and i might make a traditional scabbard for it

[@KenseiSwords]

That dagger has a near-hollywood unsheathing sound and I love it.

[@the_heirophant7046]

Very cool. Nice video Bro 🙂👍

[@wallaroo1295]

@18:41 🎶 "I *love* a wide butt, I gotta say" Thou other knights shan't deny! That when a blade with a waifish waist And a round pommel in thine face! Thou art sprung! Pull thine grip up tough 'Cause you see that Pommel was Stuffed! Deep in the Scabbard she's wearing, Got staples and I cannot stop staring!🎵 *Blade got back!*

[@drsergen]

smart adaption to deal with moisture. which im assuming is why that's done and its faster. Edit i wrote that before i heard you say it.

[@FBOConcrete]

Having a longer grip is good for chopping more powerful swing with less effort

[@alexparadi522]

Hey! Drawing that blade actually makes the 'schwing' sound!

[@pappajudas9267]

I wonder if the difference between closing off the Scabbard to try keep moisture out in colder Northern damp climates and opening up the Scabbard so that the moisture doesn't get trapped inside in warmer Southern climates has to do with the temperature difference maybe having the blade exposed in the warmer climates is a better way of getting it dry where trying to keep the moisture off the blade in a colder climate is a better way of keeping it dry.

[@michaelshelton5488]

"I love a wide butt and I'm not going to lie.". Yeah, you and Sir Mix A Lot. 🤣