Golok is a term applied to a variety of
machetes that are found throughout the
Malay archipelago.
[1] It is used as an agricultural tool as well as a weapon. The word
golok (sometimes misspelled in English as "gollock") is of
Indonesian origin
[2] but is also used in
Malaysia and is known as
gulok in the
Philippines. In Malaysia the term is usually interchangeable with the longer and broader
parang.
[3] In the
Sundanese region of
West Java it is known as
bedog.
Description
Sizes and
weights
vary, as does blade shape. Golok tend to be heavier and shorter than
parang or common machetes, often being used for bush and branch cutting.
[1] Most traditional golok use a convex edge or an edgewise taper, where the blade is less likely to get stuck in
green wood than flat edged machetes.
Golok are traditionally made with a
springy carbon steel blade of a softer
temper than that of other large knives. This makes them easier to dress and sharpen in the field, although it also requires
more
frequent attention. Although many manufacturers produce factory-made
golok, there are still handmade productions that are widely and actively
made in Indonesia, such as in Cibatu village,
Sukabumi Regency, West
Java.
[2]
History
Silat Betawi demonstration of disarming a golok
In Indonesia, the golok is often associated with the
Betawi and neighboring
Sundanese people. The Betawi recognize two types of golok;
gablongan or
bendo is the domestic tool used in the kitchen or field for agricultural purposes, and the
golok simpenan or
sorenam
that is used for self-protection and traditionally always carried by
Betawi men. The golok is a symbol of masculinity and bravery in Betawi
culture. A
jawara (local strongman or village champion) will
always have a golok hung or tied around the waist at the hips. This
custom however has ceased to exist since the 1970s when authorities
would apprehend those that carry the golok publicly and have it
confiscated it in order to uphold security, law and order, and to reduce
gang fighting.
[2]
Sundanese, Javanese
[4][5] and Malay golok have also been recorded. The use of
golok in Malay was recorded as early as the
Hikayat Hang Tuah[6] (text dated 1700)
[7] and
Sejarah Melayu (1612),
[8]
Modern application
Martindale No. 2 design is a modern representation of another traditional golok variant, the Golok Bangkung
The golok style is noted for being the pattern for
British Army-issue machetes used since the early 1950s.
[9]
See also
References
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