| Pisau raut | |
|---|---|
 A pisau raut fromKalimantan,Indonesia, pre-1890. | |
| Type | Whittling knife |
| Place of origin | Malay Archipelago |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Dayak people,Orang Asli, and otherMalay (ethnic group) |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 7.5 to 12.5 cm (3.0 to 4.9 in) |
| Blade type | Single edge, chisel grind |
| Hilt type | Antler/deer horn, wood |
| Scabbard/sheath | Jomok (Artocarpus elasticus) bark or bamboo (Dayak style) |
Pisau raut (pisau meaning 'knife';raut meaning 'trim' or 'pare') is a whittling knife that is commonly used to prepare therattan and other fine carving found throughout theMalay Archipelago.[1] It is well known as an accompanying knife placed in the same sheath with themandau, a traditional weapon of theDayak people.
Pisau raut is found throughout theBorneo where it is known by various names of different Dayak tribal languages such asmunbat in theIban language,langgei orlanggei puai in theNgaju language,jabang among the Dayaks of Baranjan, andhaut nyu in theMandalam Kayan language.[1]
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The scabbard used for the pisau raut is made of palm leaf and attached to the back of the scabbard for the mandau.[2]
Pisau raut consists of a small blade and a wooden handle. The blade is about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long and is slightly curved. The blade is attached to a wooden hilt that is about three times longer than the blade itself. The blade is attached to the hilt by gluing the blade onto the wooden hilt using a kind of dammarresin taken from thedamar tree and then bound with rattan cords. In other version, the blade isconvex on one side andconcave on the other, which is similar to the design of the Dayakmandau, a much larger blade.[3]
The hilt of the pisau raut is much longer than the blade, reaching 30 centimetres (12 in) to 40 centimetres (16 in) long. It is also slightly curved, following the same curve as the blade. This wooden handle is often decorated with finely carved inlaid bands made of the horn of awater buffalo or a stag. At the end of the handle is a knob which is also made of a horn of a stag, or sometimes of light-colored bone or ivory, giving it a contrast with the normally dark-colored hilt. The knob is intricately decorated with figurative representations of mythical creatures typical of Dayak art, e.g. a stylisedaso dragon head above a crouching figure.[3]
Pisau raut is used by holding the blade between thumb and index finger. Pisau raut styles that has a long hilt is held tight between the ribs and lower arms, or under the armpit. The pisau raut is used with the strength of the body while at the same time used to work on fine details.[2] Other variety of pisau raut found inSumatra has shorter hilt but with a reversed edged,[4] similar to a mushroom knife. The blade of the pisau raut is usually as sharp as a shaving knife, favored by country folks for numerous fine bamboo and rattan craft works.[5]
The pisau raut is used for harvesting and processingrattan as well as a tool to carve wood. For theBatak people, the pisau raut is also used for carving ornamentals and evenAksara.[6] Although the pisau raut is placed in the same sheath as the weapon mandau, pisau raut was not a weapon and is mostly used as a crafting tool.[7]
Indonesian traditional weapons, armors, and premodern gunpowder-based weapons | ||||||||||||||||||||
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