Bulan means Moon in the Malay language and you can see a slight resemblance of a half or crescent moon shape on the Parang Bulan. The wide belly gives this parang a very wide and effective chopping area. Among the other two recently released models, this parang is much heavier. It excels at larger tree limbs or trunks. it might be slightly on the heavy side for general use and leans more towards chopping work. To chop all day long you would need ripped forearms, but if you don’t have them, they perfect for short hard work.
A prominent belly also makes sharpening the blade easy. Easy of sharpening and edge retention is a legendary characteristic of the Bidor made blades. They Parang Bulan are also sold with the nylon sheath.
Here are some stats for those who like numbers:
– Blade length – 30.5 cm / 12 in
– Handle length – 17 cm / 6.7 in
– Overall length – 47.5 cm / in
– Widest blade – 5.5 cm / 2.0 in
– Weight – 610 grams / 21.5 oz
– Gross weight ( with sheath and box ) – 900 gram / 31.7 oz
Discontinued from 2021
Another new model for 2015! This time it’s a very familiar parang shape that most people would recognize. People always refer to the Parang as a “Parang Machete” , so here is our version of the famous Latin American chopper!
MY Parang – Parang Machete
One glance and you will know that this model is modeled after the machete. However, machetes are normally made of thin steel and is usually long. For this parang machete, we made the blade 12 inches, and of course with thicker steel and with a distal taper. The result is a very light chopper which is very quick in the hand, but chops very well. If you are looking for something light and a chopper which you can chop all day long, this one is an excellent contender.
The flat edge makes it very easy to sharpen , and sharpening a Bidor made parang is always a pleasure.
I know some of you will be asking for a longer version – 14″ , 16 ” etc. we may look into that, but for the moment, lets enjoy the 12″ version first. Try it and you will definitely be impressed!
Here are some stats for those who like numbers:
– Blade length – 30.5 cm / 12 in
– Handle length – 17 cm / 6.7 in
– Overall length – 47 cm / 18.5 in
– Widest blade – 5.0 cm / 2.0 in
– Weight – 560 grams / 19.8 oz
– Gross weight ( with sheath and box ) – 850 gram / 30.0 oz
All the other goodies like the Nylon sheath, squared spine, stick tang, distal taper, 5160 high carbon steel , zone hardened , wooden handle with pin are on this parang as well. Not to forget, hand – made.
We are also in the process of making a video on the Parang Machete and we will update the video page once it is done and uploaded.
Currently MY Parang products consists two types of parangs – the Duku Chandong and the Golok. The Duku Chandong comes in three variations – the 12 inch, the 10 inch and the 12 inch heavy . As for the Golok, they come in two variations – the 125 and the 135. Below we look at them more closely , in fact this post will be more pictures than words. Enjoy!
General overview of MY Parang Products
Real forge marks , not stamped by machinesEach blade is different and there will never be two of the sameThe real Bidor stamps , the sign of authenticity
The blade which is made of 5160 high carbon steel or commonly know as leaf spring steel and has real forge marks not those fake machine stamped one you see in other commercial brands. The blades are hand forged and each one is unique.
The handle is made of Eco – wood sourced from Croatia. They are farmed Beech wood and are a renewable resource. The handle shape is of a simple and traditional design . It has been proven to be a very comfortable handle and will not give you any blisters despite chopping away for hours.
The width of the handle is approximately 1″ , it looks smaller it the photo due to the camera wide angle lens.Overall length of the handle is about 6.5″ , large enough for most hands.
We have made the handle slightly longer to accommodate large hands. The handle design enables various grips comfortably , from choking up to the blade, to holding the handle way back . Various handle position enables different cutting tasks. Unlike some modern parangs, their handle has guards and choils which hinder this natural use of the handle.
The spine is sanded squareSpine thickness near the handle – about 7/32″ or 5mmSpine thickness at the tip – 1/8″ or about 3mm
Another great feature of MY Parang products is that all the blades has a distal taper. This improves the balance of the parang, making it very lively and quick in the hand, without sacrificing chopping power. A distal taper is very difficult and expensive to achieve with a factory made knife. The spines are also all cleaned up and feature a brush finish. Striking a ferro rod with the spine should not be a problem.
Copper rings improves the look of MY parang products
The copper ring / bolster is aesthetically appealing and compliments the whole look of the parang. It serves a beautiful and functional way of transition between the handle and blade. Besides looks, it also serves to strengthen the front of the handle, where most of the shock happens during chopping. Under the copper bolster we have also inserted a brass pin across the handle and stick tang. This is to ensure that the blade will never some out in any circumstances. You will have to brake the handle to cause the blade to come out , something which we believe would be impossible with normal use.
Most if not all genuine parangs have an unsharpened blade section a few inches after the handle. This is to enable the hand to choke up further into the blade for more delicate cutting tasks. This feature can also be seen on the Duku Chandong.
Tang and bolster is glued using industrial strength slow setting epoxy
To securely fasten the tang, handle and Copper bolster, we use industrial strength two part epoxy. We do not skimp on this as it is one of the most crucial parts of the parang. We have seen newspaper , hot glue, molten plastic , superglue and many other suspect ways of holding the tang in the handle, but nothing beats an epoxy specially formulated to bond wood and steel.
MY Parang Duku Chandong
The Duku Chandong or sometimes referred to as the ” Ray Mears ” parang originates from East Malaysia or as some people call, Borneo. It is a very common blade shape there . The Duku Chandong is a general purpose parang and it is very common to see people in Borneo using it in their everyday lives.
MY Parang Duku Chandong – Top is the 12″, middle is the 12″ heavy , and the bottom is the 10″
The main character of the knife is the sheeps-foot tip and how the handle is lifted up . While the sheeps-foot tip is very strong and suitable for prying, the upward handle causes the blade to arrive first followed by the knuckles. This is a great feature if you are cutting near the ground or near a solid object such as a big tree trunk , as it keeps your knuckles away and prevents if from getting bashed.
The blade also has a slightly upward curve, which produces a slicing cut. This type of cut is very effective at cutting small plants and shrubs.
MY Parang produces three different variations of the Chandong, the 12″ , the 10″ and the 12″ Heavy. The 12″ is the most common size and is often referred to as the ” go to” size. It offers good reach while not being too long nor too short. if you are looking for the best all rounder tool, this is the one to pick. The 10″ version is lighter and shorter. It is best suited for small tasks or when weight is a major issue. Despite it’s small size, it can still chop extremely well. As for the 12″ Heavy version, it is aimed more to those who will be using it to chop more than other tasks. Being made of thicker steel, the overall weight is considerably more and therefore is a beast at chopping. Heavy parangs do have a down side though, one is their overall weight and second, your arms get tired faster when using it. If you are going to use the parang throughout the day, we strongly get the 12″ version.
The difference in spine thickness between the Chandong 12 ” and the Chandong 12″ Heavy.Closer look of the spine thickness
The above picture shows the spine thickness difference between the 12″ Duku Chandong vs the 12″ Duku Chandong heavy. You can clearly see the difference in spine thickness as well as the distal taper .
MY Parang Golok
The MY Parang Golok 125 and 135
While the Chandong is common in East Malaysia , the Golok is a very common design in West Malaysia. Goloks can be seen commonly sold in hardware and certain convenience stores throughout Peninsular Malaysia. It is common to have a golok or two at home, especially if you live in the suburbs. They are general use tools , from skinning animals to cutting weeds to opening coconuts.
The tell – tale tip of the Golok
Goloks can be characterized by the pointed tip as can be seen above. The tip is pretty strong and the point makes it easy to dig and pry holes. Due to the shape of the tip, it is not really suitable to chop with it, compared to the sheeps foot tip. Goloks also have a prominent belly which can sometimes be a problem with sharpening, especially if your sharpening stone is wide. The belly
The larger Golok, the 135 is a heftier parang which is more suitable for chopping and rough work. The smaller 125 is suitable for lighter work and is considerably shorter and lighter. We have no idea what the 135 and 125 mean, but they seem to be a universal “model” throughout Malaysia , ie a 125 golok bought in different states will be the same design and same length / weight.
All about Malaysian Parangs, Goloks and Duku Chandongs
