21 February 2012 | last updated at 11:50pm
'Small axe' a big hit now
Collectors raring to own the ‘kapak kecil’ or ‘kapak Siam’
ONCE the weapon of choice for gangsters in Kelantan back in the old days, kapak kecil or kapak Siam (small axe) is gaining renewed interests among local collectors.
The kapak Siam made headlines in the mid-1960s when it was used in the murder of Pas assemblyman Samad Gul Ahmad Mianji near the old Kota Baru Municipal market here.
Traditional weapons collector Nasir Hassan, 43, who runs a thriving trade in these mini axes on the Internet, said he had sold more than 100 kapak kecil for RM80 each over the past several months.
"Many of the collectors are locals. I also get buyers from Singapore and Brunei. They like the axes as they had heard so many interesting and violent stories about them."
However, the ones he sold were new kapak Siam, which had been reproduced by local craftsmen, as the original items are rare and commanded high prices.
He said a kapak kecil measures less than 18cm in length from the tip of its blade to the handle. The blade is normally made of steel or blended with brass and the handle is usually crafted from wood although rattan can be used for its flexibility.
Nasir said the basic types of kapak kecil used widely in Kelantan and the southern provinces in Thailand previously were the utility axe and the binjai manis.
Traditional weapons collector Nasir Hassan, 43, who runs a thriving trade in these mini axes on the Internet, said he had sold more than 100 kapak kecil for RM80 each over the past several months.
"Many of the collectors are locals. I also get buyers from Singapore and Brunei. They like the axes as they had heard so many interesting and violent stories about them."
However, the ones he sold were new kapak Siam, which had been reproduced by local craftsmen, as the original items are rare and commanded high prices.
He said a kapak kecil measures less than 18cm in length from the tip of its blade to the handle. The blade is normally made of steel or blended with brass and the handle is usually crafted from wood although rattan can be used for its flexibility.
Nasir said the basic types of kapak kecil used widely in Kelantan and the southern provinces in Thailand previously were the utility axe and the binjai manis.
He said the latter was named after binjai, a local fruit, because the blade resembled the shape of the binjai, but it is also believed that the name came from Kampung Binjai Manis in Pattani, Thailand, where the axe originated.
"The binjai manis is different from the utility axe as it has a curved handle and blade and is quite similar to the tomahawk used by the Red Indians in America."
Nasir said the kapak kecil was dangerous and deadly in the hands of an expert who could aim the weapon at a target from quite a distance without attracting much attention.
"Normally, the axe is attached to a long string to enable the thrower to retrieve his weapon after an attack."
Meanwhile, ardent collector Addyhanis Ahamad, from Kuching, Sarawak, had been collecting these axes for 10 years and bought two of the axes via online last year.
He said the small axe had an air of mystery to it and it was sought by antique collectors as they were not readily available previously.
"We've heard stories about visitors to Kelantan being warned to behave or they would get a taste of the axe. If not killed, those who misbehave, were often marked on the forehead with the axe . The scar is regarded as a badge of shame that the victim would prefer to leave the state rather than face the humiliation."
"The binjai manis is different from the utility axe as it has a curved handle and blade and is quite similar to the tomahawk used by the Red Indians in America."
Nasir said the kapak kecil was dangerous and deadly in the hands of an expert who could aim the weapon at a target from quite a distance without attracting much attention.
"Normally, the axe is attached to a long string to enable the thrower to retrieve his weapon after an attack."
Meanwhile, ardent collector Addyhanis Ahamad, from Kuching, Sarawak, had been collecting these axes for 10 years and bought two of the axes via online last year.
He said the small axe had an air of mystery to it and it was sought by antique collectors as they were not readily available previously.
"We've heard stories about visitors to Kelantan being warned to behave or they would get a taste of the axe. If not killed, those who misbehave, were often marked on the forehead with the axe . The scar is regarded as a badge of shame that the victim would prefer to leave the state rather than face the humiliation."
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