length: 26"
blade: 11 3/4"
blade width: 1 3/8"
grip: 14"
weight: 1 lb 8.4 oz

An item rarely seen in the US - a Vietnamese mak - an agricultural tool used for clearing woodlands. This particular mak dates from the mid 1900's, and was brought back by a Vietnam War veteran. A tag that came with the mak reads "Chu Lai village". The mak also has an ancient history of use as a weapon - the last picture above is from a 12th century relief carving at Ankgor Wat, Cambodia. The horseman on the right are wielding mak, and the mak was also used as a polearm - one example in the History Museum in Saigon is seven feet long overall, with a twenty-two inch blade. This particular mak is extremely robust - the spine is a full 1/2" thick at the spine, and the edge (on the inside curve) is quite sharp.