Important Information
- Pricing & customs: the listed price excludes any sales tax and import costs. The buyer is responsible for the additional duties or taxes that may incur.
- This is a vintage item, some signs of use are to be expected. Please look at the photos carefully before purchasing.
- These items are meant as decoration only.
What's Included
- 1 wooden dagger/knife holder (knife is not included, for illustrative purpose only)
About the Dagger Holder
In Central and East Java, coconut harvesters have long carried their sickle in a carved wooden sheath tied at the waist like a belt — locally called an eklek (also cangklek or kaplek, depending on the region). Worn this way, the blade stays secured at the hip while both hands stay free for climbing. Some locals trace the name to the clicking sound the blade makes against the wood — "klek-klek"— though that's folk etymology rather than documented linguistics.
Why Coconut Harvesters Relied on This Tool
Manually tapping and harvesting coconut palms is dangerous, physical work — harvesters climb 15–20 meters up a bare trunk, often several times a day, and need a way to carry a blade that won't slip, swing, or need a free hand to manage. A hip-worn wooden holder like this enables the harvesters to use both hands for climbing. A tool this specific and well-worn is a direct, physical artifact of that livelihood.
This Item is Perfect for
- Collectors of Asian and Southeast Asian antiques
- Shoppers looking for a unique, genuinely vintage object
- Collectors of Indonesian and Javanese folk art
- Gift-buyers shopping for people who collect knives, blades, sheaths, or edged-tool history
- Airbnb, boutique hotels, and resorts sourcing authentic Southeast Asian folk pieces for display
- Interior stylists and designers looking for a one-of-a-kind wall-mounted object with texture and story
- Collectors building out a curated collection of traditional working tools
