Inventive Blacksmiths of Sorong, West Papua, Indonesia

At the far western tip of Papua, on the outskirts of the town of Sorong, is a place called Tempat Garam. This means "salt making place". The Mombrasar family of blacksmiths have their shop there. They build boats, make any kind of tools, and invent labor saving devices.

Adults, from left to right: Vincent Ambrar, Fredison Mombrasar, Andreas Mombrasar, Elisabet Dimara, Delilah Mombrasar. The kids were moving around too much for me to get their names straight.

Their address is:
Kapiten Patimura
Pandai Besi Awak Soba
Tempat Garam
Klawasi Sorong
West Papua Indonesia

Note: If this instructable wins any contests, I'll send it to them. They could do amazing things with it.

Step 1: Chainsaw Powered Sago Grinder

Yohanis Mombrasar shows me one of their inventions, a chainsaw powered sago grinder. The local staple is sago palm starch. The sago palm grows in dense stands in fresh water swamps just behind a barrier beach. The whole trunk is composed of starch and fibers.

Comments

[Ricardo Furioso]

You are not only innovative, you're staggeringly interested and observant.
We're lucky to have you looking out for us.
Sorry we missed you at the Maker Faire.
Keep up the amazement and inspiration.
rich

[davidurquhart]

Great contribution - thanks. I'm impressed with their technology. (The more you understand about technology, the more you respect these kinds of solutions.) Maximum respect to these innovators.

[celticht32]

Is there anyway to find or get some of the hand tools they make? always looking for that sort of thing... seems the hand made stuff is made with so much more care and so forth than the stuff you can find in the big box stores here in the states...

[TimAnderson]

Try sending them a letter to their addr in the ible. Maybe you know some missionaries to Sorong who could buy for you. let me know how it goes!

[macgyverfan]

people in countries are the ultimate DIYers I want to do this for a living if I can.

[Tinker83]

let's really not make this man mad... you won't make it far...

[omnibot]

Now that I'd like to have in case of a Zombie-Attack!

[hg341]

no...
you die VERY SOON...
if you use a chain saw too noisey^{tough it would be fun!!}

[macgyverfan]

It would be fun while it lasted.

[bakramen]

thank you...

I'm very proud see our country man in this website..

just come to Indonesia, you'll see any brilliant idea... :D

[clayman51]

Brilliant ... Just Brilliant ... Thank you for sharing this with us. They look like lovely people. Fredison is the father of invention ... neccesity !

[hg341]

wow i would have never used a chain saw too do what they are doing
they are so smart where they need something they make
when we(state-side) need something we buy it...^{i feel like they have a more fullfilling life style then us}

[thepelton]

A friend of mine is a professional fisherman. He told me he made a fillet knife out of steel straps that were used to wrap around shipping crates. Tell them about that.

[lesrebnav]

hello, do you have a picture of the sago grinder in use .

[mindsystem]

Note on the perahu (canoe). I'm pretty sure that the big one is natively Papuan. I don't ever remember seeing the big ones in Ambon, just the thinner types, but I could be wrong. Also, on a side note, how long have you lived/worked in Indonesia/Papua? And where at, exactly?

[TimAnderson]

I lived in Jayapura for a few months in 2004 and did some traveling. Java, Madura, Bali, Southern Sulawesi, Kri Island near Sorong. Where are/were you? What kinds of boats, blacksmiths, and ingenuity are you seeing?

[mindsystem]

born in Ambon and lived there (on and off) till '98 when things got heated. then lived in Jakarta for a while and then Papua for about two and a half years.. now I'm State-side for college. most of my knowledge is from older videos of the place that I saw while I was in Papua, and memories of Ambon from when I was younger.. which is why I said "I could be wrong".. anyways.. as for ingenuity..? well the Malukans make some of the best wood boats out there, or so I've read. the kids in my neighborhood always make little "spear guns" using rubber bands and broken umbrella parts. and an old military man who used to live next door had a couple spear guns like what you have pictured, but shaped more like rifles, with stocks and all... that's all I can really remember right now, but I'll ask my parents if they can remember anything as they'd be more likely to.

[Ferrite]

Nice!

[A good name]

Damn that's cool.

[robbtoberfest]

As soon as I saw the chainsaw mod I fell in love. Thanks for showing this awesome stuff.

[Phil B]

The amount of education and availability of the latest technology does not impact or limit basic intelligence.