The sound of the grinding machine welcomed us at the stage house of Ishak Abdullah (64) in Meunasah Blang Village, Tanah Pasir Subdistrict, North Aceh District, about 25 kilo meters east of Lhokseumawe (Indonesia). Like most of the villagers' homes, Ishak residence has a large yard with several coconut trunks. There was a shoe flower about two feet tall in front of the house. Though the dark red blooms do not scent anything, it still seems unseemly to grow near the comber with a strong smell. Like most Acehnese homes in the villages, wells and showers are on the front page. Unfortunately, the clogged gullies make the water drainase ditch recall in front of the yard.

On the right side of the house there is a stage teumpeun (blacksmith workshop). Built area of 3 x 3 meters with thatched roof. There is no 'heavy' device in teumpuen it. There is only a _electric blower and a grinding machine. The rest are simple tools such as sand paper, charcoal, four miserly sizes, and an emery leaf in Aceh called leaf rumpet.

But who would have thought, in such a simple place that an Aceh tradition is still going through the hands of Ishak Abdullah. In the past, his son Juliadi, often helpful, is now living in the other village. Aceh, known as Tanah Rencong (Rencong of Land), but the concern of all parties to preserve the traditional weapon making, is still very low. It can even be called none at all. Imagine, looking for "master" rencong in North Aceh is hard to play. Some teumpeun that exist, claimed no longer make rencong because it does not provide material benefits, other than for reasons of difficulty in making it.

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Buffalo horn into raw material as rencong handle.

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Survive amid the onslaught of the times

Ishak Abdullah who still survives, initially also not sure can make rencong. According to his account, the father of six children learned from his father-in-law who is also a "empu" (master). Despite his years of study, he felt unsure of being able to make beautiful rencong with both sides flat and neatly carved. "Nine years I learned, alhamdulillah finally able to..." Ishak Abdullah said who met in teumpeun at once his home. The man served the conversation while still thinking of the rencong handles made of buffalo horns.

Since 1983 Ishak also rely on life from create the rencong. The raw materials required are only white iron and buffalo horns for handles. Quite difficult to get both materials. Typically, white iron is obtained from scavengers at Rp40,000 per kilo gram (kg). With 1 kg of white iron, the default Isaac is capable of producing four 12 inch rencong blades. "But it's hard to get a white iron. Often every order is plenty, no white iron," Ishak said in Aceh.

The work of create rencong begins with a white iron burrow in the embers for a few minutes. To keep the fire burning, Ishak uses an electric blower that endlessly blows the wind into a pile of charcoal. The electric-powered device was only used two years ago that he bought for Rp250 thousand. Previously, he wore two former cement bags that were pumped to produce wind.

"We are pumping while fantasizing like this..." Razali said, an honorer at the Tanah Pasir District office. Razali's dead grandfather and father, also known as rencong craftsmen. But the generation was cut off because Razali was not interested in being a blacksmith.

It takes up to an hour and a half to roast a white iron when using a cement bag pipe. Meanwhile, with a blower of less than an hour. In addition, with a minimum cement bag pipe required three people to produce a rencong. "But with a blower, I alone can create rencong," Ishak said while adding charcoal to a yellowish-red fire.

More time and energy saving, does not mean cement bag pockets are abandoned. Both tools are now hanging over Isaac's head and are still needed if the power goes out. So, the power outage is not a significant obstacle for the dark-skinned man to continue working.

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Manually heated white iron to be used as a rencong.

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Handmade

After the blushing iron was baked, Juliadi's task hit him with a 10-kg weight. This work can actually be handled alone, but the iron is too thick, usually needed Juliadi energy. But after the iron was quite flat, Ishak himself formed it into rencong. The boys seemed to understand each other's duties. When Ishak lifted the iron from the coals, Juliadi left his work grinding and pressing the round iron until it was flat. All that they do without any communication. In fact, Ishak still continues to tell about the rare profession that they do. While Juliadi is serving two members of Mobile Brigade of Polda Aceh who want to order bayonet. Their mouths speak, but hands keep working.

Grinding is also used since two years ago after they tired of thinking to form a curved rencong body like a samurai. For the job, done by Juliadi deftly. Once formed, they live melicinkannya with sand paper and rumpet leaves. This leaves can be obtained easily in the forest in the area of the Tanah Pasir.

Rencong handles made of buffalo horns, they buy a fairly expensive price, Rp3 million a sack. It's expensive, it's hard to get it. Buffalo horns are imported from Sigli Kabupaten Pidie, Meulaboh (West Aceh), Banda Aceh, even to Medan. "To get buffalo horns, we have to fight with rencong makers from Banda Aceh," Ishak added.

And they often lose. Rencong makers from Banda Aceh want to buy small horns and the quality is not good. While Ishak should choose a larger and longer.

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Ishak Abdullah is working on teumpeun to create some rencong blades manually.

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Is the Ishak rencong made with Banda Aceh?

Given that question, Isaac picked up some Banda Aceh-made rencong slats on top of their house. A moment later he lowered a few rencong blades with golden yellow eyes. "This is made in Banda Aceh. Casted with a mold... " Ishak's black fingers are engulfed in charcoal moves above the eyes of rencong. "Let's see, all these rencong shapes are the same as they use prints."

That is, rencong in Banda Aceh is mass-produced, although in some places there are also rencong handmade such as Ishak made. The value of the art is certainly different as well as batik with prints and hand-written batik.

Sometimes, there are also people ordering with the elephant ivory handle. It is difficult to fulfill Isaac because of getting tough ivory, and the price is expensive. Recently, the head of a bank in Lhokseumawe ordered rencong with ivory handle in sizable amount. Unfortunately, Isaac was unable to fulfill it.

With his devotion to producing handmade rencong, Isaac continued to support his family. There was no other work for him. From morning to evening, he was just in teumpeun make rencong. He just leaves teumpeun to eat and pray, or there are people dies and weddings. In one day, Isaac and his son were able to make two to four blades of rencong at a price of Rp50,000 to Rp300 thousand (around 3.7 USD – 22.2 USD), depending on size and engraving.

Although the order is never empty, but the average Isaac claimed only leaving Rp500 thousand money every month, after cut production costs and others. With that income he lived his family.

In fact, Ishak rencong crafts have flown everywhere. NGO activists, foreign reporters who happened to be reporting in Aceh, foreign employees working in Aceh, often order rencong on Isaac. Therefore rencongnya has reached the United States, some European countries, and Japan. While for local reservations, coming from Lhokseumawe, Bireuen, and Aceh Timur.

Ishak acknowledged that while there were military operations in Aceh, many non-organic Indonesia Soldiers (TNI) and Indonesian police members ordered him a rencong. So that time, more orders from now. Standard price set, Rp100 thousand per blade rencong. Ishak Abdullah's name is well known among TNI / Polri forces from outside Aceh because of every troop replacement, he recommended troops previously assigned to Aceh. "Sometimes I wonder where they know where we are," he said.

In fact, the location teumpeun Ishak Abdullah rather difficult to reach because the location is somewhat hidden in the village Meunasah Blang. Without the guide, it took a long time to get there because it must go through the village streets two meters wide. There was no pamphlet in front of the house, no information whatsoever in the Tanah Pasir District office. Even in North Aceh's book in figures, it is not mentioned in the district there are teumpeun that produce rencong.[]

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Smooth the rencong blade using a manual file.

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Dari Teumpeun Melanjutkan Tradisi: Pembuat Rencong di Aceh

Suara mesin gerinda menyambut kedatangan kami di rumah panggung Ishak Abdullah (64) di Desa Meunasah Blang Kecamatan Tanah Pasir Kabupaten Aceh Utara, sekitar 25 kilo meter timur Lhokseumawe. Seperti umumnya rumah-rumah penduduk di desa, tempat tinggal Ishak memiliki halaman luas dengan beberapa batang pohon kelapa. Ada bunga sepatu setinggi hampir dua meter di depan rumah. Kendati kembangnya yang berwarna merah tua tidak menebarkan aroma apa pun, tapi tetap terlihat tak pantas tumbuh dekat comberan dengan bau menyengat. Seperti kebanyakan rumah penduduk Aceh di perkampungan, sumur dan kamar mandi ada di halaman depan. Sayangnya, selokan yang mampet membuat air comberan mengenang di depan halaman.

Di samping kanan rumah panggung itu terdapat sebuah teumpeun (bengkel pandai besi). Dibangun seluas 3 x 3 meter dengan atap rumbia. Tidak ada perangkat yang ‘berat’ di teumpuen itu. Hanya ada sebuah electric blower dan gerinda yang menggunakan mesin. Selebihnya adalah alat sederhana seperti kertas pasir, arang, empat ukuran kikir, dan daun ampelas yang di Aceh disebut daun rumpet.

Namun siapa sangka, di tempat sederhana itulah sebuah tradisi Aceh masih berlangsung melalui tangan Ishak Abdullah. Dulu, putranya Juliadi, sering membantu, sekarang sudah tinggal di daerah lain. Aceh yang dikenal dengan sebutan Tanah Rencong, tapi kepedulian semua pihak untuk melestarikan pembuatan senjata tradisional itu, masih sangat rendah. Bahkan bisa disebut tak ada sama sekali. Bayangkan, mencari “empu” rencong di Aceh Utara susahnya bukan main. Beberapa teumpeun yang ada, mengaku tidak lagi membuat rencong karena tidak memberikan keuntungan materi, selain karena alasan kesulitan dalam pembuatannya.

Bertahan di tengah gempuran zaman

Ishak Abdullah yang masih bertahan, awalnya juga tak yakin bisa membuat rencong. Menurut penuturannya, ayah enam anak itu belajar dari mertuanya yang juga seorang “mpu”. Kendati sudah belajar bertahun-tahun, ia merasa tak yakin mampu membuat rencong yang indah dengan kedua sisi rata dan ukiran rapi. “Sembilan tahun saya belajar, alhamdulillah akhirnya bisa...” ungkap Ishak Abdullah yang ditemui di teumpeun sekaligus rumahnya. Lelaki itu melayani pembicaraan sambil terus mengikir gagang rencong yang terbuat dari tanduk kerbau.

Sejak 1983 Ishak pun menggantungkan hidup dari membuat rencong. Bahan baku yang dibutuhkan hanya besi putih dan tanduk kerbau untuk gagang. Lumayan sulit mendapatkan kedua bahan tersebut. Biasanya, besi putih diperoleh dari pemulung seharga Rp40.000 per kilo gram (kg). Dengan 1 kg besi putih, standarnya Ishak mampu menghasilkan empat bilah rencong ukuran 12 inch. “Tapi susah mendapatkan besi putih. Seringkali setiap pemesanan banyak, besi putih tidak ada,” ujar Ishak dalam bahasa Aceh.

Pekerjaan membuat rencong dimulai dengan membenam besi putih dalam bara api selama beberapa menit. Untuk menjaga api agar terus membara, Ishak menggunakan electric blower yang tanpa henti meniupkan angin ke tumpukan arang. Alat bertenaga listrik itu baru digunakan dua tahun lalu yang ia beli seharga Rp250 ribu. Sebelumnya, ia memakai dua bekas kantong semen yang dipompa untuk menghasilkan angin.

“Kita memompa sambil berkhayal seperti ini...” ujar Razali, seorang honorer di kantor Kecamatan Tanah Pasir. Kakek dan ayah Razali yang sudah meninggal, juga dikenal sebagai pengrajin rencong. Tapi generasi itu terputus karena Razali tidak tertarik menjadi pandai besi.

Membutuhkan waktu sampai satu jam setengah untuk memanggang besi putih bila menggunakan pompa kantong semen. Sementara, dengan blower kurang dari satu jam. Selain itu, dengan pompa kantong semen minimal dibutuhkan tiga orang untuk menghasilkan sebilah rencong. “Tapi dengan blower, saya sendiri saja bisa membuat rencong,” kata Ishak sambil menambah arang ke dalam api yang membara merah kekuningan.

Lebih hemat waktu dan tenaga, bukan berarti pompa kantong semen ditinggalkan. Kedua alat itu kini tergantung di atas kepala Ishak dan tetap dibutuhkan jika listrik padam. Jadi, padamnya listrik bukan hambatan berarti bagi lelaki berkulit gelap itu untuk terus berkarya.

Kerja manual

Setelah besi memerah dipanggang, tugas Juliadi menghantamnya dengan godam seberat 10 kg. Pekerjaan ini sebenarnya bisa ditangani sendiri, tapi besi yang terlalu tebal, biasanya dibutuhkan tenaga Juliadi. Tapi setelah besinya lumayan pipih, Ishak sendiri yang membentuknya menjadi rencong. Ayah-anak itu terlihat sangat memahami tugas masing-masing. Ketika Ishak mengangkat besi dari bara api, Juliadi meninggalkan pekerjaannya menggerinda dan menggodam besi bulat itu sampai berbentuk pipih. Semuanya itu mereka lakukan tanpa komunikasi apa pun. Bahkan, Ishak masih terus bercerita tentang profesi langka yang digelutinya. Sedangkan Juliadi sedang melayani dua anggota Brigade Mobile dari Polda Aceh yang hendak memesan sangkur. Mulut mereka berbicara, tapi tangan terus bekerja.

Gerinda juga digunakan sejak dua tahun lalu setelah mereka lelah mengikir untuk membentuk badan rencong melengkung seperti samurai. Untuk pekerjaan itu, dilakukan oleh Juliadi dengan cekatan. Setelah terbentuk, mereka tinggal melicinkannya dengan kertas pasir dan daun rumpet. Daun ini bisa diperoleh dengan gampang di hutan di kawasan Tanah Pasir.

Gagang rencong yang terbuat dari tanduk kerbau, mereka beli dengan harga lumayan mahal, Rp3 juta satu karung. Sudah mahal, susah pula mendapatkannya. Tanduk kerbau didatangkan dari Sigli Kabupaten Pidie, Meulaboh (Aceh Barat), Banda Aceh, bahkan sampai Medan. “Untuk mendapatkan tanduk kerbau, kami harus rebutan dengan pembuat rencong dari Banda Aceh,” tambah Ishak.

Dan mereka sering kalah. Pembuat rencong dari Banda Aceh mau membeli tanduk yang kecil dan kualitasnya kurang bagus. Sementara Ishak harus memilih yang lebih besar dan panjang.

Bedakah rencong buatan Ishak dengan buatan Banda Aceh?

Mendapat pertanyaan itu, Ishak mengambil beberapa bilah rencong buatan Banda Aceh di atas rumah mereka. Sesaat kemudian dia menurunkan beberapa bilah rencong dengan mata kuning keemasan. “Ini buatan Banda Aceh. Dicor dengan cetakan...” jemari Ishak yang hitam terkena arang bergerak di atas mata rencong. “Coba lihat, semua bentuk rencong ini sama karena pakai cetakan.”

Artinya, rencong di Banda Aceh diproduk secara massal, kendati di beberapa tempat di sana masih ada juga rencong handmade seperti buatan Ishak. Nilai seninya tentu berbeda seperti halnya batik dengan cetakan dan batik tulis tangan.

Kadang, ada juga orang memesan dengan gagang gading gajah. Hal ini sulit dipenuhi Ishak karena mendapatkan gading sulit, dan harganya mahal. Baru-baru ini, pimpinan bank di Lhokseumawe memesan rencong dengan gagang gading dalam jumlah lumayan. Sayangnya, Ishak tidak mampu memenuhinya.

Dengan kesetiaannya memproduksi rencong buatan tangan, Ishak terus menghidupi keluarganya. Tak ada pekerjaan lain bagi lelaki itu. Dari pagi hingga sore, ia hanya berada di teumpeun membuat rencong. Ia hanya meninggalkan teumpeun untuk makan dan shalat, atau ada orang meninggal dan pesta perkawinan. Dalam satu hari, Ishak dan putranya mampu membuat dua sampai empat bilah rencong dengan harga Rp50.000 sampai Rp300 ribu, tergantung ukuran dan ukiran.

Kendati pemesanan tak pernah sepi, tapi rata-rata Ishak mengaku hanya menyisakan uang Rp500 ribu setiap bulan, setelah dipotong ongkos produksi dan lain-lain. Dengan penghasilan itulah ia menghidupi keluarganya.

Padahal, rencong kerajinan tangan Ishak sudah terbang ke mana-mana. Pegiat LSM, wartawan luar negeri yang kebetulan sedang liputan di Aceh, karyawan asing yang bekerja di Aceh, sering memesan rencong pada Ishak. Karena itu rencongnya sudah sampai ke Amerika Serikat, beberapa negara Eropa, dan Jepang. Sementara untuk pemesanan lokal, datang dari Lhokseumawe, Bireuen, dan Aceh Timur.

Ishak mengakui, ketika sedang operasi militer di Aceh, banyak anggota TNI/Polri non-organik yang memesan rencong padanya. Sehingga waktu itu, order lebih banyak dari sekarang. Standar harga yang ditetapkan, Rp100 ribu per bilah rencong. Nama Ishak Abdullah sangat dikenal di kalangan pasukan TNI/Polri dari luar Aceh karena setiap penggantian pasukan, ia direkomendasikan pasukan yang sebelumnya bertugas di Aceh. “Kadang saya heran, dari mana mereka mengetahui tempat kami,” katanya.

Padahal, lokasi teumpeun Ishak Abdullah agak sulit dijangkau karena letaknya agak tersembunyi di Desa Meunasah Blang. Tanpa guide, butuh waktu lama untuk sampai ke sana karena harus melalui jalan-jalan desa selebar dua meter. Tak ada pamplet di depan rumah, tak ada keterangan apa pun di kantor Kecamatan Tanah Pasir. Bahkan di buku Aceh Utara dalam angka, tidak disebutkan di kabupaten tersebut ada teumpeun yang memproduksi rencong.[]

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Some of Ishak Abdullah's rencong slats are made manually. Rencong is not just a traditional weapon for society, but part of art.

Photos by @ayijufridar

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