There's more to life: Traditional Gasing

When I was a kid, we passed time by playing pick up sticks, uno game, card games, snake and ladder, sparkles, marbles, board games (mastermind, cluedo, monopoly, scrabble) and tops (gasing).

I have been looking for these old games for some time, especially the gasing. Needless to say they are very hard to come by.

On 23 August 2015, I found a stall in Amcorp mall selling NOS Chinese or Heart gasing at RM20 without the string. I remember when I was a kid it was like 20 cents or 1 ringgit with the string.

I did not purchase it on that day because I felt like I was not getting a good deal by the seller.

I searched exhaustively and by God's will, I came into an abundance of gasing.

I would like to share my joy of my latest collection with all readers.

The gasing's were purchased from one of the last gasing makers, Pak Ngah Mohd Jais Razali, owner of Koler Ati Creatif, Lot 609, Kampung Kuala Sanggang, Temerloh. Located about 200 meters from SK Sanggang. Pahang river is only 500 meters from his home.

Pak Ngah Jais had a stroke last year and no longer makes any wooden gasing.

I do not know if it was a stroke of luck or Gods divine intervention, but last December there was a flood and most of his gasing's were destroyed and missing. Pak Ngah informed me that it may be Gods way of asking him to stop gasing and focus on his health and prayers. Hence, making my purchase all the more exclusive

Now Pak Ngah has partnered with UKM to produce polymer gasing. The one on the far right is the first prototype. The white ones are subsequent models followed by the final ones in color

Why polimer as opposed to wood? Well, it does not crack or break. Wooden gasing has been known to crack and even break into pieces during "combat". The chipped wooden pieces or debris would cause harm if it hits someone

A machine used for spinning the rope for the gasing. Before the machine, a gasing maker would only be able to spin 2 complete sets of ropes a day. With the machine, 45 sets is completed in a day

The ends of the rope is tied to this contraption during the spinning process

Machine used for making gasing

Mat demonstrating to me the process of fabricating the shape of the gasing

A wooden chisel is used in shaping the gasing into the required shape

A block of wood is spun on the machine and the chisel is used to shape the gasing. According to Pak Ngah, the preferred woods used for making gasing are Tualang, Keranji and Kempas

Pak Ngah was more that willing to demonstrate the art of gasing playing

Polymer samples

Pak Ngah had informed me that the day he parts with this polymer gasing is the day he will no longer pick up any gasing's

Some of Pak Ngah's gasings in my possession. These are the shapes of the first type of gasings ever made

This is a very old gasing. Look at the chip

I purchased this gasing from a shop in Temerloh. This is new and never used but look at the crack. Wood is bound to crack. Imaging the danger it pose in a game by flying debris

The is the second evolution on the shape of the gasing

This is the third and final evolution in its shape. It was during this period that metal was added to stabilize or balance its weight

A sample of a gasing where metal bearings were added on its side to give it greater balance. Now imagine the danger of the metal popping off and hitting people during a match. Needless to say, this gasing was subsequently ban

A gasings rope

The polymer sets and its rope

A gift from Pak Ngah to my lovely wife and kids, for my genuine interest in his craft

A size comparison of the key chain and the polymer gasing

I managed to find these hidden gems, wooden chinese or heart gasing in Maran. This was the type of gasing that I used to play when I was a kid. Needless to say, I purchased the whole bulk.