Igorot Spear Before And After
 

An Igorot spear I picked up a few months back. This piece was quite rusty and had the entire wooden section that was under the iron securing band shattered and missing. After dismantling the spear I secured the shaft into my lathe and using a 7/8 inch paddle bit I formed a new socket into which I inserted and glued a section of an old pool cue that I had turned earlier to the correct dimensions. Then using a drill bit and a thin wood chisel I formed the recess for the shank of the blade. The tail end of the shaft does not show any evidence of ever having a metal butt piece. Any comments of possible age or any other information that anyone would care to share would be greatly appreciated.

Best,
Robert

Nice work Robert. Isn't it fun fixing old stuff?
Steve

Hello Robert,

very good job! I have two spears of this type. By one is the shaft similar, by the second one the shaft is bulgy where the point is attached, maybe a sign of age? :shrug: I am sure that Nonoy will know it. A scond observation: both spears have a hole in the shaft to secure the tang with a "rivet" what I don't see by your spear. And both of mine have a metal socket at the end of the shaft. Maybe you find a way to blacken the point since I think they have looked originally like this. Nice spear!! :)

Regards,

Detlef

Nice work Robert!

This is called a falfeg and is used for warfare by the Igorot tribes.

Hi Robert,

That spear looks much better now that you have removed the rust. It is now a "happy" spear :D

This type of spearhead was used throughout the Northern Luzon Cordillera. They are popular among the Bontoc Igorot, Ifugao, Gaddang, Kalinga, Tinguian, Isneg, Applai, Ilongot, Isinay, etc. One notices that the shapes of the this type of spearhead have subtle differences. There are various terms used to call this spear, based on such differences. For example, if assuming that your spear is Bontoc, then it would be called "Pinilipo" because the neck is more or less cylindrical; as opposed to the "falfeg" which has four corners.

My best guest is that your spear is Ifugao, and it is a "Balabog" (generic term for a spear with such two prongs), but more specifically, it is a "Punol" (owing to the circular neck which gets thicker at the base).

I hope that this information was useful.

Nonoy

Hello everyone, Thank you all for your kind words and most helpful information on this spear.

Steve, Yes I very much enjoy it when I find one of these old warriors and then try to do my best to bring it back from being neglected and mistreated to as much of its original glory as I can.

Detlef, Thank you for posting the photo's of you very nice examples. My spear just like yours does have a pin that helps to hold the blade in place. It is hidden under the rattan bands and can only be seen when they are moved. The blade is no where near as light colored and shiny as it appears in the photos, it is actually quite a bit darker. As usual when I wanted to take these pictures it was raining here so I had to take them inside and the flash is what makes everything look lighter in color.

Jose, Thank you for the information on this spear and again for all the other times you have responded to my questions.

Nonoy, Thank you for pin-pointing where this spear originated from and for the local names for it. I noticed that the blade on my example seems to have longer cutting edges than most other examples that I have seen. Does this have any meaning, is it an indicator of where it was made, was this something that was decided on by tribal ranking, availability of metal or just on the whim of who ever originally made it?

Again, thank you all for your help.

Best,
Robert

Nonoy Tan, great information thank you.

Hello Robert,

good that the pin is there, never have seen Igorot spears without this pin. And yes, I know this rain and flash problem, the more shiny one I have shown is in real also much darker.
Again, very good work and a nice spear!

Regards,

Detlef

Hi Nonoy,

when you able and would be so kind, can you tell me something about my both?

Regards,

Detlef

A great Resto Robert!

I too would like to know more about mine. :)

Gavin

Thanks, Jose. I continue to learn a lot from you too!

Hi Detlef, the first spear (with a rattan band around the shaft) appears to be Ifugao to me. The second one is tougher to identify. I have seen this type typically coming from Eastern Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya and used by the Ilongot, Ifugao, and Gaddang. I should say that these are my best guesses and I could be wrong.

Robert, the size of the spearhead really varies. This photo give an idea of what I mean. Primarily, the determining factor is the target. If the target is small, then the spearhead would be small, and so on. You spear would be ideal for hunting large prey. Secondary factors are personal style or preference of the owner, price or cost, etc.

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Here is the image.

Thank you Nonoy! And what a great collection of Ifugao spears! :eek:

Regards,

Detlef

You are welcome, Detlef!

The spears are a mix from the Northern Luzon Cordillera, including Ifugao.