Tourist kampilan or unusual hilt?
 

I have seen this kampilan and is very rare to me. is a unusual kampilan hilt or maybe is made to the torist market like souvenir? best regards
carlos

By the pictures it does not look like a cheap tourist piece. It is a little unusual in that there is okir designs in the wooden hilt. Also evidence of once being a guard on top. The tourist ones I don't believe bother to put a guard on top.

BTW - the barong looks like it has been torn apart. :eek:

THE MOST UNUSUAL THING ABOUT THIS SWORD IS THE HANDLE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN CARVED FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF WOOD. KAMPILIAN FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND BORNEO TRADITIONALY HAVE A TWO PIECE HANDLE. ONE PIECE IS THE HANDLE AND THE OTHER IS THE CROSS GUARD THE HANDLE FITS INTO A GROVE IN THE CROSSGUARD. THE DESIGNS ARE NOT USUAL FOR KAMPILIAN FROM THESE TWO AREAS. YOUR EXAMPLE MAY HAVE BEEN MADE OR MODIFIED IN ANOTHER AREA. BETTER PICTURES OF THE ENTIRE HANDLE ON BOTH SIDES WOULD HELP. A INTERESTING SWORD THAT APPEARS TO HAVE AGE AND NO TOURIST LOOK. HOW HEAVY , THICK AND WELL MADE IS THE BLADE?

more pictures
 

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I won auction
 

Finally I won the auction, I have received swords, the kampilan has a strong blade, but unfortunatelly the last owner change color of blade, with nickel, and now the blade bright. someone knows how I can erase this nickel?
thanks
best regards
carlos

use google, search on "removing nickel plating". brings up a a wealth of info. you probably should be carful to use a method that will not attack the steel.

Pictures never tell the real story but I doubt this sword was plated with nickel. For hundreds of years "Luwa Iron" was produced in Sulawesi/Celebes. According to Pelras (The Burgis) this steel had a high nickel content & was valued through the archipelago before European influences. Before European scrap metal hit the scene, much of the welded/pamor blades included Luwa.
The Bugis controlled the Spice trade, before the Europeans, often using high nickel content steel, as well, sword blades for trade. Also remember, metals in this area are constantly recycled. The high nickel content, I believe helps a lot of these swords from rusting.
Variations of the kampilan are found throughout the Moluccas & Banda Sea area.
Your sword is not a tourist item.
Previous owner probably steel wooled your sword to remove the blackening.
You could experiment by using some week acids to darken the blade, if you choose.

thanks and more pictures
 

Thanks all for the information, Bill , your answer have made me more happy!!! :) , this information is very good to me!!
best regards
carlos