My First Kampilan
 

I am very pleased to present my first Kampilan for discussion. After a couple of weeks negotiation, a 600km drive and a somewhat bizarre interaction with a "local", I secured this for what I believe to be a good price. From what I have read this seems to be an honest old Kampilan, blade length a touch under 30 inches. I am yet to give it any maintenance. I would greatly appreciate the thoughts of more learned forum members.

Cheers, Russel

Very nice kampilan;even though it may be your first, I bet it won't be your last ! Once you acquire one, it is almost impossible not to want others !

Congrats on your first kampie. You got a darn nice one!

Hi Russel,

nice one, congrats! :) The blade seems to have a nice lamination and the handle has had once hair. Nice that the original eyes are still present.

Best regards,
Detlef

Inlaid dots on the blade, rattan wrap intact, iron guard present and a munsala,what a great first Kampilan.
A long drive and a "bizarre interaction" with someone, makes for a lasting memory and a fun story to share.
Thanks for showing.

next you can find a goat to shave for the hair tufts to put in the grip holes. :D

http://mountcastlesantiques.com/bmz_...ge.250x187.JPG
(not mine ;))


all-in-all yours is a nice one...

Assuming gas consumption of 10 km/l and the current gas price in Australia, we are talking about AU$ 100. Plus motel(?) for one night....

Couldn't the seller just mail it?

Am I missing something?

Very nice Kampilan! Would love to hear more about this bizarre interaction with the local!

sadly, i've had a couple UK dealers who flat refused to ship via post office or courier. one i talked into it, one said none of the local couriers agents would ship a sword, in spite of the fact other dealers have used the same couriers that supposedly refused him. not worth driving 100+ kilometers tho.

Crazy...

Is the same true in Australia?

Great looking Kampilan Russel, I'm glad that you ended up getting it. As for cleaning, first I would go over the hilt very carefully using a soft toothbrush to remove the dirt from the carved areas. Removing the wasp nests (mud and dead spiders) from the holes where the hair would have originally been will most likely require the use of something a bit more aggressive. I will usually use a small stiff nylon tube cleaning brush for areas like this as they will remove the almost cement like mud from the holes without damaging the wood around them. Afterwards a wipe with a very lightly dampened cloth to remove any dust or dirt left clinging to the wood and then a good coat of wax to finish. Congratulations on being able to add this great piece to your collection.

Best,
Robert

The seller (not a Dealer) was reluctant to post the sword ("too much trouble"), and to be honest I have had some heart stopping moments with poorly packaged swords sent by people who didn't know what they were doing.

A 600 km drive isn't a huge ordeal in Australia, no overnight stay required. It was a great opportunity for a pleasant country drive, stopping at antique stores and farmgate stalls along the way (and of course a pub for lunch).

Thanks Robert, what type of wax would you recommend?

Thanks Detlef, hopefully the laminations will be more apparent after the blade has been cleaned a little (and maybe etched), although I want to retain much of the original patina.

I usually use Ren Wax on just about everything.


Etching will remove any and all patina the blade now has.

Best,
Robert