Which is the Longest Type of Bolo?
 

Would anyone happen to guess which type of Ethnographic Bolo from the Philippines was the longest?

I am trying to inquire for further research.

It seems the Minasbad is the longest alongside the Pinuti.

Actually I would say the Visayan talibon (up to the turn of the 20th century) or a form of Ilokano long sword are the longest.

The only thing that would beat these in length would be the Mindanao kampilan.

I've heard of rumors that some Pulahanes talibon antiques actually had 32-inch blades, with 7-inch hilt (mine is just 25-inch blade). Supposedly, the pinuti variants of Cebu also reach up to this length and even more, effectively rivaling the kampilan in length.

As for OP's assertion that a minasbad is, in his view, the longest- I won't contest that as I have a friend whose heirloom minasbad reaches up to 33-inch blade length (see attached picture). Who knows what other variants of traditional blades are just waiting to be found with absurdly long blade lengths.

HOWEVER, I've seen an absurdly large panabas in the National Museum of Anthropology of the Filipino People. As you can see in the other picture, it's longer (and definitely larger) than the kampilan or any other sword in its vicinity.

Oh and this isn't related to the topic, but just in case you guys zoom in on the description of BangsaMoro weapons...it states there that the kampilan is traditionally two-hand wield. It's not. All the kampilans I've wielded only have hand-space for one, definitely not two, unless you're going to hold the ornamental part of the hilt.

One of my longest Philippine swords is this sansibar or matulis, equal how you would call it, it's 80,5 cm inside scabbard and 76,5 cm without: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=matulis
Also very long is this tenegre: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=tenegre 78,5 cm inside scabbard, 74 cm without.

Regards,
Detlef

Typical boys bragging: whose is longer:-)))

:D :D

My longest is an Apalit matulis measuring 31.5 inches (~80cm), but the tip was broken off, it may have originally been longer.


http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=22118