Philippine Cutlass with "Maker's Mark," or "vise grip scratches?"
 

I recently picked up this small sword that I guessed to be Philippine. I started to clean it and noticed what appeared to be vise marks, but upon closer inspection, I'm not so sure.
We all have imagined at times, what we wish for on our swords as opposed to what the actual reality is; so my questions are is this a Philippine sword and is that a "Maker's Mark," or some imbecile with a pair of vise grips?

Hard to say for sure. Not a single piece in my collection has any discernible makers mark, I have yet to see any of the old pieces with one either.

It is the same with me; however, there is always that first one. The other side is not marred, so maybe that excludes a vise?

I'm inclined toward the "fool with a tool" possibility.

That would seem to be the "odds on favorite."