In our talks with the Panay Bukidnons they always referred to the long nose as diagnostic of their type of Taribung. It distinguishes their sword from the lowlander tenegres.
The Panay Bukidnon panday we interviewed ventured an opinion that the long nose was the original design of all swords in Panay. The lowlanders gradually modified it -- short nose; the hat is now just a round incised design, etc. The long nose was probably not practical for regular use. It also got broken.
To the Panay Panay Bukidnons the Taribung was also a "dress sword". The silver ones in particular were worn on special occassion, like fiestas and according to one informant, cockfighting day. It was also part of the marriage dowry.
For regular, day-to-day, farming work, they used a simple pommeled version that looks like the ordinary Panay binangon.
I agree with Battara that it is part of the process of evolution - some customer did not want a long nose on the pommel as it got in the way of his fighting style. If more people prefer this design, it could in the future be the norm.
The Panay Bukidnon tribe is small and many have already left their ancestral lands. They said the last Bukidnon panday who made hilts the old way passed away in the 1960s.
The art of Bukidnon cloth weaving and embroidery is currently being revived in Aklan. I recently received as gift from a friend, a modern tenegre with carabao horn pommel made in the old design. It was made in Sibalom Antique. If not for the carabao horn that had this "fresh" look, it could have fooled me. So, yes, they make them again today. I am sure you can order one based on your own specs.
On the sword shown in this thread, it is hard to say if it is modern. Who knows? It is possible someone asked a panday many many years ago to make one for him with a rounded top -- remember, the Iloilo Binangon has a rounded top!
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