[Lee]

This pira was purchased in the market in Zamboanga City in the mid 1970s. I recall that the stall had a number of what I remember as huge kris-like blades with silver wire inlay (tourist versus real I cannot say now), but this was the one thing that caught my novice eye (I recall the brass in the stall was pretty touristy). The scabbard has been wrapped with black plastic electrical tape - so much like what I would have done in that time - but in this case it came to me like that, loosely over-wrapped with the strip of cloth. It did not strike me as being really old, maybe about a decade (though it now looks much the same after I have had it nearly 35 years!), but it did have some evidence of use and work staining and light bleaching of the handle and scabbard. It was and remains incredibly sharp. I have always regarded it first as a tool, but clearly it could very effectively serve as a weapon. So, I'll speculate that this is a utilitarian tool. To me, it is a distinct type, as opposed to being evolved from the somewhat more flamboyant weapon.