Gunong?

Spunjer · 20th April 2005, 10:54 PM

hi,
was just wondering about this knife. it looks a lot like your everyday gunong but i hate to jump to that conclusion. it has a very subtle wavy blade and looks to be quite old. then the handle: it is not the typical bulbous type you see floating around. it looks like it's crudely carved and the wood is very light compared to the gunongs i've handled before. the scabbard seems to be made out of the same type of wood which is very light. there are MOP inlays on one side of the scabbard,and X's engravings on the other side. also, instead of your typical wide metal band, this one has these real fine wire wound around it. indonesian, maybe?

tom hyle · 21st April 2005, 02:08 AM

That's a gunong, alright. the blade and handle are in the "backward" configuration sometimes seen on kris sundang, which is sometimes thought to be a Visayan influence (which is more common AFAIK on gunong than on kris sundang). The MOP also resembles Visayan work, and I wonder if this may be either a non-Moro piece or a traveller; either way more likely North than South of Moroland. The thin wire bindings sunk into grooves in the scabbard are very similar to those on the sheath of a Luzon(?) sword I recently got (not a matulis, I guess; it looks like a scramasax, but with a hoof-shaped horn handle).

Spunjer · 21st April 2005, 02:52 AM

wow! seems like this gunong covers luzon, visayas and mindanao. how old do you think it is, and you reckon it's a tourist piece???

tom hyle · 21st April 2005, 03:24 AM

I'm not sure; why do you suspect a decorator piece? How thick/solid is the blade? The Visayan MOP I've seen with those jagged edges is wwII or later. The sheath appears to have been carved for a long central (rattan?) wrap, now missing, and the wires are likely to be a later addition, but I wouldn't jump to thinking a "Western"/foreign one. It's not from Luzon, of course, but that's where I've most recently seen a sheath bound like this with industrial wire from. It may well be Moro, and I haven't anything solid against; it's mainly the sheath; it's unusual for a gunong, but may be like some seen on Moro kris sundang. I do think it's important that gunong is not a strictly Moro weapon; I've seen some pretty definitely Lumad ones, and currently own one that is pretty definitely old and more northern PI (Visayan? accessible pictures do exist; ask where if you're interested; there's a bad "shot" or two I took of it on a thread that's either early on this forum or late on the old one, called something like "mysteries, projects, etc."); I doubt they'd call it a gunong that far into the Spanish Empire, as it were, but that wouldn't make it not be a gunong......

Conogre · 21st April 2005, 07:54 AM

It looks like an authentic gunong to me, with my guess being an actual Moro piece from Mindenao (sp? sorry).
I'd suspect it of being early 1900's, maybe 20's or 30's by the hilt shape and blade configuration.
Mike

tom hyle · 21st April 2005, 12:46 PM

Late on the old forum: "mysteries, projects, etc." Octagon handle with same type pommel we've recently seen on a (batless/simplified variant) bathead-type parang nabur, and a horn crossguard, but tang is full length....

20th April 2005, 10:54 PM	#1
Spunjer Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Witness Protection Program Posts: 1,730	Gunong? hi, was just wondering about this knife. it looks a lot like your everyday gunong but i hate to jump to that conclusion. it has a very subtle wavy blade and looks to be quite old. then the handle: it is not the typical bulbous type you see floating around. it looks like it's crudely carved and the wood is very light compared to the gunongs i've handled before. the scabbard seems to be made out of the same type of wood which is very light. there are MOP inlays on one side of the scabbard,and X's engravings on the other side. also, instead of your typical wide metal band, this one has these real fine wire wound around it. indonesian, maybe? Attached Images

21st April 2005, 02:08 AM	#2
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	That's a gunong, alright. the blade and handle are in the "backward" configuration sometimes seen on kris sundang, which is sometimes thought to be a Visayan influence (which is more common AFAIK on gunong than on kris sundang). The MOP also resembles Visayan work, and I wonder if this may be either a non-Moro piece or a traveller; either way more likely North than South of Moroland. The thin wire bindings sunk into grooves in the scabbard are very similar to those on the sheath of a Luzon(?) sword I recently got (not a matulis, I guess; it looks like a scramasax, but with a hoof-shaped horn handle).

21st April 2005, 02:52 AM	#3
Spunjer Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Witness Protection Program Posts: 1,730	wow! seems like this gunong covers luzon, visayas and mindanao. how old do you think it is, and you reckon it's a tourist piece???

21st April 2005, 03:24 AM	#4
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	I'm not sure; why do you suspect a decorator piece? How thick/solid is the blade? The Visayan MOP I've seen with those jagged edges is wwII or later. The sheath appears to have been carved for a long central (rattan?) wrap, now missing, and the wires are likely to be a later addition, but I wouldn't jump to thinking a "Western"/foreign one. It's not from Luzon, of course, but that's where I've most recently seen a sheath bound like this with industrial wire from. It may well be Moro, and I haven't anything solid against; it's mainly the sheath; it's unusual for a gunong, but may be like some seen on Moro kris sundang. I do think it's important that gunong is not a strictly Moro weapon; I've seen some pretty definitely Lumad ones, and currently own one that is pretty definitely old and more northern PI (Visayan? accessible pictures do exist; ask where if you're interested; there's a bad "shot" or two I took of it on a thread that's either early on this forum or late on the old one, called something like "mysteries, projects, etc."); I doubt they'd call it a gunong that far into the Spanish Empire, as it were, but that wouldn't make it not be a gunong......

21st April 2005, 07:54 AM	#5
Conogre Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Clearwater, Florida Posts: 371	It looks like an authentic gunong to me, with my guess being an actual Moro piece from Mindenao (sp? sorry). I'd suspect it of being early 1900's, maybe 20's or 30's by the hilt shape and blade configuration. Mike

21st April 2005, 12:46 PM	#6
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Late on the old forum: "mysteries, projects, etc." Octagon handle with same type pommel we've recently seen on a (batless/simplified variant) bathead-type parang nabur, and a horn crossguard, but tang is full length....