Filipino Traditional Blades--a brief review (part I)

[Ian]

In a recent thread on Palawan badung, mention was made of the Facebook page "Filipino Traditional Blades." This is an interesting site and I would recommend it to those who are particularly looking for information about contemporary Filipino blades (traditional and non-traditional), although it discusses older examples as well. It is necessary to read the descriptions carefully, because some of the information is cryptic or potentially misleading. Much of the information comes from Filipinos who have visited the areas where these knives are made, or have some specialized knowledge to share.

This post and the succeeding ones show a few pictures from the FTB site along with the descriptions provided. These give a brief example of what can be found there and the scope of information one might expect.

The first picture is from Bukidnon, Mindanao.

"Lambitad" Bukidnon (Higaonon Tribe)
A traditional bolo of the Higaonon Tribe of Impasug-ong, Bukidnon.
This particular one is the EDC bolo of a Higaonon Datu (Tribal Chief)

Here we are given the name of the knife (lambitad), the location (Impasug-ong, Bukidnon), and the name of the tribe (Higaonon). All useful and specific information about (what appears to be) a recently made knife for a local datu.

The second picture shows a pair of small knives from the Sulu region.

"Pisau" Sulu Region
These are small knives used for preparing betel nut or Mama'.
The word pisau would refer to a small knife.

Again, we are given the name (pisau) and general area of origin (Sulu), and its use (preparing betel nut). Pisau is a common name for a small knife in SE Asia, and is used in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia to describe other types of small knives, including those found in sheaths on the back of mandau (pisau raout).

The third example is also a small knife that comes from a small island in Laguna de Pays near Manila.

"Kayasan" Talim Island
A small trad knife of Talim Island, Binangonan, Rizal.

We have the name of the knife (kayasan) and the village from which it came (Binangonan in the Province of Rizal). Given the location, one would expect this to be a Tagalog knife.
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