Two Philippines blades with similar profiles - “Sinuwak”?

wildwolberine · 15th June 2023, 08:30 PM

Posting these for comment. One old knife I’ve always referred to as a tenegre. Figural hilt in good condition, I assume it’s wood as there’s no insect damage? Brass ferrule, thick blade with minimal damage, elongated clip point profile. Wood scabbard with upper part covered in hide. Part of the scabbard retains the thin horn covering (I thought this was turtle shell but see others have ID’d it as buffalo horn).

Second is very similar but recently made in last 6-8 years. Was imported by Kris Cutlery (RIP!) and purchased on electronic bay. Seller described it as a “Sinuwak”. It’s similar to the old forum photo (attached) I found when I searched the forum. I noticed it has a similar blade shape, ferrule, and scabbard as the older tenegre. Honestly it’s probably my favorite contemporary, utilitarian piece even though it hardly cost anything.

So, does the term “Sinuwak” mean anything, and is there a relationship between the two swords? A web search returns a lot of examples of this knife from Badiangan, Iloilo.

Lastly, I may try to do some work on the tenegre. Could the blade be a candidate for etching?

15th June 2023, 08:30 PM	#1
wildwolberine Member Join Date: May 2023 Location: San Antonio Posts: 108	Two Philippines blades with similar profiles - “Sinuwak”? Posting these for comment. One old knife I’ve always referred to as a tenegre. Figural hilt in good condition, I assume it’s wood as there’s no insect damage? Brass ferrule, thick blade with minimal damage, elongated clip point profile. Wood scabbard with upper part covered in hide. Part of the scabbard retains the thin horn covering (I thought this was turtle shell but see others have ID’d it as buffalo horn). Second is very similar but recently made in last 6-8 years. Was imported by Kris Cutlery (RIP!) and purchased on electronic bay. Seller described it as a “Sinuwak”. It’s similar to the old forum photo (attached) I found when I searched the forum. I noticed it has a similar blade shape, ferrule, and scabbard as the older tenegre. Honestly it’s probably my favorite contemporary, utilitarian piece even though it hardly cost anything. So, does the term “Sinuwak” mean anything, and is there a relationship between the two swords? A web search returns a lot of examples of this knife from Badiangan, Iloilo. Lastly, I may try to do some work on the tenegre. Could the blade be a candidate for etching? Attached Images