19th century Latin American fighting knife?

[wildwolberine]

Originally Posted by RobT

wildwolberine,

I don't see any features on this knife or sheath that are inconsistent with the Philippines. The "squared guard" that M ELEY pointed out is not uncommonly found in Philippine daggers. I also note that the general shape and the slightly kopis edge is also commonly found on the so called "Philippine bowies". That "Del Sr" signature you show could actually be an abbreviation for Del Sur which refers to Illocos Del Sur in the Philippines which is a main manufacture site for Philippine bowies.

Sincerely,
RobT

RobT,

Thanks for your input! I could not find a similar example on the forum, I would appreciate any links to threads. I suspect this isn’t the original blade profile, it shows a lot of sharpening. The straight spine and edge and centered vs. offset tang are distinctive. The sheath is quite simple and lacks any reinforcement or ornamentation at the throat (of course this could be missing).