A pair of interesting Philippine Edged Weapons

[Ian]

Hi Detlef,

What puts me off a Visayan origin for the smaller knife is the full length tang and the form of the D-guard. Perhaps something from Cebu, but I think that is less likely than Luzon.

Regards, Ian.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Ian

What puts me off a Visayan origin for the smaller knife is the full length tang and the form of the D-guard. Perhaps something from Cebu, but I think that is less likely than Luzon.

Hi Ian,

Of course you could be correct, the complete handle and the full tang construction looks very Luzon to my eyes as well. It could be a Luzon dagger sheathed in a Visayan scabbard. But the scabbard seems to be made for this blade. When I saw this dagger I remembered directly an old thread where Zel has shown some very nice Visayan blades, the engraving at the ricasso area and the blade cross section are very similar, see the pics. But like always I could very well be wrong.

Regards,
Detlef

[drac2k]

The bottom dagger does have similar engraving at the ricasso as well as that triangular shaped blade.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by drac2k

The bottom dagger does have similar engraving at the ricasso as well as that triangular shaped blade.

Hi David,

What I stated! I directly remembered this old thread when I saw your dagger the first time. I think that the blade has clearly Visayan features.

Regards,
Detlef

[drac2k]

Right. It was so well said by you, that I had to state it again. Sometimes my brain has a delayed reaction, lol.

[Ian]

Hi Detlef,

Yes, lines on the blade adjacent to the hilt are certainly seen on some Visayan knives and swords, including those with Panay hilts. And yes, an occasional Spanish Colonial blade of triangular cross-section can be found with a Visayan hilt. However, the substantial majority of these triangular cross-section knives and swords are mounted with full-length tang, Luzon (Tagalog or Ilokano) hilts, as the present example illustrates.

Also, in passing, the asymmetrical, slightly curved blade on drac's smaller knife is very unusual. More typically, Spanish Colonial knives of triangular cross-section are straight and symmetrical with a straight ridge running down the middle of the obverse side of the blade. Sometimes, such a blade flares slightly in width just below the ricasso and then tapers with straight edges to an acute point (features seen in the comparison blade in your most recent post). Spanish Colonial swords with a triangular cross-section are more likely, at least in my experience, to have curved blades rather than straight, symmetrical ones.

Drac's smaller knife is of better quality and interest than the larger one IMHO — better made and more uncommon.