Need Help

[Ahmad]

Dear Friends ,

I need help to identify this weapon , the origin and other info about it .

Thanks a lot

Ahmad

[Sajen]

Hello Ahmad,

Please upload your pictures direct to this site, see here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=13631

PS: Welcome to the forum!

[M ELEY]

Hello Ahmad. Judging from the files you originally uploaded, I am of the opinion that your weapon is an espada of Spanish colonial manufacture. The flat tang with side slats and rivets are classical features for these type pieces, as is the "S" shaped guard. What remains of the slat wood grips also looks like the desert wood (forgive me, I'm not sure if Mesquite, etc) often found on such pieces. Even the copper rivets used to secure the grips classic for espada (both ancha swords and Mexican bowie-type knives such as yours). This example would probably date ca. 1800-60's, pre- and post-Revolution period. A very interesting piece!

[Ahmad]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Hello Ahmad. Judging from the files you originally uploaded, I am of the opinion that your weapon is an espada of Spanish colonial manufacture. The flat tang with side slats and rivets are classical features for these type pieces, as is the "S" shaped guard. What remains of the slat wood grips also looks like the desert wood (forgive me, I'm not sure if Mesquite, etc) often found on such pieces. Even the copper rivets used to secure the grips classic for espada (both ancha swords and Mexican bowie-type knives such as yours). This example would probably date ca. 1800-60's, pre- and post-Revolution period. A very interesting piece!

Hi M Eley ,

Thank you very much for your opnion on my stuff .
It so useful for me ..to make an answer or some explanation about it .

Cheers

[Battara]

Since the photos are still not uploaded per forum rules, I will have to look this thread (also to protect the site from malware).

[fernando]

Thread unlocked; photos extracted, converted, resized and uploaded as per protocol.


.

[mariusgmioc]

To me this does not look like a weapon but more like a utility cleaver or machete.

Anyhow, definitely not a pedang... in my oppinion.

PS: Yet, the presence of the crossguard somehow confuses me (I mean confuses me more than I usually am)...

[fernando]

Not the blade shape of a Espada Ancha, anyway ... right ?

[Battara]

Thank you Fernando. I will move this to the European side.

[Jim McDougall]

In the Philippines under Spanish suzerainty, there was a great deal of weaponry etc. deeply influenced by Spanish/European examples. This, as Mark Eley has well noted, is reflected in the shape of the hilt and guard including the riveted grip panels.

The shape of the blade indicates of course it would be in the spectrum of edged implement/weapons known loosely as bolo's (if I understand correctly as these classifications are often somewhat vague). These are as suggested used as machetes as would be expected in these regions, and the 'espada ancha' of Spanish colonial frontiers in Mexico and the American Southwest, was used very much in the same manner.

With the colonial connections with the Philippines being the far east sector of the 'Spanish Main', the diffusion of these elemental styles is of course quite expected. In the time I collected and studied the espada ancha, I had examples of these Philippine weapons with such similarity included in the spectrum as extended examples of the type.

The espada ancha proper, that is from Spanish colonial regions in the Americas, did not have a specific blade style or form, but in fact were mounted with Spanish 'dragoon' or military blades to locally fashioned heavy blades which were very 'cutlass' like.

In many cases, the ''machete' is believed to have evolved from naval cutlasses and the Spanish 'espada anchas' (Brinckerhoff & Chamberlain, 1972).

Attached are two espada anchas, which have the characteristic knucklebow, but the riveted plate grips are similar in styling to the example. The heavy 'blacksmith type' blades are also typical, with those with 'dragoon' or military blades more 'dress' types.
These were carried on the frontiers by mounted soldados who used them to chop through the heavy chapparel and vegetation of the deserts in the Southwest.

[CSinTX]

I would call it a bolo but cant say much past that.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Ahmad

Hi M Eley ,

Thank you very much for your opnion on my stuff .
It so useful for me ..to make an answer or some explanation about it .

Cheers

Say Ahmad; does this example belong in your collection ? What part of the world did you acquire it from ?

[fernando]

I would not know how to name this item but, within my ignorance, i would dare say that, the parts that make it resemble a espada ancha are infinitely less than those that don't make it look like one ... even if just their derivation. The blade is much shorter and off shape, the grip may have a similar approah but, the whole hilt complex certainly doesn't.
Let us see if Ahmad tells us where i bought it from, assuming he did it. That may help to through some light to it.

[Jim McDougall]

It is as often, the issue of name of an item for classification purposes while the item itself carries various characteristics of several forms and elements which place it in variant status. Collectors are inherently inclined to seek specific categorization and wish to avoid added qualifying description in many cases.

The term 'bolo' is a broadly used word in Philippine description of edged weapons which were in many cases tools or implements, which often served as arms to the point that they were even included in certain Filipino martial arts.

As can be seen in this plate, various of this genre fall into the collective category yet their characters defy distinct categoric description.

The espada ancha, like many ethnographic edged weapons, has a quite collective categorization which varies in degree in use with similar disparities.
The term itself means literally 'large sword', and seems to refer mostly to the very stout blades on many, even most, of the frontier versions. In other cases, military blades or civilian arming blades shortened occur in the wear as accouterments in more dress settings mounted in these hilts are termed 'espada ancha'. I have one such from Santa Fe, N.M. in this manner (no pics yet avail.) but clearly not fit for the rugged frontier use.

In the case of this 'bolo', I agree the comparison to espada ancha by term is tenuous in degree, but that the hilt on this archipelago edged weapon or tool is clearly with 'European' styling with guard in that character. The riveted grip plates recall the espada ancha hilts, but of course overall, I would say this would not be in the espada ancha category. The comparison however would be viable in degree reflecting the possible Spanish influence with the guard.
Note the curled pommel on the bottom example in the plate of illustrations .

This would seem a 'bolo' type (in group) element, paired with the European type guard, and the blade of undetermined type but clearly a chopper for utility type use primarily.