Significance of blacksmith marks/tang stamps on Philippines swords

[Rick]

Here's one that I sold to Xas..
You can't read it too easily from this photo, but it is JC

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Rick

Here's one that I sold to Xas..
You can't read it too easily from this photo, but it is JC

Hi Rick. The JC mark is an old one from Batangas. It stands for Jesu Cristo (Jesus Christ). That knife is probably early 20th C. Xas has a nice sinampolok sword from circa 1900 with the same mark that he bought from me.

[drac2k]

Thanks for the info Ian; even though the blades looked early, I wasn't aware that the sword smiths signed their work prior to WW2. A very useful revelation.