Interesting Lumad sword

[Ian]

Originally Posted by zamboanga

i think there is a bit of chance that the lumad sword mentioned here is maranao made. but that's just my opinion. i used to have a maranao made jian and pira.

by the way, the tagacaolos are said to be a branch of the mandayas.

Good point Z.

The one on eBay appears to be more recently made, or perhaps assembled, than the example for which I show pictures above. Coins on the one above date to the 1930s -- which doesn't necessarily mean much, but suggests pre-WWII manufacture and the overall condition would tend to confirm that age.

Maranao swords and knives made in the last 50 years or so have included "non-traditional" styles, perhaps based on other local weapons. Sale to the tourist trade may explain part of this trend.

I have seen other sabers coming from the Maranao dating to the second half of the 20th C. Many of these had Eastern-style knuckle guards and pointed scabbards with silver tips. I'm not sure what style of sword they were emulating.