Kampilan - brass hilt

[Jeff Pringle]

This meter-long kampilan has a very nicely forged blade of layered steel, and a cast brass 'crossguard' - any ideas, comments?

[VANDOO]

00PS EDIT CAUSED DOUBBLE POST

[VANDOO]

I HAVEN'T SEEN A BAGABO OR TIBOLI KAMPILIAN BEFORE BUT THAT WOULD BE MY GUESS BASED ON THE BRASS WORK. THEIR SWORDS ARE SIMULAR TO A A MORO KAMPILIAN IN FORM BUT OF A SMALLER SIZE AND USUALLY HAVE BRASSWORK ON THE HANDLES FROM SOLID BRASS TO BRASS AND WOOD HANDLES. THERE ARE 2 FOR SALE ON THE SWAP FORUM TO LOOK AT AND YOU CAN FIND MORE INFO BY SEARCHING TIBOLI AND BAGOBO.

THE QUESTION IS DID A MORO COMISSION A BRASS GAURD FOR HIS KAMPILIAN OR WAS IT CAPTURED AND THE NEW GAURD PUT ON THE BLADE?
A VERY INTERESTING ITEM SHOWING GOOD AGE, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL FROM A PICTURE. CONGRADULATIONS

[Jim McDougall]

Vandoo, thank you for the informative assessment, and its interesting to learn more on the appearance of brass on these kampilans. If Moro kampilans did not have brass applied regularly, why would a Moro desire it added to a hilt , or use the hilt on a Moro blade? I hope this doesnt sound too elementary, but these weapons are quite outside my regular field, and your post just aroused my interest!

All best regards,
Jim

[VANDOO]

THESE CROSS POLINATED SPORTS DO SHOW UP

IT WOULD APPEAR THE WOODEN HANDLE HAD SOMETHING ATTACHED TO COVER IT AT SOME TIME MOST LIKELY DECORATED METAL STRIPS OR PLATES ALL NOW MISSING WHICH IS NOT A NORMAL MORO TECKNIQUE. THE BRASS CROSSGAURD IS NOT TYPICAL OF THE CROSSGAURDS USED ON TIBOLI OR BAGOBO SWORDS BUT IS MADE MORE LIKE A MORO KAMPILIAN GAURD, ALSO NOTE THE PLACE TO ATTACH HAWK BELLS TO THE GAURD ALSO NOT A MORO STYLE.
AS TO WHY AND WHEN THIS HYBRID CAME TO BE WE CAN ONLY GUESS, THE BRASS GAURD COULD HAVE BEEN A REPLACEMENT FOR THE ORIGINAL WOODEN ONE WHICH WAS DAMMAGED.
IT COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN ADDED LATER BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER OR LATER BY A SELLER TO MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE. OTHER POSSIBILITYS WOULD BE A MARRAGE OF MORO /BAGOBO/TIBOLI AND SOMEONE INCORPORATED A MIX OF BOTH OR PERHAPS A GIFT OR PRESENTATION TO SOME NOTABLE PERSON OF HIGH RANK FROM ANOTHER.
I WILL SEE IF I CAN ATTACH SOME PHOTOS FOR COMPARASON, NOT FROM MY COLLECTION UNFORTUNATELY HOPE I DON'T OFFEND BY BORROWING THEM.

STRANGE NOW MY PICTURES ARE JUST THE REVERCE OF WHAT I WROTE BELOW SO AM ADDING THIS EXPLANATION.

THE FIRST 2 PICTURES ARE OF A GOOD OLD STANDARD KAMPILIAN WITH NO METAL GAURD. THE NEXT ONE IS A MORE RECENT ONE WITH THE STANDARD GAURD AND NOTE THE PATTERN IN THE EYE I REFER TO IT AS THE ATOMIC KAMPILIAN. THE THIRD ONE IS ALSO A MORE RECENT ONE AND HAS A DECORATED METAL PLATE ATTACHED TO THE GAURD ON BOTH SIDES.

[kai]

I agree: the blade looks Moro, the hilt seems to be Lumad. It's not rare to find captured/traded Moro blades as well as reproduced Moro-like blades with Lumad tribes. Their kampilans tend to be quite small though and I haven't seen any blade coming close to a full-sized Moro kampilan. Seems like someone needed a large stick...

Please post some more pics of the hilt, Jeff.

Regards,
Kai

[VANDOO]

HERE ARE SOME BAGOBO AND TIBOLI SWORDS FOR COMPARASON. THE LAST PICTURE IS OF A MORE RECENT TIBOLI KAMPILIAN CROSSBREED.

[Jeff Pringle]

The wood part of the handle is still mostly covered in copper or brass sheet, now nicely oxidized to match the wood. One strip missing from each side, none were fit to the bottom where the hair should be. There is some heavy glue/filler between the brass crossguard and the wire-wrapped hilt, which argues for a replacement, but from what I can see the wood is also shaped to fit to the brass hilt fairly well, so maybe the filler is a later repair. I'll take a couple more photos of the other sides.
Definitely some similarity in the brasswork with the Bagobo/Tiboli, although this kampilan is more simple in the decorative details...