Interesting old fighter - Philippines?
 

This old knife arrived today. Any ideas where it might be from? The hilt sure looks like dark wood based on the cracked/chipped areas and the area under the ferrule. The ferrule and guard are brazed? together. Blade looks like it could be cut down or repurposed. Blade is about 30 cm with a short 4 cm tang. It’s about 3 cm at widest point. Doesn’t appear to be chisel ground. Last 11 cm of the spine is sharpened. Scabbard has one remaining brass band. Overall the item appears to be pretty old. Any insight into origin or age would be appreciated!

WW,

The pommel resembles an old kakatua style used on barung, which might suggest it had some proximity to Moro groups in its past. The guard looks Tagalog or Visayan. The blade looks fairly crude and probably not Moro. The sheath is not distinctive and of village quality.

If we go with a possible Moro influence, then Mindanao and Palawan are the most obvious areas where Moros and other groups cohabit.

It looks like a general utility knife with fighting capabilities. The metal band around the wooden scabbard resembles WWII-era construction.

Thanks for your input, Ian! After cleaning I discovered the blade was forged from a file of rasp.