Old Photo of Philippines "Bolo Maker"
 

Since some of you members here are in to Philippines weapons, I'm sure you will see the significance of this photo.
I collect various old photos off the net(anything Philippines history in general)...so dang many I lose track and forget where I get them. I was just thumbing through random photos on my computer last night and found this one. I had this photo stashed in a folder that was dated 2005. It is high quality and I never really looked at the fine details(Im on a laptop). But after blowing it up you can see he is more likely one of the bolo makers of the Phil-Am War era(~1900), and quite possibly for the 1st Republic. I say this cause all the other photos in that folder are of the Phil-Am War and are from that same photographer.
At the bottom the caption written on the photo was marked out by a black marker. But you can still read it says "Bolo Maker" and after that I believe it says the smiths name. I can't make out the name! If someone see the name on their computer better or has a photo editing program that can bring the name out, please let me know. This guys name should be remembered.

http://fototime.com/FA645391B357B29/orig.jpg
*Note the chocolate crate in the bottom right corner. The company name can probably tell us more on the date of this photo if it is looked in to.

Tools and a few other carved daggers.
http://fototime.com/1C2B4891981C034/orig.jpg

Random stuff on the back wall.
http://fototime.com/43618B94DEF872E/orig.jpg

http://fototime.com/5E4ECE2A24BAD06/orig.jpg

After blowing it up completely, you can see from this photo the obvious fist carved handle he created.
http://fototime.com/D2DD87743BC832B/orig.jpg

I know some of the members here have the fist shaped handles. Can we repost them here? Maybe we will see obvious similarities..and just maybe this is the man who made some of our bolos. :D

I was able to enhance the name. Cavite Viejo Village
Marulas, Kawit, Philippines.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawit,_Cavite

Thank you very much Louie! Now that makes perfect sense! Cavite Viejo is the old name for now Kawit, Cavite...and is the home town of the 1st President Emilio Aguinaldo. His grave and house(now shrine) is located there. It is the heart of Aguinaldos Magdalo Katipunan and his 1st Republic. I visited this area on my last Philippines trip.

Interesting even now, looking at current Mayor and Vice-Mayor of Kawit...they are both direct descendants of Emilio Aguinaldo.

Not a bolo per say, but still a classic example of the fist pommel... out of the same collection as the kris' and axes I recently acquired. The brass guard and ferrule had been polished by the previous owner. OAL measures approx. 39.5 cm, with a spine that measures 7.8 mm in thickness at the hilt and tapers evenly to the tip:

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/2274/knife.jpg

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/755/fist2.jpg

Great picture. Thank you so much for posting this. Maraming Salamat! :D

Here is my Tagalog bolo with horn hilt, silver ferrule, and bronze guard:

Wow, what a great picture!! :) A real piece of history frozen in time. Sadly I only have one item in my collection with a carved fist hilt and I believe that it was probably made around WWII for those who travel. :( It has aluminum fittings but did come with a nice, and what I believe to be older leather scabbard. One of these days though I will find a nice older one of these to add to my collection. I do have a dagger that has carvings on the hilt similar to the ones shown in the one picture if you are interested. Here are a couple pictures of my poor example.

Robert

Was hilt carving a specialized profession in the traditional manufacture of Filipino edged weapons, or was it standard for the bladesmith to also carve and mount the hilt? All of tooling in the photo seems to pertain to the creation of hilts, yet there are no unhilted blades visible...

Lowney's Chocolates .
http://panam1901.bfn.org/miscbuildin...ybuilding.html

Jose, you realise the hilt he is carving is exactly like yours . :eek:

Wow ...

Rick you have a point (like the one on my head :D ) and my piece I believe is literally Katipunan and pre -1900. Wonder if it was carved by the same artist.

It's spooky, I tell ya .
This guy could actually be the carver of your hilt . :eek:

The hilts appear identical. Always something of the artist resides in the art...

Another fist hilted dagger from my collection, 36,5 cm. Some of the inlays missing.

When did the Bolo forms develop the brass cross-guard we can see on so many contemporary pieces ?

Pre-WWII ?
After ?
Earlier ? :confused:

I have only seen them as in the last example WWII and after.

dimasalang, thanks for posting that old pic! wonderful :)

The name of the bolo maker is Carino Victa, a bolo maker who provided weapons to the Filipino resistance fighters circa 1898. The photo is in the Library of Congress. Also published in Kasaysayan: The History of the Filipino People. Book 5.

It's good to know that the bolo maker's name was recorded.

I wonder though whether that's really his nom de guerre -- because "cariño" refers to being sweet or dear, while "victa" [or victor] means conqueror.

In any case, that's a cool name for that day and age's rocket scientist :)

Nice, thanks for that info! :)
I collect Philippine history related books as well(old and new). Ill be on the look out for that one. ;)

Nacho,

You are wonderful. Thank you for the name and history of this artist and patriot. Lends even more evidence to the fist being a Katipunan symbol.

Maraming Salamat!

Another bolo hilt
 

Another bolo with similar hilt, I hope you enjoy pictures...
best regards
Carlos

Carlos, thanks for sharing.

The one on top in the photo, does the blade have a design on the other side? Maybe you can post pics of the entire blade, if it's not too much to ask :)

Thanks again!

Here is another one with a wavy blade. Does anyone have any idea what the small thing often enclosed in the fist is? presumably it has some significance. I believe the date engraved on this one is the first attack/beginning of the revolution

Thanks for posting the photos :)

The thing inside the fist pommel is the peened tang, but as to whether it was made to represent something, am not sure.

The engraving looks like it says "Kauit [i.e., Kawit, Cavite province] 30 Agozto [18]96 [the date Cavite province joined the revolution against Spain]".

Ashoka - an unusual piece. Usually I see these wavy blades from the Visayas or the Ilocanos. Cavite is far from both. Hmm.......

Unusual it is, Jose. I,ve seen other waved blades from the north, not common but just another variation. I,m not sure I have seen a waved sheath before though which this one has...

Interesting... That is with out a doubt a Cavite sword. The Revolution started in Manila on August 23, 1896. August 30 is the official date Cavite joined the revolution.

Undoubtedly with the differences we see in all the swords of this era, many had to be custom made for individuals. This being a quality piece, I would definitely say it was made for a high ranking individual in the Katipunan. There were only two Katipunan factions in Cavite; the Magdalo(Emilio Aguinaldos group) and the Magdiwang(Mariano Alvarezs group). Both were rivals to one another(The Supremo Andres Bonifacio was associated and accepted with the Magdiwang). The wavy blade is obviously of Ilocos or south Philippines, so it is very odd to see this coming from Cavite. But there was a famous Ilocano hero who achieved a high ranked status in Cavite during the revolution, his name is Artemio Ricarte(El Vibora - the Viper). Ricarte was born in Ilocos Norte and later resided in Cavite as a school teacher prior to the revolution. And interestingly enough, he was accepted and affiliated with both Katipunan groups of Cavite...it was well known Aguinaldo gave gifts to high ranked officers of his rival(the Magdiwang) in order for them to switch sides. Ricarte was a Magdiwang member Aguinaldo highly sought. During the Tejeros Convention in 1897(which was made up of nearly all Cavitenos and heavily Magdalo influenced), Ricarte(the only Ilocano) was elected Captain-General of the Army...which is a extremely high position for a outsider, and I would say is a position higher then the Supremo Andres Bonifacio(elected Director of Interior). This elected position for Ricarte shows the love and high respect they all had for Ricarte. Well anyways, not saying this could be Ricartes sword, but you can see the possibility of how a Ilocano style blade could of been custom made for a Ilocano rebel in Cavite. Also worth mentioning, during this era, more particularly in Luzon then in the deep south, many families moved and resided in other regions. It was not uncommon to see Tagalogs living in Ilocos region or Ilocanos in Tagalog territory...so this could just very well be a sword made by a Cavite smith who wanted to replicate a Ilocano blade. But I still would like to believe it was made for El Vibora.
:D

http://fototime.com/F15D7C3956A9D16/orig.jpg

Fascinating and very helpful Dimasalang. Answers a lot of things. This does look more Ilocano than Visayan or Moro.

Maraming Salamat.

I second that. Maraming Salamat Po!

That was a very informative read.

The "Viper" ... and a wavy (naga) blade ... makes a lot of sense!

Dimasalang, if all Phil. history professors recount the past like you do, then this school subject will not be boring at all :)

!! that is what I call background knowledge..! thanks Dimasalang that is fascinating information. On the other side of the blade is carved 'Kalayaan'?