New Moro weaponry
 

My new acquisitions from my last trip in Mindanao. Any information will be greatly appreciated :)

Hi ACP,

Interesting modern pieces. Can you tell us in what city or town you bought these items? Some look Yakan and some look Maranao in origin.

Ian.

Hi Ian

The Barungs I got from some Tausug acquaintances now living in Cotabato. The Kris swords I was able to acquire from a friend who owns some Maguindanao krises and wanted to help me kickstart my own collection.

Im probably going to get hooked on this hobby 😆.

The last one with the silver scabbard (maybe a gunong? I dont know, its more than 12 inches) is so heavy i guess because of the ivory/horn handle. Very intricate design, and the owner was loth to part with it. Needless to say a bit of pleading and cajoling was done until at last he gave his assent.

I am very new to this, so any suggestions/recommendations to have a bit more information will be of big help in catalouging these pieces

I am very much interested in your inputs as I am sure this will be of much help in future acquisitions. Warmest regards to all

Hi greetings! In my estimate, most of the weaponry you got is Maranao made- I'm sure about the Pira and the Barungs. The Maranao have a negative reputation right now with collectors and/or martial arts practitioners who want functional blades (like me). Their display value is excellent, but unfortunately, around 80-90% of Maranao weapons are for display only.

That being said, if you prefer functional, modern-made, traditional Moro weaponry, the best source are either the Basilan or Jolo smiths. The Basilan smiths are faithful to the old designs, from the ground up- hilt, scabbard, blade profile- although they have less design value because the blades are meant for functional use. The most common and accessible are the Yakan barungs and pira. There is one exception, however- the Lubian barungs are exemplary in both form and function. They command quite a high price, however.

Jolo, known as the birthplace of the barung, is another matter. Reasonably priced yet well-made, Jolo barungs are difficult to come by nowadays due to the tense security situation in the Sulu area.

I'm attaching pics. The Yakan barung and the two piras are on the dark blue/black background; the Lubian barung on the brown background, and the Jolo barung on the woven background.

Hope this info helps. Please support the Philippines' traditional bladesmiths by buying these blades!