What species of Philippine bolo is this?
 

This is currently on the way to me. To my eye, it "looks good", but can anyone recognize the type? It seems to have a mix of characteristics, and I'm no expert on these, anyway.

Hi TS:

Need more pics for this one, especially the hilt. From this one dark pic it does not look very old. Is the edge V-ground or a chisel grind?

Ian.

I'll take some when it gets here. I boosted the "fill flash" on the full view. At least it looks like it'll cut brush pretty good, whatever it is. :D

They call it a talibon sir. It is a kind of bolo used in the Eastern Visayas. I have a couple in my collection. The characteristic shape is taken from the curvature of the seahorse's belly. Used mostly for combat, it was modified to be used as a game sword to cut grass and later when the animal was caught, to cut the carcass

Thanks. I was hoping that someone from the area might chime in. I thought that the Visayan talibon usually has a straight or concave back, rather than a convex hump, or Bowie profile, like this one does. Is this a specific variety of talibon?

Edit-- Now having the weapon in hand, it's right side chisel ground, and is differentially hardened.

Hello Treeslicer,

in this case, I mean that it has on one side a chisel ground, ACP is correct, it's indeed a talibon. Very unusual with the clipped point.

Regards,
Detlef

Western Visayan (?) talibon
 

Hi TS:

I'm just catching up with your added pictures. Others have pointed to this being a somewhat unusual talibon from the Visayas. The slightly clipped blade and the atypical hilt suggest that this one is not from its usual place of origin in the Eastern Visayas (Samar, Leyte, etc.) but is probably a Western Visayan form. The "eared" pommel resembles some of the 20th C. pommel versions of sundang, tenegre, etc. from Panay. Clipped blades are also more common in the Western Visayas. The chisel grind to the blade pretty much says it is Visayan in origin, although there are blades from Bicol and Batangas with chisel grinds too.

Ian

I sorry and maybe it is just my eyesight getting worse in my old age, but I do not see a chisel edge grind on this blade. :confused: I do however believe that this piece could very easily be from Bicol or Batangas.

Best,
Robert

Robert, Treeslicer has indicated there is a chisel grind based on direct observation. Ian

Starting to crop and shrink photos to fit the BB software's constraints. Apologies for the poor quality (by my standards, anyway).

I hope you can see that the edge slopes on the front side, but not on the back.

More views.

Compare! http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=visayan