Bolo
 

Just picked this up this morning at the local gun and knife show for a song. It is uncleaned and as found. Possible from Luzon and I'm guessing from the second quarter of the 20th century. I thought that I had seen one in another thread with a similar blade style but after a couple of hour of searching I haven't found it. If anyone remembers please post link. Grip is horn with brass collar and the tang goes through and is peened over. All help and information on this is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Overall length is 18-1/4"
Blade length s 12-1/8"
Blade at widest point is 2-7/16"
Blade width at hilt is 1-3/4"
Blade thickness at hilt is 1/4"

A few more pictures after cleaning off some of the rust. I'm starting to think that the grip might be wood (no worm damage) after cleaning but not sure because of the weathering. Blade V ground. Would this have had a wood scabbard or a leather sheath?

Robert

Robert, thank you for your photos and good measures. Yes, the hilt is made from wood. Seems as a tropical hardwood very similar to one species found in Mexico. Do I see a tang riveted on the end of the hilt? Very well documented. It only lacks of a picture from behind the hilt.
My best regards

Gonzalo

Gonzalo, Thank you for your interest and for the information on the hilt construction material. The picture of the end of the hilt that shows the tang has been added. Again my thanks.

Robert

Thank YOU, Robert. It is an interesting rivet, similar in some way to the ones you can find in some khukris.
Regards

Gonzalo

Well, I know it is from Luzon - they always have the tang go through the hilt. Could be a bolo malipad......

Hi, Jose. Many thanks for your reply. I've not heard of a "bolo malipad" before and cannot find any reference to it. Could you please give more information on this style of bolo and possible who made it and when? Thank you for all the help that you have given me on this and many other items that I've posted.

Robert

Hey fellas, thats horn, not wood. And the surface, thats what happens with sun and drying out. And it happens fast! I need to make a humidifying box for my inventory of blades, all the horn hilts dry up quick in air conditioning. I have to oil them once every few weeks to avoid checking and delaminating. Horn is a great hilt material, but it moves more than just about anything.

I've got a few pieces like this, let me grab some pics soon. This style usually has a leather scabbard, with some fringe at the chape and toe. I like the lines on this one, looks real comfy in the hands.

Cheers,

Garrett

Try pure Lanolin on the horn .

Hi Garrett, I'm glad you like the way it looks. It IS very comfortable in the hand. Looking forward to pictures of your examples. Thank you for the scabbard info. I have been thinking about making new ones for the weapons that I have that are missing the originals. I just want them to look as accurate as possible.

Hi Rick, Lanolin is what I have been using on all the horn grips on my items including this one.

Thanks again for everyone's help with this.

Robert

What kind of horn is this? I have buffalo and common cow horn hilts, and no one looks like this, even being very old and much worked. I live in a very sunny and dry area. Instead, from the photos that hilt looks identical to a hardwood I have worked with. Of course there are many things I have no experience with, and photos does not permit manipulations to study the material, so I said what to me seems correct. Does this horn comes from a specific kind of cattle? Thank you in advance for the information.
Regards

Gonzalo

it looks like "white buffalo horn"..

When I first posted this bolo the reasons that I said the hilt was horn is that it looks exactly (not is shape but in texture) like one I have from the early 20th century that is weathered badly. It also has a plug in the end of the grip where the tang comes through to fill it in and made it solid. I've seen this done on quite a few horn griped weapons. This can be seen in the last picture that I posted. If this is horn it is probably from a water buffalo. Thank you all again for you interest and help.


Robert

Bolos
 

Some miniature forms from the early 20thC. :)
One is sort of similar ... sort of .. ;) :shrug:

Hi Rick, Great little collection you have there thanks for sharing them. Are the grips on these bone? The second from the bottom look similar to the one I have posted. What is stamped on its blade?


Robert

Great suggestion! I will get some lanolin. Better than the mineral oil I've been using. And Ren. wax does very little....

Here is a pic of a few of this type, the one on the left is the oldest, and most similar to yours.

I'd guess most of these are from the Luzon area of the Phillipines, and date from 1900-1950. But I'm always glad to be corrected.

I like the feel of these handles so much I modeled this handle after one. Doesnt look quite the same, but feels it. Incidentally, this handle is much nicer on a weight forward, heavier knife or short swort, like the old examples we've been showing. Isnt as good on a shorter blade like what I did :rolleyes:

Hi Garrett, You are quite right, the one on the left is very similar to the one that I posted. Thank you very much for posting the picture especially since it shows the original scabbard. Now I have a pattern to go by when I attempt to make a new one for mine. The small knife that you posted is Very impressive. :eek: Is the grip made of rosewood? What are the measurements? Again thank you for your help.

Robert

Hi Robert,

The handles are bone .
The piece you are interested in has (of course) the poorest markings .
What I can make out is either Naraui or Nabaui ;hard to tell if it's an R or a poorly stamped B . :shrug: :)

Of course, Murphy's Law in perfect working order. That is a very nice collection of miniatures you have there. Almost all the ones that I have seen have the blades made from aluminium with wooden grips while the blades on your seem to be made of steel and have bone grips. Very nice!! Do you have more of these?

Hi Robert,

Ebay..
Someone had broken up a Moro weapons plaque, or it was too shot to sell whole .
These were auctioned off in parcels of five .
I'm guessing these are from the Twenties or so .
The early examples were much nicer than the post WWII examples .

I replaced a missing ferrule on the Bolo and mounted them in a little shadowbox .

Rick- those look great together in a shadow box

Robert- its W1 steel, differentially heat treated, copper collar, cocobolo handle with a single bamboo pin. About 10 inches overall.

Let me know if you'd like some more pics of that scabbard, I'd be glad to get some to you.

Garrett, Yes I would greatly appreciate some close-ups of the detailing on the scabbard. Thank you very much for helping me to get the new one made in the proper style.

Rich, Those do look absolutely great mounted in that shadow box! To bad you couldn't get the entire set when they came up for auction.


Robert