Modern pira

xasterix · 24th August 2020, 04:27 PM

Greetings everyone. Just sharing this newly-made pira from Ungkaya, Basilan. It's a difficult area to access even for the Yakan living in Isabela City. It was very much worth all the trouble though, as I believe it's the best modern pira sample I've ever seen and wielded. It's proof that the modern-day Bangsamoro pandays still have fire left in their beliies.

I also welcome the sharing of similar-looking modern or vintage pira by other forum members, as I'm curious what other samples Basilan has produced throughout the years.

kronckew · 24th August 2020, 04:36 PM

Purdy! Mongo Likes!
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mariusgmioc · 24th August 2020, 05:22 PM

I am also collecting recently made swords and daggers, and if they are traditionally made and ethnografically correct, are at least as precious as their antique counterparts... at least to me.

By buying newly made pieces we directly help keeping the traditions and skills alive.

kronckew · 24th August 2020, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

I am also collecting recently made swords and daggers, and if they are traditionally made and ethnografically correct, are at least as precious as their antique counterparts... at least to me.

By buying newly made pieces we directly help keeping the traditions and skills alive.

I agree!

xasterix · 24th August 2020, 05:32 PM

@kronckew thanks for the Mongo likes!

@mariusgmioc many thanks for expressing this view. Your view resonates with me and my friends' advocacy, that is - to keep traditional blades alive throughout generations. To preserve the process and render a cultural artifact to be as ethnographically correct as possible.

kronckew · 24th August 2020, 06:06 PM

The UK prohibits the import of curved bladed knives/swords with blades over 50 cm. long.

There is an exemption available to collectors/martial arts members that they are OK if made by traditional means. I ordered two swords from Ron Kosakowski at Traditional Filipino Weapons a few years back. after buying the Visayan Barong above from him. One in a later batch had a slightly curved blade a few inches over the 50 cm. mark. Ron followed all the rules and had made it known on the customs form the sword was 'traditionally made' and thus exempt from the silly rule (silly in that a straight blade would have been allowed, no problem).

The UK Border Force Confiscated them anyway. Apparently, if one of a batch doesn't meet their arbitrary requirements, the whole shipment is forfeit.

With Ron's help and with photos & videos of TFW's blades actually being forged, along with some documentation from Ron, the UKBF grudgingly allowed the shipment into the UK to me. Some of TFW's items are somewhat loose in the interpretation of the appearance of the forms he has made by the traditional smiths he uses. He's got a bit better since our dance with the UKBF. The whole brouhaha took around 6 months of emails and surface mails, back and forth, before I received my goodies.

xasterix · 24th August 2020, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

The UK prohibits the import of curved bladed knives/swords over 50 cm. long.

There is an exemption available to collectors/martial arts members that they are OK if made by traditional means. I ordered two swords from Ron Kosakowski at Traditional Filipino Weapons a few years back. after buying the Visayan Barong above from him. One in a later batch had a slightly curved blade a few inches over the 50 cm. mark. Ron followed all the rules and had made it known on the customs form the sword was 'traditionally made' and thus exempt from the silly rule (silly in that a straight blade would have been allowed, no problem).

The UK Border Force Confiscated them anyway. Apparently, if one of a batch doesn't meet their arbitrary requirements, the whole shipment is forfeit.

With Ron's help and with photos & videos of TFW's blades actually being forged, along with some documentation from Ron, the UKBF grudgingly allowed the shipment into the UK to me. Some of TFW's items are somewhat loose in the interpretation of the appearance of the forms he has made by the traditional smiths he uses. He's got a bit better since our dance with the UKBF. The whole brouhaha took around 6 months of emails and surface mails, back and forth, before I received my goodies.

Thanks for supporting the work of Filipino pandays sir. Although I have to admit, me and my friends don't get along well with TFW- we view the outfit as more of a custom blade producer, because, as you mentioned - the designs are inaccurate. There's also the case of the blades defying ethnographic accuracy- all of his pieces are made in North Luzon, and only by one ethnolinguistic group. This totally ignores the unique blademaking practices and other cultural stuff that is preserved by different regional pandays faithfully sticking to their respective regions ' trad blades. But perhaps the worst slurs are the mislabeled or fantasy-stuff history / origin stated by his products.

Sorry for the rant. But I really hope you come across the legit trad blades-- I can vouch that the real thing does perform well and look good!

Interested Party · 24th August 2020, 05:49 PM

Do you know how the hilt/blade are attached in this example? Are there pins hidden under the wrapping? Or is it purely a traditional resin or modern epoxy resin that holds the hilt in place? Xasterix If I remember correctly you perform cut tests with many blades, how do traditional methods of blade attachment work under repeated stress? Very nice looking blade by the way. I like the grain of the wood used as well! The foible reminds me of a saber's yelman or the shape of some older patterns of Mexican machete.

xasterix · 24th August 2020, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Interested Party

Do you know how the hilt/blade are attached in this example? Are there pins hidden under the wrapping? Or is it purely a traditional resin or modern epoxy resin that holds the hilt in place? Xasterix If I remember correctly you perform cut tests with many blades, how do traditional methods of blade attachment work under repeated stress? Very nice looking blade by the way. I like the grain of the wood used as well! The foible reminds me of a saber's yelman or the shape of some older patterns of Mexican machete.

Hullo, thanks for the kind words - there are no pins hidden under the wrapping. In place of traditional resin, epoxy is used to secure the blade to the hilt- this is the case with most modern Bangsamoro blades I've wielded.

For modern blades, both the traditional (heat-inserted or resin) and epoxy adhesive have performed well under successive strikes. The only hilts that have loosened after my usual test belong to old blades with traditional adhesive; I reset both with epoxy and they've been fine ever since.

I try to strike a balance between cultural accuracy and modern - world functionality. Not a practice for everyone, but it's fun!

24th August 2020, 04:27 PM	#1
xasterix Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Posts: 660	Modern pira Greetings everyone. Just sharing this newly-made pira from Ungkaya, Basilan. It's a difficult area to access even for the Yakan living in Isabela City. It was very much worth all the trouble though, as I believe it's the best modern pira sample I've ever seen and wielded. It's proof that the modern-day Bangsamoro pandays still have fire left in their beliies. I also welcome the sharing of similar-looking modern or vintage pira by other forum members, as I'm curious what other samples Basilan has produced throughout the years. Attached Images

24th August 2020, 06:06 PM	#6
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,184	The UK prohibits the import of curved bladed knives/swords with blades over 50 cm. long. There is an exemption available to collectors/martial arts members that they are OK if made by traditional means. I ordered two swords from Ron Kosakowski at Traditional Filipino Weapons a few years back. after buying the Visayan Barong above from him. One in a later batch had a slightly curved blade a few inches over the 50 cm. mark. Ron followed all the rules and had made it known on the customs form the sword was 'traditionally made' and thus exempt from the silly rule (silly in that a straight blade would have been allowed, no problem). The UK Border Force Confiscated them anyway. Apparently, if one of a batch doesn't meet their arbitrary requirements, the whole shipment is forfeit. With Ron's help and with photos & videos of TFW's blades actually being forged, along with some documentation from Ron, the UKBF grudgingly allowed the shipment into the UK to me. Some of TFW's items are somewhat loose in the interpretation of the appearance of the forms he has made by the traditional smiths he uses. He's got a bit better since our dance with the UKBF. The whole brouhaha took around 6 months of emails and surface mails, back and forth, before I received my goodies. Last edited by kronckew; 24th August 2020 at 06:28 PM.

24th August 2020, 04:36 PM	#2
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,184	Purdy! Mongo Likes! (What is a Mongo? Define Mongo )

24th August 2020, 05:22 PM	#3
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,903	I am also collecting recently made swords and daggers, and if they are traditionally made and ethnografically correct, are at least as precious as their antique counterparts... at least to me. By buying newly made pieces we directly help keeping the traditions and skills alive.

24th August 2020, 05:32 PM	#5
xasterix Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Posts: 660	@kronckew thanks for the Mongo likes! @mariusgmioc many thanks for expressing this view. Your view resonates with me and my friends' advocacy, that is - to keep traditional blades alive throughout generations. To preserve the process and render a cultural artifact to be as ethnographically correct as possible.

24th August 2020, 05:49 PM	#8
Interested Party Member Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Eastern Sierra Posts: 471	Do you know how the hilt/blade are attached in this example? Are there pins hidden under the wrapping? Or is it purely a traditional resin or modern epoxy resin that holds the hilt in place? Xasterix If I remember correctly you perform cut tests with many blades, how do traditional methods of blade attachment work under repeated stress? Very nice looking blade by the way. I like the grain of the wood used as well! The foible reminds me of a saber's yelman or the shape of some older patterns of Mexican machete.