Two Kampilans For Comparison - One Modern, One Older…

Ian · 9th September 2016, 11:03 PM

Two nice kamps Jerseyman. Thanks for showing them.

The modern example with the metal covered hilt is from the second half of the 20th C or, possibly, an earlier sword dressed up at a later time. The okir work on the hilt looks Maranao to me, and it is likely this kamp was made in the Lake Lanao region of Mindanao. The hilt is carved a little better than many of the modern versions, and in keeping with its ancestors.

The older example may be late 19th C/early 20th C. Substantial numbers of kamps were taken/turned in by the Moros as part of their disarming that was instituted by the US in the early 1900s after a number of bloody skirmishes. This one might date to that period. That it was designed for combat is reflected by the balance of the sword. This is something that the more modern versions tend to ignore because many of the weapons produced more recently were not intended for serious use but rather for decoration or for sale to wealthy folks outside of the Moro culture.

Two nice examples from different periods.

Ian

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9th September 2016, 11:03 PM	#4
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,396	Two nice kamps Jerseyman. Thanks for showing them. The modern example with the metal covered hilt is from the second half of the 20th C or, possibly, an earlier sword dressed up at a later time. The okir work on the hilt looks Maranao to me, and it is likely this kamp was made in the Lake Lanao region of Mindanao. The hilt is carved a little better than many of the modern versions, and in keeping with its ancestors. The older example may be late 19th C/early 20th C. Substantial numbers of kamps were taken/turned in by the Moros as part of their disarming that was instituted by the US in the early 1900s after a number of bloody skirmishes. This one might date to that period. That it was designed for combat is reflected by the balance of the sword. This is something that the more modern versions tend to ignore because many of the weapons produced more recently were not intended for serious use but rather for decoration or for sale to wealthy folks outside of the Moro culture. Two nice examples from different periods. Ian