Unusual Kampilan

[MaharlikaTimawa]

Originally Posted by Ian

Carlos:

Very interesting sword. I agree with the sentiment that this comes from a tribe that is not Moro. Battara has pointed to the interdigitating covering to the scabbard, which we usually associate with Western Visayan swords and dates from the late 19th and early 20th C to the present. The tiger bells are a link to several Lumad tribes of Mindanao, notably the T'boli and neighboring tribes.

Visayan influence in Mindanao is fairly widespread today, but in the early 20th C was more concentrated and prominent in the area of the Davao Gulf and Davao City. My guess for the origin of this sword would be Eastern Mindanao, possibly Tagakaolo, Bagobo or T'boli.

Would love to know the actual provenance.

Ian.

This may be possible the very first visayan made kampilan that has surfaced. Assuming of course this was pre ww2/ww1.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by MaharlikaTimawa

Assuming of course this was pre ww2/ww1.

So far I know is the technique with this thin horn band 19th century, it may be still used in early 20th century but not later anymore.

[Battara]

I would concur that this is pre-WWI.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Sajen

So far I know is the technique with this thin horn band 19th century, it may be still used in early 20th century but not later anymore.

Detlef:

One of our former members, zelbone, had made a particular study of Visayan swords. It was his opinion that the interdigitating horn segments on scabbards are found no earlier than about 1900. Before that time, western Visayan scabbards were entirely wood. The use of leather on scabbards also seemed to date from the early 1900s.

Ian

[Sajen]

Hello Ian,

what I say before, this technique was used around 1900, see here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=visayan
All Visayan swords I've seen with this scabbards have had a very good age, late 19th to early 20th century, but never more recent ones.

Regards,
Detlef