3 Gunong

[Ferguson]

Top is monosteel. Ebay find. A commoner's blade. Brass ferrule, copper guard. Blade is 5 3/8", overall is about 9".

Middle is monosteel. From the show at Timonium. Silver fittings. Blade is 5", 8 1/2" overall. Interesting curved blade and scabbard.

Bottom is pattern welded. Ebay. (thanks Lew!) Horn guard with aluminum inlay. Bolster is black and brown horn with orange plastic(?) and brass spacers. Blade is 6 1/2" x 2 7/8", 10 1/4" overall. No scabbard.

Thanks for looking!

Steve

[Battara]

Interesting. The bottom one is recently made that is now coming out on the market. I had heard that they are being mass produced in India.

[Lew]

Originally Posted by Battara

Interesting. The bottom one is recently made that is now coming out on the market. I had heard that they are being mass produced in India.

Battara

Are you saying the bottom one is made in India? If so I must strongly disagree the lamination on this blade is identical to one I have in my collection that is from the 1930s-40s. Modern Indian damascus is totally different you would not see the hardened edge that this one in question exhibits.

Lew

[Ferguson]

Interesting indeed! No disagreement from me with either of you. I've been collecting for too short a time. Jose, I'd love to learn more of these newly produced pieces from India. I remember you speaking of them in Timonium. I've seen a lot of the "raindrop" damascus from India, but nothing like this. Thanks to both of you for your comments!
Steve

Edit: This is the Indian damascus I'm familiar with.

[CharlesS]

You have really given me an all new appreciation and respect for these beauties.

Your display at the forum meeting in Timonium was superb!

[Ferguson]

Thank you Charles.

Steve

[Battara]

Louie, I now realize that the bottom picture of the lamination did not open up on my computer. Yes I would agree in light of what I know see that this is Moro lamination and not recent India. Perhaps my source was talking about the non-laminated ones that look like the bottom one without lamination.

Personally, I am inclined to think that the bottom is recent (I am surprised to see lamination on this one), but from like Marawi City where this stuff is still being made or perhaps revived. There is a university there that has a department devoted to metal work.

So Louie you have like the bottom from the 1930s-1940s? This pushes the dates for these back further for me then. Did not know that. Thanks.

Steve, on those I mentioned at Timonium made in India, as far as I have seen India made Moro/Filipino pieces are not laminated. They really look mass produced (well...maybe to me anyway).

[Lew]

Here are two with similar blades that I would say are preWW2 to about 1940s. Of course the fittings are metal and horn Steves has plastic but that material was available to the Moros in the 1940s and possibly earlier? Battara what do you mean by recent 1970s 80s 90s? I might agree that the bottom one could be 1960s but not more recent than that.

Lew

[Ferguson]

Thanks to both of my friends for the information. This is how I learn! It's great that we can disagree and debate without arguing.

What a wonderful forum.

Steve

Edit: On the dating, it really is tough to say. I was figuring post WWII. That's as close as I would guess. The horn and orange spacers have shrunken, leaving the brass protruding a bit. But that could happen in a year.

[David]

The stuff on the hilt looks a bit like Bakelite (which technically is plastic) and that stuff's been around since the 1920's. Maybe not, but a possibility. The piece might be a little older than it first appears.

[Battara]

Louie, recent to me means 1960s on to the present. With the bottom piece it may be earlier because of the lamination. The more recent stuff like the 1970s to now usually don't seem to have the lamination.

[Lew]

Battara

Thanks for the clarification.

Lew