Philippine sword...

[migueldiaz]

Was looking for something (tabak pics) and I stumbled upon this old thread ...

Just for the record, this bolo is dahon palay (pronounced DAH-hawn PAH-lai). I've heard relatives also call this as dahong palay or dahom palay.

The term means palay (rice plant) leaf. And the bolo is called as such because its blade shape is similar to that of a palay leaf.

The blade also supposedly derives its name from a local poisonous snake called by the same name (image below).

As for the particular style of the blade per original post above, the family of that Majayjay (mah-hai-HAI), Laguna (province) bladesmith is still around.

I have a ten-year old dahon palay which was apparently made by exactly the same bladesmith (pics below).