Kampilan, for comments pls.

[migueldiaz]

Hello all.

Would appreciate any comment on this piece.

Overall lt. -- 34.6 inches (878 mm)
Blade lt. -- 26.9 inches (682 mm)

Notes:

[1] No scabbard;

[2] Blade has a very good distal taper;

[3] After blade was etched, two color tones came out: i.e., the dark color is the thin strip comprising the cutting edge, and the light color is the bulk of the blade, that apparently wrapped around the former; and

[4] The kampilan was acquired about 2 mos. ago.

Would this be an old piece? What region in Mindanao would this have come from? Other observations, please?

Thanks in advance!

[mross]

Looks like a good old blade from a person of high status. The hair was which is missing was usually reserved for upper status. The handle looks cut off a bit. The hair would have been horse hair, not sure if from the mane or tail. Nice hardened edge. Not a tourist piece, you did good. The inlays look nice.

[Bill M]

Nice!

Does the handle end look cut off, or made that way?

Either way, you did very well!

[migueldiaz]

hi mross,

thanks for the comments. i feel better already!

hi bill,

thanks, too. i appreciate it. on the cut-off hilt end, looks like originally it has the bifurcated end, per pics below.

when i first saw this kampilan, i didn't buy it this because i said to myself, if it was a real moro piece then nobody would think of cutting off the hilt.

then i saw the pic of the kampilan exhibited in macao (last pic below). so i went back to the person to buy it.

but i can't still figure out why would anybody think of shortening the hilt. it gets in the way perhaps? has this been discussed in the forum?

thanks again to all.

[Battara]

The front end could have been broken off in battle or even storage. The holes make the wood more fragile and more easily broken. A natural wood ring could have finally given way. Any number of things but deliberate braking I doubt. This was not made that way, but seeing the remains of holes it was broken off and smoothed out later.

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Battara

The front end could have been broken off in battle or even storage. The holes make the wood more fragile and more easily broken. A natural wood ring could have finally given way. Any number of things but deliberate braking I doubt. This was not made that way, but seeing the remains of holes it was broken off and smoothed out later.

Hi Jose,

Thanks for your usual edifying comments

So perhaps that's why the Moros prefer using for hilts the huge roots of the 'banati' tree? Because said wood derived from the tree's roots is supposed to be very dense and pliable and not usually breakable.

But not always apparently ... unless my kampilan's hilt is not banati.