Kampilan, for comments pls.

[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.

[Battara]

Sometimes banati can have cracks in it as well. I have seen it often. Also it may not be made of banati, my former one with silver eye discs was not banati. As I said, this one looks real, but broken and smoothed down.