Help with Philippine Sword

Rick · 29th January 2009, 06:44 PM

May be found on this page under Philippine ..

http://www.vikingsword.com/ethsword/index.html

t_c · 29th January 2009, 09:01 PM

Thanks everyone for all your help. I'll have to go through Krieger again. I don't recall seeing anything in there that fits the description, but I cruised through it pretty quickly. Haste makes waste....

tom

Robert · 29th January 2009, 10:16 PM

T_C, Here is the picture I promised. The two on the top are the longest. Te top one is 33 inches in length and the one under it is about 31 inches. All of these are from the Philippines and most but not all of these are probably from Luzon. I have removed the scabbards (from the ones that still had them)

so you can see the blades better. I hope that this might help. I have plenty of other shorter bolos but as I said before nothing of the length you are talking about.

Robert

t_c · 30th January 2009, 04:31 AM

Thanks Robert - it's a huge help! Those are great to see - nice collection.

ariel · 30th January 2009, 03:48 PM

Didn't we just discussed a long sword from Luzon?

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8116

Is it possible that it is the answer to your query?

Robert · 30th January 2009, 04:20 PM

Hi Ariel, I can't believe I forgot about that sword. Before it can be decided if it is from Luzon we are waiting for a picture of the end of the pommel. What I'm wondering is if Mr Giron could have been referring to a sansibar but using a different name for it? Some of them were pretty long and when used with a bolo would be a deadly combination in the hands of a trained fighter.

Just thinking out loud.

Robert

weakroofblock · 11th October 2011, 07:19 PM

Found this thread while searching for info. Hope no one minds me resurrecting it and adding some info that comes from Giron's associates for anyone else who stumbles across this thread.

Leo Giron did indeed use a 36" blade during his WWII service in the Philippines. You can see pictures of him wielding the blade in Giron Escrima: Memories of a Bladed Warrior. I scanned this one from p. 229 which shows him delivering a #9 strike in the Giron system with the talonason.

The blade itself has no guard, just a socket, and is lighter and faster than it looks. Giron wielded it Larga Mano style against soft targets. According to the stories I have heard it was made for him as a gift somewhere in N. Luzon. He landed in Ilocos Norte in August of 1944 and spent time in Abra, La Union and Ilocos Sur while gathering intel on Japanese troop movements in the months leading up to the Battle of Lingayen Gulf.

Giron spoke Ilocano. According to Ilocano Dictionary and Grammar by Carl R. Galvez Rubino 'talunasán' is another Ilocano word for a buneng or bolo.

In addition to the talonason pictured above I'm told that Sgt. Giron also carried a daga and a smaller bolo about 24" in length with a brass guard and a long clip point that he called a calasiao which was used as a backup for the talonason or when the battle got too close to wield a larger blade effectively. I do not have any pictures of the actual calasiao.

29th January 2009, 06:44 PM	#1
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,339	Kreiger's Plates May be found on this page under Philippine .. http://www.vikingsword.com/ethsword/index.html

29th January 2009, 10:16 PM	#3
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	T_C, Here is the picture I promised. The two on the top are the longest. Te top one is 33 inches in length and the one under it is about 31 inches. All of these are from the Philippines and most but not all of these are probably from Luzon. I have removed the scabbards (from the ones that still had them) so you can see the blades better. I hope that this might help. I have plenty of other shorter bolos but as I said before nothing of the length you are talking about. Robert Attached Images

11th October 2011, 07:19 PM	#7
weakroofblock Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: California Posts: 3	Found this thread while searching for info. Hope no one minds me resurrecting it and adding some info that comes from Giron's associates for anyone else who stumbles across this thread. Leo Giron did indeed use a 36" blade during his WWII service in the Philippines. You can see pictures of him wielding the blade in Giron Escrima: Memories of a Bladed Warrior. I scanned this one from p. 229 which shows him delivering a #9 strike in the Giron system with the talonason. The blade itself has no guard, just a socket, and is lighter and faster than it looks. Giron wielded it Larga Mano style against soft targets. According to the stories I have heard it was made for him as a gift somewhere in N. Luzon. He landed in Ilocos Norte in August of 1944 and spent time in Abra, La Union and Ilocos Sur while gathering intel on Japanese troop movements in the months leading up to the Battle of Lingayen Gulf. Giron spoke Ilocano. According to Ilocano Dictionary and Grammar by Carl R. Galvez Rubino 'talunasán' is another Ilocano word for a buneng or bolo. In addition to the talonason pictured above I'm told that Sgt. Giron also carried a daga and a smaller bolo about 24" in length with a brass guard and a long clip point that he called a calasiao which was used as a backup for the talonason or when the battle got too close to wield a larger blade effectively. I do not have any pictures of the actual calasiao. Attached Images Last edited by Lew; 11th October 2011 at 08:20 PM.

29th January 2009, 09:01 PM	#2
t_c Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: ca, usa Posts: 92	Thanks everyone for all your help. I'll have to go through Krieger again. I don't recall seeing anything in there that fits the description, but I cruised through it pretty quickly. Haste makes waste.... tom

30th January 2009, 04:31 AM	#4
t_c Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: ca, usa Posts: 92	Thanks Robert - it's a huge help! Those are great to see - nice collection.

30th January 2009, 03:48 PM	#5
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Didn't we just discussed a long sword from Luzon? http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8116 Is it possible that it is the answer to your query?

30th January 2009, 04:20 PM	#6
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Hi Ariel, I can't believe I forgot about that sword. Before it can be decided if it is from Luzon we are waiting for a picture of the end of the pommel. What I'm wondering is if Mr Giron could have been referring to a sansibar but using a different name for it? Some of them were pretty long and when used with a bolo would be a deadly combination in the hands of a trained fighter. Just thinking out loud. Robert