Visayan "pinuti"

tom hyle · 23rd April 2005, 03:28 PM

Bonifacio is an historical figure. One imagines that perhaps the association of a certain sword type with him may be both as vague and/or as well-founded as the Jim Bowie/Mexican bolo connection (which seems to me to run in the other direction than typically claimed in US, if it exists at all); in US, for whatever that's worth, it more seems to refer to the style of hilt; octagonal horn, usually a very stylized swell-centered hoof shape; with a long brass bolster (sometimes a ferule) and a certain characteristic often/usually cast-on brass European style guard as seen on "Africa, Naga, SE Asia?" in iron and likely European/Eurocolonial. There's great variety in the blades; I've heard that the "true" Bonifacio ones are either the bowie-like short-clip ones, or (variously) the matulis-like ones with long points. Squared/cut-point blades are also seen, and (I think newly) a wild profusion of other shapes. It seems to me to be the cultural successor to the older style matulis.

23rd April 2005, 03:28 PM	#17
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Bonifacio is an historical figure. One imagines that perhaps the association of a certain sword type with him may be both as vague and/or as well-founded as the Jim Bowie/Mexican bolo connection (which seems to me to run in the other direction than typically claimed in US, if it exists at all); in US, for whatever that's worth, it more seems to refer to the style of hilt; octagonal horn, usually a very stylized swell-centered hoof shape; with a long brass bolster (sometimes a ferule) and a certain characteristic often/usually cast-on brass European style guard as seen on "Africa, Naga, SE Asia?" in iron and likely European/Eurocolonial. There's great variety in the blades; I've heard that the "true" Bonifacio ones are either the bowie-like short-clip ones, or (variously) the matulis-like ones with long points. Squared/cut-point blades are also seen, and (I think newly) a wild profusion of other shapes. It seems to me to be the cultural successor to the older style matulis.