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#1 |
(deceased)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: OKLAHOMA, USA
Posts: 3,138
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I SAW A SIMILAR BARONG WITH THE GUARD BUILT INTO THE BLADE IN THE MUSEUM IN SABAH MALAYSIAN BORNEO IN 2001. THIS EXAMPLE IS THE SECOND I HAVE SEEN UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE A PICTURE OF THE OTHER ONE. HAS ANYONE ELSE SEEN THIS FORM BEFORE?
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#2 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,189
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Hi Barry, this is a Maranao barong.
Yes I have seen this form before, and the okir is Maranao. This one appears somewhat later to me, like WWII. How and why the Marano have a barong, I can only guess that it was a later Sulu influence? I have not seen earlier examples of Maranao barong so far. |
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#3 |
(deceased)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: OKLAHOMA, USA
Posts: 3,138
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HERE IS ANOTHER UNUSUAL BARONG WITH ENGRAVING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE 17 INCH BLADE. I HAD HOPED TO GIVE IT A NICE OLD IVORY POMMEL I HAVE BUT THE SNIPERS GOT ME AT THE LAST MILLISECOND. IT HAS A LEATHER SHEATH WITH THE SAME PATTERN AS ON THE BLADE. PERHAPS THIS POST CAN SERVE AS A PLACE FOR POSTS ON UNUSUAL BARONGS.
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#4 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,189
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Yeah I noticed this on eprey.
At first it looked like an earlier Sulu blade, but the engraving looks more Visayan to me. Perhaps a Sulu blade in the hands of a Visayan Filipino? (might explain the leather sheath). |
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#5 | |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 999
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The leather sheath looks Occidental. Is that a Chinese chop mark at the base of the engraving? I like this blade, hard to tell but it looks like it's hollow ground, with a long silver ferrule. Congrats to the winning bidder. |
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#6 |
(deceased)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: OKLAHOMA, USA
Posts: 3,138
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YOU HAVE A GOOD EYE. I HAD NOT NOTICED THE MARK IN THE LAST PICTURE AND IT DOES LOOK LIKE A CHINESE MARK. A GOOD ATTRACTIVE OLDER BARONG THAT HAS AN INTERESTING STORY IF IT COULD ONLY TALK, I HOPE SOMEONE HAS PLANS TO GIVE IT A GOOD RESTORATION.
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#7 |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND
Posts: 2,731
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The coins also look Chinese to me.......
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#8 |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,232
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They are Japanese.
Kino was referring to the second Barong. Last edited by Gustav; 3rd June 2016 at 10:20 PM. |
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#9 |
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 119
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I wanted that first barong so bad, but it went super high. I settled for an ivory Kris a few days later for a fraction of that (and then the beak broke in transit dut to poor packing)
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#10 | |
Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 76
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I own 7 Chinese? chopped marked Barongs, 6 are mono-steel including this one. Last edited by CCUAL; 24th July 2018 at 03:46 PM. |
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#11 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,189
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This is an unusual barong Christian. But I do like the engraved floral design on the blade, which looks more Visayan to me. I also wonder about the hilt - not typical Tausug style.
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#12 | |
Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 76
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The ferrule was from an old beat-up barong that I collected 10 years ago (ebay) and I still have the photo up to now. The pommel was from a friend's Barong collection it was cracked in several pieces so he sold it to me. Glued sanded and buffed. Now, it looks new but it looks good to me. Last edited by CCUAL; 24th July 2018 at 09:38 PM. |
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#13 | |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 999
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I think Battara meant that the floral design is Visayan, not the blade.
Quote:
I have a Barong that didn’t exibit a pattern post etch, later to find out that it was chrome plated. R.I.P. Vandoo Last edited by kino; 25th July 2018 at 02:21 AM. |
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#14 |
Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 76
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I find it interesting that the blade is mono steel, perhaps the blade is chrome plated. The color looks somewhat odd, unless it’s just the lighting.
I have a Barong that didn’t exibit a pattern post etch, later to find out that it was chrome plated.[/QUOTE] No, the blade was not chrome plated. The acid reacts to the blade right away when etched but it just gives a grayish color just like the other five. I had chrome plated blades in the past, headache hand scraping it with sanding paper as it slides through it, same thing when etching it. I had to ship the blades it to a parkerizing shop in Colo. to have the chrome removed. This Barong blade was lightly cleaned with 1000grt wet/dry soap and water, and then hand buffed with Mothers Aluminum Polisher. I do this to all my blades. If it need etching, I re-wash it with soap and water, alcohol wipe it to remove impurities, heat the blade, and then acid etch. Learned that from DaveS. ![]() Btw, regarding the Visayan floral theory on the blade, I won this beat-up Barong a little over 10 yrs now from e-bay, blade was very thick 11mm it also have that Chinese chop mark easy call 19th C., the ferrule was all floral engraved, that is what I had used on this Barong, so I don't know? Again, it's been 18 fascinating yrs, thanks to my first teacher RonS, still learning day to day.... |
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#15 | |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,189
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#16 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,189
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Also, some times these "Chinese" marks are not Chinese at all but placed to look like it came from a Chinese smith to raise the value of the blade itself, just like "Andrea Ferrara" on Scottish basket hilt swords.
Since I don't read Chinese, I can't tell if this is truly Chinese script or not. Perhaps one of our members can tell us for sure (and perhaps translate it if Chinese?). |
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#17 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,189
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BTW - Christian you did a nice job on the restoration.
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