Kampilan question

[Sajen]

Just win this Kampilan by e-bay. Unfortunately I am not able to copy pictures from e-bay (you have the same experience?) so here the link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320415080390&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

What do you think? Thank's in advance,

sajen

[Rick]

Looks nice enough from what I can see .
One certainly cannot complain about the price . :D

German Customs will pass this ? :confused:

[Sajen]

Looks nice enough from what I can see .
One certainly cannot complain about the price . :D

German Customs will pass this ? :confused:

Hi Rick,

thank's for comment. I also think that I bought an old and simple Kampilan for a very good price. :)
With the german customs I never have had a problem until I can show them by books that it is an ethnographic piece, hope this still a long time like this! ;)

sajen

[Rick]

Hi Sajen ,
I'm looking forward to pictures when it arrives . :)
Sounds like you have a good working relationship with Customs . :D

[Sajen]

Hi Sajen ,
I'm looking forward to pictures when it arrives . :)
Sounds like you have a good working relationship with Customs . :D

Hi Rick,
will post pictures when I received the sword.

I am well known by the german custom here in Dortmund, nearly every parcel from outside the European Community received by custom office, so I have had to visit them many times. Maybe they think there is the crazy collector again!
But they free to think what they want while they let pass all!! ;) :D :cool:

[carlos]

I´m happy to see that you won the aucton,I bid for it, but my economy is a little bad, I think is a good kampilan and this price iss very good.
Best regards
carlos

[Sajen]

I´m happy to see that you won the aucton,I bid for it, but my economy is a little bad, I think is a good kampilan and this price iss very good.
Best regards
carlos

Hi Carlos,

thank's! My economy also not the best in the moment so I am happy to get it by this price!

Best regards,

Detlef

[Battara]

Yeah great price for this piece!

[asomotif]

Nice kampilan.

Here are the pics ex Ebay, I had no problems saving them directly from Ebay onto my own computer.

[Sajen]

Yeah great price for this piece!


Thank you,

I am very happy to read this!

Detlef

[Sajen]

Nice kampilan.

Here are the pics ex Ebay, I had no problems saving them directly from Ebay onto my own computer.


Hi Willem,

thank's for this. I think that I can't save them have to do with the settings from my PC. Have to search for.

Regards,

Detlef

[mross]

From what I can make out in the pictures a good solid fighter.

[Sajen]

From what I can make out in the pictures a good solid fighter.

Thank's!

[Sajen]

Hello,

today I received the Kampilan, I am very pleased! Very nice patination and the tip of the blade have inserted brass dots.
What do you think, shall I clean the blade? And the handle a little bit? And what about the missing discs at the handle?
Thank's in advance,

sajen

[Sajen]

One more picture.

[mross]

I have to change my assement of "good solid fighter" I did not see the hair before. This is a sign of a weapon belonging to a person of high status. Very good deal indeed. You have good reason to be happy. If it was mine I would restore it, but I would not do it myself. Check with Battara his work and knowledge are exceptional.

[Sajen]

I have to change my assement of "good solid fighter" I did not see the hair before. This is a sign of a weapon belonging to a person of high status. Very good deal indeed. You have good reason to be happy. If it was mine I would restore it, but I would not do it myself. Check with Battara his work and knowledge are exceptional.

Thank you for reply. This I don't have known before that hair is a sign for high status, now I am more happy then before! :) ;)
Maybe Battara will look again inside and will give his input before I contact him.

Regards,

sajen

[Sajen]

I can't wait and cleaned the handle with Ballistol (a good mineral oil) and a toothbrush.
Here the dimensions of the Kamp: blade 72 cm, 100 cm complete with handle and 0,8 cm thick blade.

[kai]

Congrats, Detlef, that's a really good kampilan (and a bargain at that)!

The majority of kampilan I've seen did have hair decoration originally; thus, I'm less convinced that hair per se really denotes high status - especially considering that a lot of kampilan are thought to have been arsenal weapons used by the leader to arm warriors in case of battle. High-end and ceremonial kampilan seem to invariably come with hair decoration but the reverse doesn't seem to be necessarily correct. In this case, I don't think that the carving quality suggests a datu's personal piece or ceremonial usage.

I'd guess that this example is antique (hilt post Span.-Am war, possibly turn of the century?). The crossguard never had holes to attach any metal guards though which most of the really old (mid-19th c. or older) kampilan had originally.

I'd carefully clean the blade and give it a light stain to bring up the laminations. In temperate climates with low humidity, the wood benefits from additional protection: I'd be careful with mineral oil though (especially Ballistol which is alkaline) and prefer to apply a good hardening oil (based on boiled linseed oil, tung oil, etc.). Be careful to wipe off any excess oil and let it dry completely before repeating the oiling; topping off with some good microcrystalline wax if desired.

Regards,
Kai

[Rick]

If you can halt the active rust without stripping the patina .
There is history in that gunk on the hilt and blade . ;) :)

This one below had no active rust so I saw no reason to alter its existing state .

[Battara]

I must agree with Kai, this is probably a ceremonial piece since it has the hair, but not a high status datu class piece. Those would be covered with some silver or even ivory.

This piece had silver coins for eyes and of course the hair.

Still a nice piece.

[Sajen]

I must agree with Kai, this is probably a ceremonial piece since it has the hair, but not a high status datu class piece. Those would be covered with some silver or even ivory.

This piece had silver coins for eyes and of course the hair.

Still a nice piece.

Thank's for your input. Do you would clean the blade when it's your's? And give new hair? And what do you think, there have been old coins or other silver disc's?
The diameter is 19 mm.

Regards,

Detlef

[Sajen]

Congrats, Detlef, that's a really good kampilan (and a bargain at that)!

The majority of kampilan I've seen did have hair decoration originally; thus, I'm less convinced that hair per se really denotes high status - especially considering that a lot of kampilan are thought to have been arsenal weapons used by the leader to arm warriors in case of battle. High-end and ceremonial kampilan seem to invariably come with hair decoration but the reverse doesn't seem to be necessarily correct. In this case, I don't think that the carving quality suggests a datu's personal piece or ceremonial usage.

I'd guess that this example is antique (hilt post Span.-Am war, possibly turn of the century?). The crossguard never had holes to attach any metal guards though which most of the really old (mid-19th c. or older) kampilan had originally.

I'd carefully clean the blade and give it a light stain to bring up the laminations. In temperate climates with low humidity, the wood benefits from additional protection: I'd be careful with mineral oil though (especially Ballistol which is alkaline) and prefer to apply a good hardening oil (based on boiled linseed oil, tung oil, etc.). Be careful to wipe off any excess oil and let it dry completely before repeating the oiling; topping off with some good microcrystalline wax if desired.

Regards,
Kai


Hello Kai,
thank's for the contribution. I will wax the wood again with antique wax, I have one whereby I have had good operating experience with. Do you think that the blade have coactive lamination? I am little bit with Rick to halt the dark patina. :confused:

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

If you can halt the active rust without stripping the patina .
There is history in that gunk on the hilt and blade . ;) :)

This one below had no active rust so I saw no reason to alter its existing state .


Hello Rick,

when I see your nice example with very similar blade I tend to do so. Only remove the active rust and keep the dark patina.

Regards,
Detlef

[Rick]

Hi Detlef, it's a personal choice about cleaning a blade .

I have cleaned and etched my share of kris . :)

[Battara]

Thank's for your input. Do you would clean the blade when it's your's? And give new hair? And what do you think, there have been old coins or other silver disc's?
The diameter is 19 mm.

Regards,

Detlef
If it were mine, I would clean and etch the blade and have old Spanish or Philippine coins for eyes (or if not found, then make okir silver discs for eyes), plus replace the hair. I can and have done these before.

[Dimasalang]

Wow what a steal. :D

[Sajen]

Wow what a steal. :D

A little bit I pay also! :D ;)

[Jazz]

I must agree with Kai, this is probably a ceremonial piece since it has the hair, but not a high status datu class piece. Those would be covered with some silver or even ivory.

This piece had silver coins for eyes and of course the hair.

Still a nice piece.

Hi Battara,
With the catchphrase "ceremonial weapon", I've always been preplexed by this but I always wonder what type of ceremony do the Moros do to warrant a different weapon altogether? Thank you in advance.

Gapar

[Battara]

Ceremonial would include special occasions like weddings, dances, meetings with other nobility, etc.

For these the weaponry needs to show the special status of the wearer and is not to be used in battle.

[Jazz]

Thank you batara. I have no idea the Moros wear different weapons for different occasions.

[Sajen]

Here the first step of restoration. The hilt have got new "eyes", two 20 Centavos coins from 1916/1918 and the blade a decent clean from rust. The inlays at the tip of the blade are from copper and brass. Next step will be that the handle will get new hair. I have got white goat hair. What you will do? Shall I let the hair white or shall I give the hair a coloration and when yes which colour?

Regards,

Detlef

[Rick]

According to Cato, black and deep red were popular colors; there are also shown hilts with lighter grey/white hair in the book .

He also suggests that the hairy ones were more for ceremony; that claim I would take with a grain of salt . ;)

[Sajen]

According to Cato, black and deep red were popular colors; there are also shown hilts with lighter grey/white hair in the book .

He also suggests that the hairy ones were more for ceremony; that claim I would take with a grain of salt . ;)


Thank you Rick, since it seems that the hair original have had deep red colour I will give the hair a coloration in this colour.

[Battara]

I love it when kampilans get their eyes back - makes them come alive. :D

[Sajen]

I love it when kampilans get their eyes back - makes them come alive. :D

Thank you for comment! And they can look again! :D Next step will be that it will losing it's "kalbo" (dome). :p

[Dimasalang]

Looks great! I did the same a few months ago. hehe

Thank you for comment! And they can look again! :D Next step will be that it will losing it's "kalbo" (dome). :p

"Kalbo." hahaha Never thought of it that way.
I need to add some hair to one of my Kampilans also. What type of hair did they originally use?...and where you get hair from? And how do you add the hair? :D

[Battara]

I just realized that I did not answer this. The hair can be red dyed or a mix of grey and brown. Some also had black. The hair can come from horse or goat. Plugs were used to keep the hair in the holes.

[VANDOO]

IN A OLD POST I HAD LISTED SOME SOURCES FOR VARIOUS COLORS AND LEGNTHS OF HAIR FOR SALE. IF I REMEMBER CORECTLY IT WAS GOAT, WATER BUFALOW AND HORSE HAIR FOR SALE. PERHAPS YOU CAN FIND IT IN THE ARCHIVES OR GOOGLE MAY FIND IT FOR YOU.

[Sajen]

Looks great! I did the same a few months ago. hehe



"Kalbo." hahaha Never thought of it that way.
I need to add some hair to one of my Kampilans also. What type of hair did they originally use?...and where you get hair from? And how do you add the hair? :D


Hello Dimasalang,

I am with Jose, I also don't noted your question, sorry. But the most answered Jose already. I've got goat hair from a factory for brushes. I attach a close up to show how the hair is kept in the holes by plugs.

Detlef

[Dimasalang]

COOL! Thanks for the pics and info! :)