An Oddball Moro Knife/Golok

[CharlesS]

Just when you think you've seen it all with Moro stuff...set yourself up for a surprise.

Here is a Moro knife/chopper/golok in a form I have never encountered before. It is 22in. overall with a heavy, clever-like blade of typical Moro patter welded steel, measuring 14in. Note the unique chiseling at the ricasso and toward the down turned tip.

I have no idea what this one is called or if it shows up on the OLD Moro weapons boards.

The weight and balance of the thing does not make it perfect for a weapon, though certainly it could be pressed into service as one, no less than a kitchen clever could....and that's what it really feels more like, that is, a tool, or clever.

The scabbard is new. Philip Tom and I tried to develop something ethnically and aesthetically correct, though we had absolutely nothing to go on for a piece of this type.

Comments are welcomed.

[Ferguson]

Lovely knife, and great work on the scabbard. :D
Steve

[Sajen]

Hello Charles,

nice and interesting item, love the pattern of the blade. Very good job by the scabbard, it look like original.

Regards,

Detlef

[Battara]

I think I have seen this ups of knife before somewhere in the past. What I saw would have been Moro, though without the same quality of hilt.

[kai]

Hello Charles,

Congrats for grabbing this neat blade from the Higgins - did you try to inquire with them for the original collection notes? (In the auction, provenance was given for all other blades of the lot but this one...)

Granting a fair bit of artistic license, the attached pic may show the same blade type with a different hilt (old miniatures from Carlos' collection; no names given).

Regards,
Kai

[CharlesS]

Hi Kai.

Thanks for the pic. I think the blade type is spot on, but it appears the board has sword types from all over and not necessarily Moro...is that correct? That makes me wonder what this miniature was being copied from.

[Battara]

Another possibility is that it could be a traded blade......

[VANDOO]

THE HANDLE AND FERRULE APPEAR PURE MORO BUT THE BLADE IS MORE LIKE WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IN BORNEO AND MALAYSIA REGIONS. THE FANCY CUT OUT WORK AT THE TIP AND BELLY OF THE BLADE AND THE SCABBARD MAKE ME THINK SO. THE BAGOBO AND TIBOLI SOMETIMES DO THE CUT OUT FILE WORK ON THE BLADE TIP BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN IT DONE ON THE BELLY OF THE BLADE BEFORE. A NICE LOOKING KNIFE HOWEVER IT CAME TOGETHER. THE MORO TRAVELED WIDELY SO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD.

[Robert]

Hello CharleS, The blade on your example "minus the fancy file-work" looked very similar to the blade on this Visayan piece I have, but now that I have them together there seems to be a difference in the angle of the hilt also.

Best,
Robert

[VVV]

Interesting combination.
I vote for a trade blade, too.
It's really strange that it has a Junggayan Barong hilt???

Michael

[Battara]

Michael you have a good point, so I wonder if it was purchased by a datu. It might appear unique and exotic to a Moro, or perhaps a gift?

Pure speculation of course.

[VVV]

Michael you have a good point, so I wonder if it was purchased by a datu. It might appear unique and exotic to a Moro, or perhaps a gift?

Pure speculation of course.

Maybe. That would explain the odd hilt.

Michael

[CharlesS]

Of course it could be a trade blade, but it looks and feels like the Moro steel found on bangkungs and barongs(but these can, of course have trade blades too). The only other area in the Philippines that I am aware of that would made anything similar in weight and thickness would be Visayan, but I believe the Visayan example shown really illustrates as many differences as similarities to Moro blades.

[Bangkaya]

I'm surprised no one here has seen an utak janap....

....now you have


Regards,
Bangkaya

[Battara]

Thanks Bangkaya. I have seen newer janaps, but they did not look like this.

So this is an utak janap.........these aren't common are they?

[VVV]

Thanks Bangkaya,

I have an old but "regular" Janap, but its blade look quite different from Charles'.
What are the main variations of the Janap?

Michael

[CharlesS]

Can we see pics of some of these other janaps mentioned for comparison?

[Sajen]

I think in this thread are shown some examples but they look different to my eyes: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1650&highlight=janap

[CharlesS]

I am seeing a lot of similarities in design with these other blades mentioned in comparison to mine, but there seems to always be two comparative differences as well...1.) The other blades seem to curve upward or, in the Visayan case, modestly downward. 2.) None of the blades mentioned really matches the elongated chiseled ricasso, though they may be similar.

The Moro blade I have pictured is practically straight across the top, including the ricasso.

I have noted recently that Moro piras may also have that elongated ricasso.