Small garab, unusual sheath

[tom hyle]

Another ebay item. Smallish (knife size) garab/talibon with dropped edge and high shinogi/relieved spine/swedged (bevelled) spine, curved blade. Top of sheath is wood, but seems to be carved in imitation of the hide-wrapped sheath tops, and with a projecting "nose" to catch the belt. Almost forgot to tell youse the ebay #: 6503729424

[tom hyle]

this blade section is similar to the Japanese "unokubi zukuri" blade, though "chisel" bevelled, of course. I suspect this is a perhaps 1930s or later piece (?) but the swedged spine certainly different than the ones I think are distincly 20th(?) where a more subtle (and properly) high shinogi effect is acheived by the whole blade being thicker at the front edge, and then bevelled. Here it is only for part of the length (and much more extreme, as we've also seen on Mandaya swords, coming to a rebated edge, I should think), with the rest (the non-cutting base of the blade) having a different cross section, here only on the ricassoe/shaft, with the bevel starting with the blade per se (are you following me on the shaft-and-blade concept? I'm fascinated with it, so get used to it, I guess....:) ), though I've seen a similar thing done at the tip of visayan swords with a straght cutting blade that turns into a curved hook-like tip. These seem to me of the newer style, high-shinogi, and the shaft-and-blade concept seems to have been abandoned for the (European?) concept of ricassoe as part of the blade?
Is this clear at all? Let me "save" it and then check :)

[tom hyle]

such variety around the Visayan Sea! We'll need a Visayan edged weapons forum to anylize it all. And where are the Visayan spears? Are they those rhombus-based ones that get called Moro?
Yes, I know I'm talking to myself over here.
Talking to yourself is the first sign of sanity.

[Battara]

Yep, Visayan.

Tom, it's ok. I understand. I support you in your habit (even though some will have nun of that :D ). Often the 3 of us have great conversations: me, myself, and I.

[tom hyle]

Anyone know what island this pommel type is from? Interpretations of it? Is it related to the "Y" shaped Mandaya pommels? A stylized version of a gape-jawed crocodile (similar overall shape to some snake-pommels?)?