Looking for similar Luzon hilt styles
 

Good day everyone! Just wondering if you guys have a piece similar to mine, especially with regard to the hilt design. A friend estimated this piece to be 1970-1990s, Luzon made. I've seen similar hilts from modern blades (1970 onwards) that originated from a town called Majayjay, in the province of Laguna. Blade profile is common in many other Luzon provinces; it is called 'sungot hipon', which roughly translates to 'shrimp's antennae'.

I'm curious about the following things:

1. What older pieces inspired this hilt and/or scabbard design?
2. When did this hilt style begin?
3. Can anyone ascertain why there's an engraving of a naked lady on the blade? Do any older pieces have such an... inspiration?
4. Chisel grind is not common for Luzon blades. Why do you think the owner/smith customized the blade to be such? Do you know of any advantage of chisel vs convex grind?

Measurements are 6-inch albino carabao horn hilt and 8.5-inch blade. Steel studs and various engravings can be found throughout the hilt. Hope you guys can share similar pieces!

as reference, i also have a similar looking one.

bought it from a picker, he doesnt know anything about it as well.

it is also chisel ground.

Wouldn't the leather piece on the scabbard throat suggest a Visayan origin?

Regards,
Kai

Hello all,

Any chance this piece might be related? Blade seems quite similar while the hilt looks quite different...

Please refer to this thread for more pics:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24694

Regards,
Kai

Hi Kai! Yes definitely related. Your blade profile is what is called "dahong buho" or "dinahong buho", common among several towns in the province of Laguna, Luzon. As for the hilt, that's a curious style, and echoes antique iterations of 'tabak' and 'dahong palay/dinahong palay'. I'm guessing yours was made in Laguna as well. May I also see its scabbard?

I was thinking that this blade profile was Tagalog. Thanks for the confirmation. :)

Thanks, xasterix!

Sorry, no scabbard extant, unfortunately!

Regards,
Kai

Hello xasterix,

Well, in the kitchen it allows to make nice thin slices from softer tissues. Thus, the owners must have been sushi aficionados... :D ;) :rolleyes:

If you cut through bulk tissue (or other material), a chisel grind blade tends to cut a curve towards the unbeveled side of the blade/edge. With the relatively thin blades and also thin bevels, this effect may not be very strong though.

Regards,
Kai

Anyhow, I got another one with similar style, from the same source (picker).

The plot thickens I guess.