Barong
 

Need opinions about this blade....
I think it is a barong from the Philippines....
Lenght 66 cm....
Any opinion at all very much appreciated...

Best,
Stefan

Hi Stefan,

Yup, it's a barong, I guess that it's Samal but others like Ian or Jose will be able to tell you more. The back crest of the pommel was broken and get recarved. A polish and etch will show maybe a nice lamination. I would guess that it's from the first quarter of the 20th century.

Regards,
Detlef

Hi Stefan,

Very nice barung. I would say early 20th C and I especially like the blade which appears to have an inserted edge in the san mei method.. Detlef has noted the crest being absent on the pommel. Rather than broken and recarved, I think it was made this way as I have another example that is very similar and seems to be original rather than repaired. I think it is a barung from the Sulu Archipelago, perhaps Yakan (based on the prominently down-turned pommel). Jose or xasterix might have a better idea of its origin.

Regards,

Ian

Hi Ian,
Good possible. I think we need to see a close up from this area to be sure.

Regards,
Detlef

I agree with Ian on the dating. It might be Yakan, but I lean toward Samal as Detlef indicated due to the angle of the hilt.

Also Detlef has a good point - polish and then etch the blade and make all those wonderful laminations come out.

Very nice throughout, but I really like the woven rattan ferrule...you don't see that very often, and this one is really nicely done.

Thank you so very much guys for you opinions. I really appreciate it.
As soon as I have it in my hands I will take more pictures of it and post it here.

Best,
Stefan

Thanks for the referral sir Ian. I concur with Sulu. Nice piece!

That butt though. It tempts me to twirl it on my finger.

I would suggest that Sulu would have a hilt top with a slope closer to a 45 degree angle, and thus I lean away from Tausug but more toward Samal (though still in the Sulu island chain).

Got it today.... and I must admit that I am very happy about it....:)
Rainy day today so bad pictures...

Best,
Stefan

Not my area of collecting, but very nice nevertheless. I liked the inserted edge and very neat ferrule. Or, should I say " rattanule"? :-)

Have fun with it!

Hello Jose,

Some of the pics seem to be distorted by having been taken at an angle - from what I see, I’d be inclined to vote for Tausug.

Regards,
Kai

Hi Stefan:

Your pictures confirm that this is a handsome barung and a fine addition to your collection! Congratulations on a nice acquisition. As you can see, even those with some experience of these weapons have a problem defining exactly which particular Moro group may have made it. This is common. While there are clues, even the "experts" can disagree. There is agreement, though, that this one comes from the Sulu Archipelago (Tausug, Samal, Yakan groups predominantly) where the barung is a highly favored weapon, and that it has some age.

Regards,

Ian

Hmmmm..........you may have a point Kai (every pun intended). The picture angle may be throwing me off.

If true, then I would change to say Tausug.

Yes, it can be difficult to take pics exactly vertical to the blade surface (actually rather the imagined plane through the center of the blade to be precise); and lenses with short focal lengths (like in most mobile devices) can make it next to impossible to avoid distortions, especially outside the center of the pic (and digital corrections may also be off).

Regards,
Kai