Question On A Tabak
 

An very interesting Luzon tabak with a carabao horn hilt and its original leather sheath. What is odd about this is that the guard seems to be installed up-side down. What do you all think should be done (if anything at all) should it be left as it is now or should I remove the hilt and install it in the correct position? By looking at the picture below of the end of the hilt it has been this way for quite some time. Do you think that the guard has always been like this, or could it have been put this way by accident at some point in its life possibly when a repair was being made? All opinions and comments on this would be greatly appreciated.

Robert

IMHO I'd leave it alone. More damage would be done anyway trying to get it off and it was place that way originally. Interesting piece though. Most of the time these don't have guards. Nice and complete. :)

Hello Jose, So you think that this is the way this was put together originally. It really makes me wonder what the smith was thinking when he installed the guard in this fashion.:confused: Do you think that it was just a mistake or that there was a specific purpose in placing it this way?

Robert

I think it's original.
Not because I can say a reason to do it, but because I've seen it before on Spainish swords and daggers, and because it resembles the way the upcurved rear quillon of a kris and some other swords (kampilan for instance) molds against the swell of the hand between thumb and palm.

Well Robert, that is a good question. Sorry I can't be of much help. It is possible that this was also added later.

Hello Jose, As far as I can tell without completely disassembling the hilt is that the guard is more than likely original to the bolo, and if not it has been on it for quite a while. While the patina on the guard, grip collars and butt plate match perfectly to each other it is always possible that the guard could be a later addition. The main reason that I believe the guard could be original is that I see no evidence of the hilt ever being shortened to allow for the space needed for the guard. My best guess would be that looking at the poor peening of the tang that it might suggest that the hilt could have come loose at some point and been reattached in a hasty manner with the guard accidentally being installed in an incorrect position but this is only speculation on my part. :shrug:

Robert

I'm with you then if the patina matches - all original.

A few hopefully better pictures. These are as it arrived without being cleaned.

Robert

Yes a very interesting tabak.....