My Talibon Restoration
 

Greetings folks,

I think my original thread years ago on this subject got disappeared with the loss of others a while back. So I thought I would recreate a thread on this for research.

I found this talibon years ago in a antique mall. This is how it looked. As you can tell, the problems are that there is an old break on one lobe of the hilt, and a huge break on the opposite half of the hilt. Also, there is a crack in the back, one of the braided bands on the scabbard is missing, as well as cracks in the scabbard.

Now here are my attempts at restoration. I left the small break alone since the patina matches the rest of the hilt patina, meaning it was done during the time it was in service. However, I painstakingly restored the missing half of the hilt - the patina was very light compared to the rest of the wood and indicated to me that it was done in the recent past. Lots of careful carving.

Also I glued and painted the other cracks.

Here are the results:

Other information:

The faded ink inscription reads:

July 1901, Tubigon Bohol

Since the island of Bohol (next to Cebu) does not have this kind of sword, this confirms this piece as being Cebuano. Toward the end of the Philippine-American War, some Filipino forces traveled from Cebu to Bohol, going up into the forested hills and were called "Bolo Men" by the American forces who later landed there are well. The Americans with their howitzers and guns never removed the Bolo Men. When word came of Aguinaldo's capture and surrender, the Bolo Men came down and surrendered to the American forces. This is one of those pieces.

On another note, I found out that there was a special training in how to wield this type of heavy weapon. It would take wide swings as far as I am concerned, but that's all I know so far.

I have seen some practitioners wielding modern lighter talibon versions, but this by far is heavier.

Yes, as a fellow FMA practitioner. the garabs that I have are significantly more front weighted that anything I've otherwise trained with. Nothing in the LaCosta/Inosanto system would prepare me to work with these.

Thanks,
Leif

I've come to the same conclusion. Maraming Salamat for your confirmation.

The repair looks great Battara. Will you repair the broken part of the top of the pommel?

Looks like this was very difficult.

Very good restore work! :)

Regards,
Detlef

Thank you folks!

Yes this was very difficult and time consuming. By bottom part of the hilt I assume you mean this: