A Very Interesting Philippine Weapon
 

Well, interesting to me anyway. I think that this Philippine dagger was picked up by a US soldier and converted into a "D Guard," knife. Thank God that it was dated or it would probably have been listed as an American Civil War Confederate Dagger. It is also named F.A. NENSTIEHL which I am guessing isn't a Philippine name. The knife measures 17" long.
Any comments would be welcomed.

This appears to be a wavy-bladed dagger made in Luzon. The date implies it came from the early period of U.S. occupation following the Spanish-American War. There are quite a few D-guard weapons from that period, some attributable to former Spanish units and some to revolutionary Filipino units. Some were also made as souvenirs for the victors. The terminal "dagger" point is a feature seen on some of the wavy-bladed weapons from the late stages of Spanish rule in the Philippines. I have a sword from that period showing the same feature. It was subsequently carried forward on wavy-bladed weapons made in central and northern Luzon until the mid-20th C and possibly later.

What you state makes complete sense; maybe it was a battlefield pick up and the soldier dated it and named it. One of the American Campaigns in the Philippines was against Mindanao from July 4, 1902, through Dec. 31, 1904, which kind of falls within the date on the handle; so even if the dagger was from Luzon, it would not be uncommon for soldiers to trade "war souvenirs."

The scabbard though looks more Visayan to me. Ian what are your thoughts?

Rehilted?
 

Hi All,

Ian makes a good point (no pun intended). The point of my serpentine bladed short sword is a dead ringer for the one on drac2k's blade. I wonder if the strange metal piece in front of the D-guard isn't a remnant of the type of cross guard on my sword. Perhaps the dagger got a new sheath, hilt, and guard in the Visayas.

Sincerely,
RobT

The metal piece in front of the "D guard," is actually part of the blade; the same configuration as yours at the base of your blade above the hilt only shorter.

I agree Battara. That leather wrap at the throat does have a Visayan flavor and the brass bands would also be consistent. Maybe a later pairing of blade and scabbard :confused:

Hi Rob,

Your example is another central/northern Luzon piece, possibly Kapangan or Ilokano in manufacture. I think yours is somewhat later in manufacture, probably post WWII. These were common bring backs by U.S. military stationed in the Philippines after WWII.

I think the presence of a handguard marks this out as a military weapon.

In regards to a handguard disqualifying it as a military weapon, I respectfully disagree. We have our famous American Civil War "D Guard Bowies," The L.F.&C & the ACCO 1917 Trench Knives, as well as a host of WW1 & WW2 Theater Made knives w/"D Guards, " not to mention Jason McCord's cut-down Cavalry sword that he often employed in the Western Frontier.
Paramilitary units often had non-standardized weapons such as this one; whether the application was practical or not was of secondary importance; just so long as they were scary.
Usually, with your typical souvenir pieces, you not only have a date and a name but a place, which this one doesn't, which tells me that this one wasn't generically made.