Small Moro Knife For Comment
 

I picked this up from the another forum member does anyone know what it is called and it's use?


Lew

Probably a Bagobo sangngi
 

Hi Lou:

Both the T'boli and Bagobo tribes of Mindanao use knives of this shape and the scabbards are similar. Mostly these are work knives or "women's knives." There is a picture of a very similar knife to yours in the booklet, Tagabawa Bagobo, by Sonia Mangune (p. 39). The caption reads "SANGNGI Bagobo Knife."

Krieger's Plate 13 (no. 3) has another example labeled as a woman's knife, Bagobo. See here: http://www.vikingsword.com/rila/krieger.html

Ian

That's really pretty Lew. I don't know for sure, but from the looks of it i might guess that it is for agricultural use, perhaps for harvesting herbs or cutting rattan, something like that.

Where's it sharp? It looks like a rattan-splitting knife.

Outside curved edge is sharp (The edge facing the scabbard).

That's a neat knife. Beautiful wood. I've seen a few on Ebay. Is it worn around the neck?

Steve

Like Ian said, it is a utility knife. Don't know why some say "woman's knife", I have seen pictures of Bagobo men wearing these too. :confused:

Also small african knives are usually attributed to women. I don't know, but maybe because there is the belief that the smaller knives are "more appropriated" for women more than for men, but probably it's wrong :)

Macho collector say so. Especially when they do not have one. :confused:

I think the "woman's knife" attribution may be more a Western perception for knives that are for utility purposes and used by both men and women, as distinct from knives that would be considered mainly as weapons and used mainly by men.

In the southern areas of the Philippines, and perhaps elsewhere as well, women also carried weapons and knew how to use them in defence of their homes and people. So in that regard, a "woman's knife" is not necessarily a derogatory or dismissive term within the original culture.

Ian.

I've also seen the spelling variant "Sangi" for this knife - seems also to be in use by the Bilaan tribe.

Regards,
Kai