A strange bolo
 

Being new of this (and any other ) forum, I have many questions to put up for discussion; so You should forgive my hurry and aegerness to open threads and have answers.
Now I send some pics of a bolo I have with horn hilt and silver fittings (the pitted blade on one side has some brass inlay floral pattern I can't satisfying phtograph) with a fly whisk of horsehai. I never saw a similar one. Can someone help me?
Regards
Paolo

Very interesting Paolo. I would say the mounts were more steel or aluminum and not silver (though only a jeweler's test can tell for sure) since silver does not pit like this. STill looks Katipunan (Luzon Island) and a higher ranking person. The fist was one of the signs of the Katipunan groups and it was actually a fist holding the scalp or severed head of a Spaniard. Not seen one with hair before, but a first for everything. Could you show pictures of the brass inlay? Very nice. :)

Tomorrow I'll try to take some pic of the brass inlay, but I'm not sure of the outcome because the blade is quite pitted.
Regards
Paolo

I HAVE SEEN KNIVES WITH THIS FORM OF BLADE REFERED TO AS A TABAK. THEY TOOK THAT FORM DUE TO THE SPANISH LAW ENFORCED IN SOME REGIONS AGAINST KNIVES HAVING A SHARP POINT. I WOULD STILL CLASSIFY THIS AS A BOLO AND HAVE SEEN SOME SIMULAR WORK FROM LUZON. I AGREE WITH JOSE AND TO CHECK THE METAL TRY A MAGNET IF ITS SILVER OR WHITE METAL IT WON'T STICK. I HAVE A SIMULAR FIST HANDLE WITH SILVER AND A GOLD RING ON THE FINGER. SO IT IS A REOCCURING THEME WHICH NO DOUBT HAS SOME MEANING. NICE KNIFE

Thank you for the inputs.
Battara, attached some pics of the brass inlay. As I wrote, is very difficult to have them in an acceptable quality.
Regards
Paolo

Vandoo, I put the magnet on fittings and it won't stick, so they shold be silver or aluminium.
Regards
Paolo

One thing I forgot: Welcome to the Forum! :D

Thank you for the brass pictures. Yes I do think this belonged to someone who is of higher rank and it older, around the turn of the century at least. I would suggest taking it to a jeweler to have the metal tested.

VERY nice piece. Thank you.

Thank you for the exhaustive answers. For sure next year I'll test the fittings metal by a jeweller. (not too simple walk in the city with a bolo under arms !!!).
Happy New Year
Paolo

hi all
 

paolo look page 124 from " a glossary of the construction,decoration and use of arms and armor in all countries and all times" george cameron stone . we have the same.
galvano

Yes I saw times ago, is the same but it hasn't the fly whisk of horsehair.
Paolo