[CharlesS]

I have just added two very interesting barongs to my collection, both interesting for very different reasons. Both scabbards here are recent.

One has a very nice pattern welded blade, but it is the hilt that is of particular interest. It is carved in floral motifs throughout. I have never a barong hilt finished in this style. The hilt is octagonal, which I typically associate with later pieces and perhaps Tausig(??), but the blade and ferrule don't seem to be of later quality, but instead seem standard to what we would expect from late 19th to early 20th century pieces.

I am not sure we will ever know if the carving was intended from the beginning or was an afterthought, but comments and opinions are welcomed.

The second barong's blade is of interest. It is of homogenous steel with a thickened ridge about midway through the blade and shows two parallel lines of "hamon". Normally I would associate this thickening in the blade with a shandigan blade, but the ridge on this blade starts much further away from the edge then is the norm. I have included an example for comparison.

So, does this anomaly qualify as a shandigan blade or is this simply a forger's attempt to create a blade with unique aesthetics???

Again, comments and opinions are welcomed.