What makes the metal stand out for me is not the thinness, I have seen many extremely thin fittings, but there is something about its uniformity that bugs me. Cant say that it is modern, but it has a precision/uniformity that just strikes me as odd. Anyways, not a big deal, just something that hits me funny. Personally I would read much into it, it doesnt take away from anything, its still a nice kampilan.
Anyways, I agree whole-heartedly Kampilan were not just campaign swords. There are many fine examples, beyond the large carved heads, of extravagent kampilan. From completely silver plated hilts, bone/ivory hilts, banati hilts, etc... The Kampilan is claimed (in a similar fashion to the barong being claimed by Tausug) by some Mindanao groups as a national weapon (Im sorry cant remember which group). Sultan Kudarat is well known for bearing Kampilan as his favored sword. Its inclusion in court regalia (as far as period pics) is more than an occaisional token piece, from pics of sultans to pics of more lower level datus. However, due the natural difficulty in carrying such a large weapon everywhere, they arent something that were necessarily every day carry. Hmm...dunno where Im going with this, but then whats new.
