Hello Dark379, I have always been interested in these copper and brass bladed Philippine knives/daggers. I even have a small collection of them myself that I try to add to as often as possible, but due to their rarity it is not often that I am able to. I find your example most interesting in that it not only has a full tang, but that the slab hilt plates are being held in place by two copper rivets. Then on top of all that the plates are carved in the shape of a mans torso with a full face. I have also heard (as David has pointed out earlier) that copper or brass blades were sometimes used to strike at subjects that are supposedly magically protected against attacks by iron and that the wounds that were made by these blades would not heal, but instead would become infected thus leading to the eventual death of the victim of the attack. I am wondering if the fact that your dagger has the face of a individual carved onto the hilt that it might have been made for an attack on a specific person? Like I said, a very interesting dagger.
Best,
Robert
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