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Originally Posted by Ian
Look forward to seeing lots of pictures.
Interesting that a local merchant would have a handle on the CITES issue, and even better that he did not try to sell that gunong to you knowing that you would be leaving the country.
Now, about that new sword form ... 
Ian |
Actually, most if not all the Maranao merchants in Davao dealing in antique weapons were quite knowledgeable and were aware of the CITES issue. Sure, many had recently made krises with fancy hilts, but a few had genuinely old weapons. Most know that most tourist want the fancy new swords which is why there are so many of those gaudy krises and gunongs in their shops. But, if an antique merchant determines that you're a serious client, that's when the real treasures come out from the back room. As for lumad swords, many carry them and are quite knowledgeable about them as well. Right now, the genuine lumad swords are still selling for a fraction less than the genuine old Moro swords, however, the better quality and rarer lumad swords are priced comparably with the Moro weapons.
As for the "new" sword form, I won't comment on it until I dig up more information and do some follow-up research. It really isn't that new, but distinctly different.