Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Ian · 23rd October 2021, 10:01 PM

Hi vantique.

Thanks for the clarification. You have a small, wavy-bladed steel knife with a full length tang, and brass hilt and guard. That helps narrow the field a bit.

I'm going to stick my neck out here and suggest that this is an old knife from northern or central Luzon in the Philippines. The brass/bronze on the central part of the hilt shows wear from handling, indicating use over a lengthy period. The hilt is in two cast sections, with the lower section cracked longitudinally. The damage looks old judging from wear to the edges of the crack. Banded areas on the brass hilt are decorated with cross hatching, consistent with the geographic areas mentioned above. The guard is elliptical and "lobulated," again consistent with the regions noted. Lastly, the hilt is fixed by a small "knob" attached to the end of the tang, a feature also found in the areas mentioned.

Ethnically, I think this one is likely Ilokano in manufacture and may well date from the 19th C—a small concealable knife that was not used as a letter opener.

23rd October 2021, 10:01 PM	#4
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,035	Hi vantique. Thanks for the clarification. You have a small, wavy-bladed steel knife with a full length tang, and brass hilt and guard. That helps narrow the field a bit. I'm going to stick my neck out here and suggest that this is an old knife from northern or central Luzon in the Philippines. The brass/bronze on the central part of the hilt shows wear from handling, indicating use over a lengthy period. The hilt is in two cast sections, with the lower section cracked longitudinally. The damage looks old judging from wear to the edges of the crack. Banded areas on the brass hilt are decorated with cross hatching, consistent with the geographic areas mentioned above. The guard is elliptical and "lobulated," again consistent with the regions noted. Lastly, the hilt is fixed by a small "knob" attached to the end of the tang, a feature also found in the areas mentioned. Ethnically, I think this one is likely Ilokano in manufacture and may well date from the 19th C—a small concealable knife that was not used as a letter opener.