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Originally Posted by xasterix
... I remember you describing how light and fast your piece is - and I finally understood that feeling, thanks to this sample, which is perfectly balanced and cuts swiftly. ...
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That's a real bonus and makes me think that your blade is old. Of the dozen or so confirmed old Bagobo blades I've held, they all felt very light and "fast." I think this must come from the well-weighted hilt which balances the relatively light blade, creating a sense of wielding almost nothing in the hand. The blade is usually remarkably sharp and finely forged.
Perhaps this lighter type of weapon was favored by the Bagobo because they tend to be a small and slender race. Accounts by early U.S. anthropologists of the Bagobo noted the small and light frames of the men who had such fine facial features that they were hard to distinguish from women.
I've not studied systematically the balance points for older Bagobo swords, but I think it may be very close to the guard and therefore near the primary grip on the hilt between the forefinger and thumb. The shape of the hilt, which widens at the "pommel," encourages the gripping of the hilt to be close to the guard. The feel and balance is very different from a Moro
barung, for example, which is distinctly blade heavy and has a more distal balance point. A
barung can also be gripped further from the blade, accentuating the blade's weight and chopping power.
More recent Bagobo blades (WWII and later) that I have owned or seen generally had somewhat heavier blades than the antique forms. Whether this reflected a change in fighting style would be interesting to determine. I've not read or seen anything on the martial arts of the Bagobo.