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Originally Posted by Robert
Hello Ian. I truly appreciate your help in trying to identifying this unusual piece. While your suggestion that this could be a re-hilted rencong blade sounds possible the tang on this does not arise from the back edge of the blade like a rencong, but is like those found on most blades from Luzon and is located only slightly off-center of the blade. The tang is also quite long as it does extend completely through the hit and the now missing butt plate before being peened over in the usual manner for a blade from this location. However, I can see where it might have been specially made for someone in the style of a rencong to suite their personal preferences.  A lot of the fun in these odd items is in trying to identify them after they have been found. 
Best,
Robert |
Robert:
Yes, I agree about the tang not being right on the back edge. However, the rencong has a bolster in that position, and it would be necessary to grind that back to create a tang for the new hilt. In the hands of a skilled cutler, with a decent grinding wheel, reshaping the bolster and making it continuous with the existing tang would be a simple job--an hour or two at most. If necessary the length of the tang could be augmented by welding on a small piece of rod. Similarly, grinding off the stylized garuda at forte would be a simple and quick task. Why remove that file work? Well, as a good Christian Filipino, I might not want that "Islamic" iconography on my knife; or I might be afraid that it would snag my clothing if I wanted to get it out in a hurry.
I believe I could make these changes in my home workshop--but probably not as skillfully as might have been done here.
Ian.