Tenegre Nose Job

ClemFandango · 19th September 2025, 11:16 PM

Hello everyone,

I wanted some advice on this Visayan Tenegre I've acquired recently. It looks like it's in need of a nose job. Should I try repairing the nose or should I leave it as is? And if I do end up repairing how would one go about it?

side note: I've been lurking here for a little over a year. What a great resource this site and community has been.

Cheers!

Sajen · 20th September 2025, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClemFandango

Hello everyone,

I wanted some advice on this Visayan Tenegre I've acquired recently. It looks like it's in need of a nose job. Should I try repairing the nose or should I leave it as is? And if I do end up repairing how would one go about it?

side note: I've been lurking here for a little over a year. What a great resource this site and community has been.

Cheers!

Welcome to the forum ClemFandango, can you please show the complete sword? The handle is very nice and I wouldn't go to restore the broken nose and would leave it as is but I would try to restore the missing silver attachments, the top piece is missing and I see a missing eye.

I also own a tenegre with a missing nose, see pics.

Regards,
Detlef

ClemFandango · 21st September 2025, 07:12 AM

Thank you Detlef, glad to be here! Yeah I think I'll leave the nose alone after all, and I agree about the silver fittings. Will probably take it to a silversmith to restore the missing attachments.

Also that's a lovely complete piece. Thank you for sharing.

Best,
Clem

attached full length sword below

Sajen · 21st September 2025, 10:39 AM

Very nice tenegre you have there, when you ever get tired to look at it.....

Here one from my collection with a similar appearance bit without silver.

Regards,
Detlef

werecow · 21st September 2025, 10:50 AM

Since Tenegres and their noses came up, I'll share this one, which a Spanish seller recently first sold to me and then sneakily sold again at a higher price through another platform (where I strongly suspect he engaged in shill bidding) while repeatedly assuring me that he was not doing so over several weeks.

He could've just not accepted my bid or canceled the sale immediately, but I suspect he was stringing me along because he won his own lot through shill bidding and then offered it to the second highest bidder and was waiting for that deal to go through while keeping me as a backup. He then canceled the sale without explanation and stopped communicating with me. When the platform asked him for the reason he claimed it was "broken".
Luckily I saw the other auction and smelled a rat and opened a dispute in time to get my money back. #notbitteratall

Still like the sword though.

ClemFandango · 21st September 2025, 11:23 AM

Ah woah!! Thanks for sharing these pieces guys

Detlef, do you have closeups of the pommel by any chance? I love seeing the carved details on the hilts of these swords

And dang I'm sorry werecow. You were cheated out of a fine piece :c reminds me of the silver sapot talibongs from Aklan.

Ian · 21st September 2025, 11:26 AM

Very nice sword. Lousy seller. Glad you got your money back. That often does not happen.

werecow · 21st September 2025, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian

Very nice sword. Lousy seller. Glad you got your money back. That often does not happen.

Yeah, that has also happened to me before. Thankfully in this case I had pay insurance through todocoleccion. It just took another week or two of them trying to pressure him to follow through with the sale (which was obviously not going to happen since he presumably no longer had the sword in his possession), but in the end they refunded me in full.

I wouldn't have been so pissed off with him if he had just been honest and canceled the sale once he got a better offer, but he chose to lie repeatedly, and given that he had a new account on both platforms and it looks a lot like he was shill bidding on catawiki (which frankly enables this by allowing sellers to offer their lots to the next highest bidder) I suspect this is a habit for him. Buyer beware.

Sajen · 21st September 2025, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by werecow

Yeah, that has also happened to me before. Thankfully in this case I had pay insurance through todocoleccion. It just took another week or two of them trying to pressure him to follow through with the sale (which was obviously not going to happen since he presumably no longer had the sword in his possession), but in the end they refunded me in full.

I wouldn't have been so pissed off with him if he had just been honest and canceled the sale once he got a better offer, but he chose to lie repeatedly, and given that he had a new account on both platforms and it looks a lot like he was shill bidding on catawiki (which frankly enables this by allowing sellers to offer their lots to the next highest bidder) I suspect this is a habit for him. Buyer beware.

I can understand your anger very well! BTW, beautiful tenegre.

werecow · 22nd September 2025, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sajen

I can understand your anger very well! BTW, beautiful tenegre.

Yeah, it would've been nice, but oh well. I hope someone else on these boards is currently enjoying it and taking good care of it!

Battara · 22nd September 2025, 08:27 PM

Sorry Werecow. That was a nice piece indeed (one I'd like to own).

Back to the subject at hand:

There is a debate in the community going on for decades of restore or not restore. Some want it as is, where others (me, Charles, others) like a piece restored (which is why I restore antique weaponry and armor).

It's up to you.

BTW - I restored one like yours Clemfandango a few years ago.

werecow · 22nd September 2025, 09:49 PM

Personally I don't mind small restorations or cleaning as long as they are

honestly documented,
fitting with the style of the original,
don't alter the handling characteristics or change important features (like removing markings), and
are non-destructive as much as possible (with the understanding that in some cases you can't very well keep the original, e.g. restoring a grip that has just a tiny remainder of rotting wood left on it), and
preferably reversible if possible.

But I really don't like it when I find out I've bought a fantasy composite of old (and new) parts after the fact, or when people take apart old swords that are still largely intact in order to harvest parts.

In this case I don't think I would mind knowing that either the nose or some of the silver was a replacement (but I would personally keep it as it is since I quite like it and I don't feel the missing bits detract from it).

ClemFandango · 22nd September 2025, 11:10 PM

Thank you both for your thoughts and insight. Fair points to consider. I have a lot of research to do before attempting any kind of restoration work.

Btw Battara, how did you end up restoring that tenegre if I may ask?

Battara · 23rd September 2025, 04:07 AM

Well, there are collectors and dealers who know my work and reputation, and they come to me for restoration. One of them who owned this one asked me to restore it. Here is how I received it.

Battara · 23rd September 2025, 04:09 AM

Based on research, here is how I restored it. (and he was very happy

)

ClemFandango · 23rd September 2025, 05:51 PM

Oh I've seen this actually! Some of your repairs/restorations have come up in my browsing of this site. Huge fan of your work. Might have a keris coteng that needs some nose surgery as well at some point aha

but I think I misunderstood your past message and thought the tenegre you repaired had a broken nose as well. I was wondering how you'd go about fixing something like that? I was thinking of carving a small piece of kamagong into the shape I need and attaching it to the main body with pine pitch resin.

Battara · 24th September 2025, 06:06 PM

Oh I understand now. Here is a ba'id from Bicol that I own. It is old and not seen until now. I believe it is a sacrificial weapon with the date of 1753 on it. This is how I got it with a broken nostril.

Battara · 24th September 2025, 06:08 PM

Here is what I did. I remade the nostril and then made and used silver nails to nail the nostrils and the rest of the silver mounts to it.

Battara · 24th September 2025, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClemFandango

Oh I've seen this actually! Some of your repairs/restorations have come up in my browsing of this site. Huge fan of your work. Might have a keris coteng that needs some nose surgery as well at some point aha

I had not idea.

I'm honored, thank you.

I have also replaced a coating nose in silver too.

The only issue I see with the nose on your tenegre is the missing silver. What else needs to be repaired?

ClemFandango · 25th September 2025, 01:50 AM

Oh danggg that restored ba'id is immaculate!! also such a unique piece. I've never seen one before

The Bikolanos sure love their bat shaped hilts haha!

My tenegre has the tip of its nose chipped off as well. Been trying to work out the shape i need to fix it

Battara · 29th September 2025, 03:25 AM

I think you're on to something with the nose design.

..........and thank you.....I never saw it's like either, but certain features point to Bicolano, early.

19th September 2025, 11:16 PM	#1
ClemFandango Member Join Date: Nov 2024 Posts: 6	Tenegre Nose Job Hello everyone, I wanted some advice on this Visayan Tenegre I've acquired recently. It looks like it's in need of a nose job. Should I try repairing the nose or should I leave it as is? And if I do end up repairing how would one go about it? side note: I've been lurking here for a little over a year. What a great resource this site and community has been. Cheers! Attached Images

21st September 2025, 07:12 AM	#3
ClemFandango Member Join Date: Nov 2024 Posts: 6	Thank you Detlef, glad to be here! Yeah I think I'll leave the nose alone after all, and I agree about the silver fittings. Will probably take it to a silversmith to restore the missing attachments. Also that's a lovely complete piece. Thank you for sharing. Best, Clem attached full length sword below Attached Images

21st September 2025, 10:39 AM	#4
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 9,409	Very nice tenegre you have there, when you ever get tired to look at it..... Here one from my collection with a similar appearance bit without silver. Regards, Detlef Attached Images

21st September 2025, 10:50 AM	#5
werecow Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Leiden, NL Posts: 617	Since Tenegres and their noses came up, I'll share this one, which a Spanish seller recently first sold to me and then sneakily sold again at a higher price through another platform (where I strongly suspect he engaged in shill bidding) while repeatedly assuring me that he was not doing so over several weeks. He could've just not accepted my bid or canceled the sale immediately, but I suspect he was stringing me along because he won his own lot through shill bidding and then offered it to the second highest bidder and was waiting for that deal to go through while keeping me as a backup. He then canceled the sale without explanation and stopped communicating with me. When the platform asked him for the reason he claimed it was "broken". Luckily I saw the other auction and smelled a rat and opened a dispute in time to get my money back. #notbitteratall Still like the sword though. Attached Images

22nd September 2025, 09:49 PM	#12
werecow Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Leiden, NL Posts: 617	Personally I don't mind small restorations or cleaning as long as they are honestly documented, fitting with the style of the original, don't alter the handling characteristics or change important features (like removing markings), and are non-destructive as much as possible (with the understanding that in some cases you can't very well keep the original, e.g. restoring a grip that has just a tiny remainder of rotting wood left on it), and preferably reversible if possible. But I really don't like it when I find out I've bought a fantasy composite of old (and new) parts after the fact, or when people take apart old swords that are still largely intact in order to harvest parts. In this case I don't think I would mind knowing that either the nose or some of the silver was a replacement (but I would personally keep it as it is since I quite like it and I don't feel the missing bits detract from it).

21st September 2025, 11:23 AM	#6
ClemFandango Member Join Date: Nov 2024 Posts: 6	Ah woah!! Thanks for sharing these pieces guys Detlef, do you have closeups of the pommel by any chance? I love seeing the carved details on the hilts of these swords And dang I'm sorry werecow. You were cheated out of a fine piece :c reminds me of the silver sapot talibongs from Aklan.

21st September 2025, 11:26 AM	#7
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,513	Very nice sword. Lousy seller. Glad you got your money back. That often does not happen.

22nd September 2025, 08:27 PM	#11
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,342	Sorry Werecow. That was a nice piece indeed (one I'd like to own). Back to the subject at hand: There is a debate in the community going on for decades of restore or not restore. Some want it as is, where others (me, Charles, others) like a piece restored (which is why I restore antique weaponry and armor). It's up to you. BTW - I restored one like yours Clemfandango a few years ago.

22nd September 2025, 11:10 PM	#13
ClemFandango Member Join Date: Nov 2024 Posts: 6	Thank you both for your thoughts and insight. Fair points to consider. I have a lot of research to do before attempting any kind of restoration work. Btw Battara, how did you end up restoring that tenegre if I may ask?

23rd September 2025, 04:07 AM	#14
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,342	Well, there are collectors and dealers who know my work and reputation, and they come to me for restoration. One of them who owned this one asked me to restore it. Here is how I received it. Attached Images

23rd September 2025, 04:09 AM	#15
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,342	Based on research, here is how I restored it. (and he was very happy ) Attached Images

23rd September 2025, 05:51 PM	#16
ClemFandango Member Join Date: Nov 2024 Posts: 6	Oh I've seen this actually! Some of your repairs/restorations have come up in my browsing of this site. Huge fan of your work. Might have a keris coteng that needs some nose surgery as well at some point aha but I think I misunderstood your past message and thought the tenegre you repaired had a broken nose as well. I was wondering how you'd go about fixing something like that? I was thinking of carving a small piece of kamagong into the shape I need and attaching it to the main body with pine pitch resin.

24th September 2025, 06:06 PM	#17
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,342	Oh I understand now. Here is a ba'id from Bicol that I own. It is old and not seen until now. I believe it is a sacrificial weapon with the date of 1753 on it. This is how I got it with a broken nostril. Attached Images

24th September 2025, 06:08 PM	#18
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,342	Here is what I did. I remade the nostril and then made and used silver nails to nail the nostrils and the rest of the silver mounts to it. Attached Images

25th September 2025, 01:50 AM	#20
ClemFandango Member Join Date: Nov 2024 Posts: 6	Oh danggg that restored ba'id is immaculate!! also such a unique piece. I've never seen one before The Bikolanos sure love their bat shaped hilts haha! My tenegre has the tip of its nose chipped off as well. Been trying to work out the shape i need to fix it Attached Images

29th September 2025, 03:25 AM	#21
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,342	I think you're on to something with the nose design. ..........and thank you.....I never saw it's like either, but certain features point to Bicolano, early.