Visayan Weapons Study

[tom hyle]

And we know that word as pinuti, though I've more often seen it applied to as sansibar type sword than to a talibon/garab. What is the division being drawn as to pulahan garab vs talibon? What are the structural, cultural, geographical, or historical bases of this division? It may be a somewhat artificial one, and in any event seems to me to cry out for defining; I don't understand it. Is the fully lobed pommel important in some way I'm unaware of? Is there an attempt afoot to divide weapon from tool? It seems to me that the thumb-rest is an old/obsolete feature, but are other equally old blades without it? I'm unsure. Some style feature variations I've found that seem meaningful: overall wedge-section with secondary chisel-bevel at edge vs. flat with chisel bevel vs. "high shinogi" (thicker to front edge) with chisel bevel; orientation of blade in hilt is with the flat side parralel to fingers? or is the (wedge section) blade centrally oriented? or is the spine jigged "off" to the flat way extra far to try to line up the cutting edge? Narrow tip vs. wide tip; straight tip vs. curved tip; raised edges on ricassoe; wide tang vs. nail-like (dha-like) tang; differentially hardened vs. scarf-welded edges; facetted vs. flat-faced vs. eliptical scabbard......
Talibon hilt widens toward the blade, to protect your hand; tenegre hilt narrows toward the blade, and relies on the ricassoe or a guard to protect the hand.
Some thoughts.......