Ilocano Knives (Santa, Ilocos Sur, Philippines)

[F. de Luzon]

Originally Posted by Ian

A. Aluminum cutlery was introduced by the 1920s, but at that time aluminum metal products were still somewhat of a novelty.

B. It seems likely that aluminum metal would have been present in the Philippines in some quantity pre-WWII, especially on military bases in Luzon.

C. To the best of my knowledge, however, there has been no bauxite mining or aluminum production in the Philippines, and inspection of current Philippine Government web sites reveals no mention of bauxite extraction of aluminum refining. It appears that aluminum in the Philippines is derived solely from outside the country.

D. Which brings us to the question of when Filipino knives with aluminum decoration may have been made. The substantial majority of Filipino knives with aluminum decoration are those that have cast aluminum hilts. These were produced in fairly large quantities judging from the frequency with which they appear in online auctions (notably eBay).

E. It is my opinion (and perhaps the subject of an entirely different thread) that these knives are of Ilokano design and construction, mostly made in the vicinity of the old Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga. These knives vary in quality, and some have dates that encompass the period 1945–1947. Such dates may be more commemorative rather than the date of manufacture (1945, liberation from Japanese occupation; 1947, independence from US rule), so it is possible that they were still being made in the 1950s or later.
The amount of aluminum used in these knives suggests a significant supply of the metal, and downed airplanes are the most likely source. From these observations has arisen the idea that the substantial majority of Filipino knives with aluminum decoration are of post-WWII manufacture.

F. It would be nice to find some provenanced pieces to support that idea.

Hello Ian and thank you for sharing your thoughts. I would like to respond to your ideas point by point.

A. The link I attached directs to a page of a document from 1905 showing the imposition of duties on "utensilios de cocina de aluminio" (aluminum kitchen utensils) and "todos los demas articulos de aluminio" (all other aluminum articles). Below is a photo of the page. Aluminum was imported to the Philippines as kitchen utensils in 1905. I'm surprised that it was still a novelty in the US during the 1920s.

B. Aluminum was actually available in some quantity before World War II and not just "especially on military bases in Luzon." Aside from being present in Filipino kitchens, it was also used for other purposes. Attached is a page from a pre-war buyers guide in the American Chamber of Commerce Journal of May 1939 on which is listed a distributor of aluminum metal mouldings and art products. In another journal from 1940, you'll find another distributor of aluminum in the Philippines. Aluminum was also used as far as Basilan and here's an article from 1928 stating the use of aluminum separators in rubber plantations there. These examples can be accessed online. There are earlier documents on the use of aluminum foil as well as the use of aluminum to decorate horse carriages (kalesa) but I have to scan them. Safe to say that aluminum was widely distributed around the archipelago pre-war.

C. Yes, aluminum was imported into the country. The strong agricultural economy back then did not require the local production of certain commodities, both raw and manufactured. The money made from agriculture (sugar, hemp, copra, tobacco, etc.) was used to purchase manufactured goods.

D. I agree that aluminum became a more common material as time went by. On weapons, they certainly would have been a much more practical alternative to brass and silver in later years, especially on souvenir items. However, one must avoid broad generalizations. Not all weapons with aluminum fittings are post war and souvenir items. As pointed out, aluminum was available in the Philippines long before the war.

E. The reason for the sale of weapons/knives with aluminum fittings around the bases was because of the presence of G.I.s looking for souvenirs and not because of the availability of aluminum there. There were downed airplanes (both US and Japanese) all over the Islands. The use of aluminum from salvaged aircraft sounds very exotic but while some may have sourced their aluminum from such, others may have simply recycled their old aluminum kettles, ladels or spoons.

The manufacturers around the bases didn't even have to be Ilocano. They could have been Kapampangan, Tagalog, even Negrito blacksmiths making Ilocano style knives. Ilocano made knives could also have been brought there conveniently.

F. While provenanced pieces would be best, in its absence one can rely on circumstantial evidence. That is until actual proof is found.

Anyway, I am trying to engage in a friendly conversation. My intention is to learn more through a healthy exchange of ideas.

Kind regards,

Fernando

[Ian]

All good points, Fernando. You have done some sterling research on this subject. Thank you for the pictures and information.

... The manufacturers around the bases didn't even have to be Ilocano. They could have been Kapampangan, Tagalog, even Negrito blacksmiths making Ilocano style knives. Ilocano made knives could also have been brought there conveniently. ...

Quite possible. Just because the style may have been Ilocano does not mean that these were all made by Ilocanos.