Laminated Luzon Daga

[Dimasalang]

Grabbed this one off eBay. Looks to be a laminated Luzon dagger from the Revolution/Phil-Am war era. The blade is well made, straight, and uniform. The brass fittings have a nice feel, made from a thick heavy solid piece of brass. Handle is horn with pretty good checkering. Love the way these older knives are, solid feel and well balanced...this one isn't super meticulous detailed, but it has that feel and touch of being made by someone well experienced.
Let me know what you all think? Any more suggestions, info, or opinions will be appreciated.

[Spunjer]

nice dagger, dimasalang! haven't really seen too many luzon pieces that's laminated. did it come with a scabbard?

[Battara]

Very nice piece. Has more lamination than my Luzon piece.

[Dimasalang]

Thanks guys. Naw it didn't come with a scabbard.

[migueldiaz]

Nice dagger, Dimasalang!

As Spunjer hinted, the scabbard could have provided a vital clue.

But as somebody said, mystery is better than facts ... the latter is boring

So here's my (wild) speculation on its probable background --

- as you mentioned, it looks like it's a Phil. Revolution/ Phil.-Am. War piece given its hilt design, etc.

- given the profuse laminations, it's probably made by a Visayan bladesmith working in Luzon

- in Krieger's Plate 12, a Luzon dagger is shown having the same blade shape

No. 1. Curved blade of steel with flattened surface on inner side and median ridge on beveled outer surface; octagonal hardwood handle. Tagalog, central Luzon. 2. Bolo with steel blade point broken off. Handle consists of elaborately carved carabao horn. Luzon. 3. Broad-backed steel blade provided with convex cutting edge; handle completely shod with figured brass. Bagobo, southern Mindanao. 4. Bolo having chased iron blade inlaid with soft metal; beautifully carved carabao-horn handle. Cebu, Visayan Islands. 5. Boy's barong; small elliptic steel blade; carved hardwood handle ferruled with silver bands and braided silver cord. Taken in 1913 at Mount Talipao, Mindanao. 6. Steel blade, "pirah" acutely pointed and convexly curved; provided with sharp downward curve near handle similar to the Malayan parang-latok; hardwood handle equipped with symbolic recurved horns and spike. Cebu, Visayan Islands. 7. Concavo-convex grooved steel blade; brass-shod handle and guard spike. Bagobo, southern Mindanao. 8. Kampilan-bolo type; chain ornament on hardwood pommel. Bagobo, southeastern Mindanao. 9. Grotesque totemic or wyang carving on wood handle; circular guard of wood; old type of Malay weapon. Panay, Visayan Islands. 10. Pirah. Cutting edge of blade has sweeping convex curve; heavy, concave blade back; truncated slope at point; handle fashioned of carabao horn and provided with long extension arm support. Moro, Basilan Island.

- alternatively, it can be a pure Visayan piece, say Samar (just like the nicely laminated talibong below which is probably from Samar ...)

- note that in Krieger's Plate 13, there's a Samar dagger with a blade shape that's very similar to the subject blade

No. 1. Dagger; triangular sectioned, curved, and pointed blade; single cutting edge; carved wood handle. Quinapundar, Samar Island. 2. Dagger "bala-rao"; hastate shape double-edged blade; handle provided with a peculiar finger-fitting grip consisting of extended tang and two horns; silver ferrule at center. Chief defense weapon of the Mandayan, southeastern Mindanao. 3. Woman's knife. Blade curved, designed for striking a slanting blow. Bagobo, southeastern Mindanao. 4. Plain dirk-dagger having curved blade, ferruled wooden handle, and circular guard. Moro, Mindanao. 5. Serpentine Malay dagger; grotesque dugong ivory carving on hilt. Collected by the United States exploring expedition, 1838-1842, under Admiral Wilkes. 6. Malay dagger; curved wooden pistol shape hilt; characteristic serpentine figure carving; straight-edged blade. Wilkes exploring expedition. 7. Serpentine kris-dagger; plain horn handle; engraved circular silver guard and ferrule. Moro, Mindanao. 8. Malay dagger; laminated blade; figured and carved handle of wood. Dyak, Pasir River, southeast Borneo. 9. Punal de kris; blade chased on surface section near handle; wood handle set in socketed brass ferrule. Moro, Mindanao. 10. Dagger; curved, double-edged blade; curved plain wood handle. Moro, Mindanao. 11. Dagger having saberlike blade; metal guard provided with volute tips; carved wood handle; blade chased and inlaid with soft metal at back. Moro, Jolo. 12. Dagger; serpentine blade; metal cross guard; spiral fluted grip of Camagon wood. 13. "Insurrecto" sword-dagger chased blade, pointed and double edged; cross guard; horn handle inlaid with shell mosaic; symbolically figured pommel.

A little off-topic but somehow still related => blade no. 1 in Plate 13 is mentioned as being triangular sectioned. This must have been the tres cantos ... does anybody have a sample of this?

PS - Back to the topic, the theorized Luzon-Samar origin is also supported by geography. Luzon Island and Samar Island are right next to each other.

[Robert]

"A little off-topic but somehow still related => blade no. 1 in Plate 13 is mentioned as being triangular sectioned. This must have been the tres cantos ... does anybody have a sample of this?"

Is this an example of the type of blade you were asking about ? The blade is only slightly curved and it is hard to see in the picture. I believe that this knife is also from Luzon.


Robert