Swords from the Pacific brought back after WW2. ID help requested.

[brad2024]

Originally Posted by kai

Hello Brad,

Welcome to the forum!



Yes, that is a Moro kris. A kalis taluseko from the Sulu archipelago with horsehoof-shaped hilt made of horn (any tiny holes visible on the polygonal pommel?); the asang-asang appear to be aluminium and probably are later and rather crude replacements. I'm sure it would be worth to have some new ones made from silver before renewing the grip braiding. IMHO, this kris dates from the first half of the 20th century, most likely 1920-1930.

Seems like you can easily disassemble the kris and try a careful cleaning of the blade (removing rust is a must and I'd suggest to gently repolish the blade and stain/etch it for bringing out the lamination). BTW, what are the dimensions for both pieces?


The other piece is really neat - I like it! Haven't seen one with similarly oversized guard before. This seems to be Visayan (chisel-like edge profile) - maybe our specialists can narrow things down? The scabbard looks odd and could well be from around/before WW2 while the sundang itself might well be older...

Regards,
Kai

Thank you for responding so quickly. I value the expert opinions from the members here.

There are some tiny holes visible on the pommel. What does that mean? Could it have been used for something else or was there something else attached? The Kris has a blade length of 17 5/8 inches from tip to the bottom of the handle. I appreciate your advise regarding cleaning the blade and replacing the asang-asang.

I agree that the second sword is very interesting. Is this a type of Bolo? I really do like the guard as well. I am wondering if the scabbard could have been made by the Japanese during the war. My uncle indicated that this was used by a Japanese officer but you know how those stories go.

Thank you!