Barong

[Miguel]

Originally Posted by kai

Hello Miguel,

I also tend to believe that the blade shape is intentional - etching could help to verify age and blade construction. Without more details, I'm not prepared to suggest this is antique: the tip seems a bit thin for fighting...

The nice pommel certainly looks antique to me. While there are old examples with brass fittings, the ferrule & sleeve here look quite crude and probably suggest a later fit/repair (probably contemporary with the scabbard replacement).

I would not call this a barung - as Chris pointed out, there are a bunch of related blades from the Sulu archipelago. An interesting variant!

Regards,
Kai

Hello Kai, thank you for your very interesting comments, you may have gathered that I know little or nothing about these weapons and am most grateful to you and the other members who have contributed for the information provided. The ferrule and sleeve don't appear crude to me but you may be correct regarding a later fit / repair and I have included some photos showing the tang entering the hilt for your info. I would also be grateful if you would explain why you think the scabbard is a replacement as I would never have guessed.
Miguel