The Tinguian and Ilocano Peoples--an ethnography based on the work of Cole

Ian · 15th July 2018, 05:11 PM

Shazam,

Thanks for bringing that quote up. Indeed, the distribution of quality weapons is an important contribution of the Ilocano/Tinguian groups and emphasizes the influence of this ethnic group on others in the region.

It is my belief that Ilocano/Tinguian weapons were traded widely to the south also, including Pangasinan and the Tagalog provinces. Cole makes mention of longstanding trade with those areas, and it seems that weapons manufacture was prominent among the Ilocano/Tinguian groups. I also think that later in the 20th C, the enterprising Ilocano/Tinguian craftsmen came to see the lucrative market of American servicemen at Clark AFB and Subic Bay Naval Base as a target for their goods. Whether some of them set up shop around those bases or traded their goods to local merchants is unclear, but many of the Ilocano/Tinguian style weapons ended up in the hands of U.S. servicemen. Some local manufacture does seem to have occurred as there is evidence of custom made pieces in the Ilocano/Tinguian style.

Ian.

A. G. Maisey · 15th July 2018, 11:04 PM

Ian, in respect of this:-

" --- A curious feature on each of these knives is a small cut-out notch at the ricasso where, presumably, the forefinger would rest rather than slide down onto the sharpened edge ---"

this notch is called a "choil", its purpose is to permit the entire length of a blade to be sharpened (A.G. Russell)

There has been lengthy, ongoing debate about the choil in modern custom knife circles, but its purpose is clear;- it permits the entire length of a cutting edge to be sharpened and prevents damage to other parts of a knife during the process of sharpening.

It has the incidental effect of providing a warning to a user when his hand moves too far forward on the hilt, and in some knives the choil can be made large enough to permit the hand to move onto the blade, in this case the choil retains its original function, but loses its original form, in that it forms an unbroken line with the hilt, and is sometimes given a checkered or cross-hatched surface to prevent slippage.

In a work knife that is intended for detail work, the Balinese work knife shown below provides a design that permits full on-blade control, in that the section of blade that declines to the cutting edge from the hilt ferrule is left wide and unsharpened, a mere finger notch cannot provide anything like the same degree of blade control, and in a heavy blade that was expected to be used at times for chopping, a finger-on-blade design would have an adverse effect upon practicality.

Ian · 15th July 2018, 11:39 PM

Alan,

Thank you for the comment about choils. Yes, this feature certainly looks like a choil and may be intended for the purpose you describe. I used the word "curious" because such a feature is very uncommon on Filipino knives of the late 19th and early 20th C. I cannot recall seeing it on other knives from Luzon or Mindanao dating to that time period, and earlier examples are rather sparse and difficult to draw conclusions. As I mentioned earlier, there are occasional Visayan knives with similar features.

The question becomes where did the Tinguian get the idea to adopt this feature when they chose to avoid European contact and move inland? The Spanish certainly have knives with similar features but the Tinguian deliberately shunned them. Their Ilocano cousins, who had far more contact with the outside world, did not choose to adopt the feature and the Mountain groups with whom the Tinguian lived did not use a choil either. Maybe they reinvented the idea themselves. I just find it an odd and out of place observation that is intriguing.

Ian.

A. G. Maisey · 15th July 2018, 11:58 PM

Yes Ian, I understood your comment to be within the context of knives from this geographic area. I added my post in an attempt to clarify exactly what that cutout was.

The addition of a choil to a blade is something that can occur anywhere, and without any outside influence. I used to cut a choil into the blades of knives I used as a kid, sub-12 years of age. I'd never seen a blade with a choil at that time, I did not know what a choil was, but I did know that if I didn't run a rats tail file across the blade edge up near the end of the cutting edge, I would damage the ferrule or the hilt itself, and the cutout made the blade easier to sharpen.

There is a theory known as "parallel development". Broadly it states that similar things happen at similar times in widely spaced places and without any cross contact or influence.

Possibly that is what we can see in these Tinguian knives:- they did not need to get the idea to use a choil from anywhere, they simply found that it was a natural development that made life easier.

Sometimes human beings act in similar ways simply because they are human beings.

Ian · 16th July 2018, 07:20 AM

Alan, yes parallel development could certainly explain why a choil might be found on knives of a single ethnic group from Luzon. After eliminating external influences it really is the only explanation left.

Attached is an example of a Canary Island knife (Spanish colonial). Would you consider this shape to also be a choil? It's sometimes referred to as a "Spanish notch."

Ian

-----------Canary Island knife-------------

Ian · 16th July 2018, 07:58 AM

Well, to answer my own question, I searched online for "Spanish notch" and found that it is a synonym for "choil." Here is a compilation of examples that I found on Blade Forums

Ian.

.

A. G. Maisey · 16th July 2018, 09:41 AM

No Ian, I would not refer to the finger stop on the Canary Island knife as a choil.

In simple terms a choil is an area between the cutting edge and the tang that is intended as the point where the sharpening of the cutting edge begins.

It is not a guard, nor a finger stop, nor a ricasso, it is not there to catch an opponent's blade in knife combat, it is not a decorative element, it is not intended to interrupt the flow of blood on the blade and redirect it away from the user's hand, it has no religious function nor association, it is not intended to be used to strip sinew, nor to strip bark.

The choil is a design element in a blade that indicates the point at which blade sharpening should commence. It can occur in various forms, and some are large enough to accommodate a finger, but the purpose of the choil is not to accommodate a finger.

The Spanish Notch is usually found in a similar position to the choil, but although it may be similar to a choil, and can also be used to indicate the point at which sharpening should begin, it is not a choil. The Spanish Notch appears to have its origins in mediaeval left hand daggers, it continued as a design element in the line of large knives that followed the left hand dagger and in these knives it eventually developed into a decorative feature.

In modern custom knives the Spanish Notch is sometimes included as a decorative element, I very much doubt if most custom makers have any understanding of its origins or original purpose.

15th July 2018, 11:04 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	Ian, in respect of this:- " --- A curious feature on each of these knives is a small cut-out notch at the ricasso where, presumably, the forefinger would rest rather than slide down onto the sharpened edge ---" this notch is called a "choil", its purpose is to permit the entire length of a blade to be sharpened (A.G. Russell) There has been lengthy, ongoing debate about the choil in modern custom knife circles, but its purpose is clear;- it permits the entire length of a cutting edge to be sharpened and prevents damage to other parts of a knife during the process of sharpening. It has the incidental effect of providing a warning to a user when his hand moves too far forward on the hilt, and in some knives the choil can be made large enough to permit the hand to move onto the blade, in this case the choil retains its original function, but loses its original form, in that it forms an unbroken line with the hilt, and is sometimes given a checkered or cross-hatched surface to prevent slippage. In a work knife that is intended for detail work, the Balinese work knife shown below provides a design that permits full on-blade control, in that the section of blade that declines to the cutting edge from the hilt ferrule is left wide and unsharpened, a mere finger notch cannot provide anything like the same degree of blade control, and in a heavy blade that was expected to be used at times for chopping, a finger-on-blade design would have an adverse effect upon practicality. Attached Images

16th July 2018, 07:20 AM	#5
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,361	Alan, yes parallel development could certainly explain why a choil might be found on knives of a single ethnic group from Luzon. After eliminating external influences it really is the only explanation left. Attached is an example of a Canary Island knife (Spanish colonial). Would you consider this shape to also be a choil? It's sometimes referred to as a "Spanish notch." Ian -----------Canary Island knife------------- Attached Images Last edited by Ian; 16th July 2018 at 07:35 AM.

16th July 2018, 07:58 AM	#6
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,361	Well, to answer my own question, I searched online for "Spanish notch" and found that it is a synonym for "choil." Here is a compilation of examples that I found on Blade Forums Ian. . Attached Images

15th July 2018, 05:11 PM	#1
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,361	Shazam, Thanks for bringing that quote up. Indeed, the distribution of quality weapons is an important contribution of the Ilocano/Tinguian groups and emphasizes the influence of this ethnic group on others in the region. It is my belief that Ilocano/Tinguian weapons were traded widely to the south also, including Pangasinan and the Tagalog provinces. Cole makes mention of longstanding trade with those areas, and it seems that weapons manufacture was prominent among the Ilocano/Tinguian groups. I also think that later in the 20th C, the enterprising Ilocano/Tinguian craftsmen came to see the lucrative market of American servicemen at Clark AFB and Subic Bay Naval Base as a target for their goods. Whether some of them set up shop around those bases or traded their goods to local merchants is unclear, but many of the Ilocano/Tinguian style weapons ended up in the hands of U.S. servicemen. Some local manufacture does seem to have occurred as there is evidence of custom made pieces in the Ilocano/Tinguian style. Ian.

15th July 2018, 11:39 PM	#3
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,361	Alan, Thank you for the comment about choils. Yes, this feature certainly looks like a choil and may be intended for the purpose you describe. I used the word "curious" because such a feature is very uncommon on Filipino knives of the late 19th and early 20th C. I cannot recall seeing it on other knives from Luzon or Mindanao dating to that time period, and earlier examples are rather sparse and difficult to draw conclusions. As I mentioned earlier, there are occasional Visayan knives with similar features. The question becomes where did the Tinguian get the idea to adopt this feature when they chose to avoid European contact and move inland? The Spanish certainly have knives with similar features but the Tinguian deliberately shunned them. Their Ilocano cousins, who had far more contact with the outside world, did not choose to adopt the feature and the Mountain groups with whom the Tinguian lived did not use a choil either. Maybe they reinvented the idea themselves. I just find it an odd and out of place observation that is intriguing. Ian.

15th July 2018, 11:58 PM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	Yes Ian, I understood your comment to be within the context of knives from this geographic area. I added my post in an attempt to clarify exactly what that cutout was. The addition of a choil to a blade is something that can occur anywhere, and without any outside influence. I used to cut a choil into the blades of knives I used as a kid, sub-12 years of age. I'd never seen a blade with a choil at that time, I did not know what a choil was, but I did know that if I didn't run a rats tail file across the blade edge up near the end of the cutting edge, I would damage the ferrule or the hilt itself, and the cutout made the blade easier to sharpen. There is a theory known as "parallel development". Broadly it states that similar things happen at similar times in widely spaced places and without any cross contact or influence. Possibly that is what we can see in these Tinguian knives:- they did not need to get the idea to use a choil from anywhere, they simply found that it was a natural development that made life easier. Sometimes human beings act in similar ways simply because they are human beings.

16th July 2018, 09:41 AM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	No Ian, I would not refer to the finger stop on the Canary Island knife as a choil. In simple terms a choil is an area between the cutting edge and the tang that is intended as the point where the sharpening of the cutting edge begins. It is not a guard, nor a finger stop, nor a ricasso, it is not there to catch an opponent's blade in knife combat, it is not a decorative element, it is not intended to interrupt the flow of blood on the blade and redirect it away from the user's hand, it has no religious function nor association, it is not intended to be used to strip sinew, nor to strip bark. The choil is a design element in a blade that indicates the point at which blade sharpening should commence. It can occur in various forms, and some are large enough to accommodate a finger, but the purpose of the choil is not to accommodate a finger. The Spanish Notch is usually found in a similar position to the choil, but although it may be similar to a choil, and can also be used to indicate the point at which sharpening should begin, it is not a choil. The Spanish Notch appears to have its origins in mediaeval left hand daggers, it continued as a design element in the line of large knives that followed the left hand dagger and in these knives it eventually developed into a decorative feature. In modern custom knives the Spanish Notch is sometimes included as a decorative element, I very much doubt if most custom makers have any understanding of its origins or original purpose.