A Nice Small Punal

[Ian]

Originally Posted by drac2k

I agree with you completely that the availability of aluminum during and after WW2, due to its vast availability was extensively incorporated into Philippine weapons, however, my question is, that with the great number of US Army personnel and the extensive Naval Fleets there, isn't there a possibility that some aluminum was there prior to WW2? Whether it was for nautical gear or to resist the prevalent tropical corrosion, both applications would have made it a prime component in that location, if even on an experimental basis. Many a file has walked off of US bases only to be reincorporated into a blade.
Why would one fabricate a nice gunong, composed of ivory, shell, horn, etc., and throw in 5 or 6 small aluminum washers and devalue the piece to modern-day collectors; surely the bladesmith could have used copper, etc., knowing that the piece would be more valuable. In the pieces that Sajen has and to a lesser degree the one that I have, I feel that the producer of these daggers valued the incorporation of aluminum far beyond its ascetic look.
I agree with 99.5% of what you have stated: I'm just asking if it is possible?

Hi Drac,

I'm sure there was quite a lot of aluminum on Clark AFB prior to WWII. The military had many uses for it. However, it would have been in engines and other structural components that would have been hard to put in your pocket and walk off the base. I don't know if it is possible for the metal to have found its way into the hands of Moro craftsmen prior to WWII.

I can't speak to "why aluminum and not some other metal?" Earlier gunong were made with coin silver as a form of decorative white metal. Perhaps aluminum seemed a more exotic form of white metal for decoration purposes. Or silver became harder to find at a reasonable price when the silver content of coins decreased, so they turned to another white metal that polished brightly. I don't know, but the Moro are not the only ones to use aluminum on hilts in the Philippines post-WWII.

Regards,

Ian.

[drac2k]

First, in Reply to David, the handle could be shell; I have a large gunong that has a shell handle.
Next,Ian, I appreciate your extensive knowledge of Philippine weapons and your travels to that land, where you have actually talked to the artisans who made these. Could you show me some examples of daggers from the '70s, '80s & '90s, and the maker's names that the works are attributed to? I feel that they should be researched & cataloged as this period might have been a Renaissance in the crafting of those objects, worthy of future study.
Next, as per your observation, there certainly was an abundance of aluminum in the Philippines, so I don't see it as an impossibility that a worn piston was traded for a mess of fish; the way the aluminum was used so sparingly, seems to indicate that it was valued.
In conclusion, let me state that I have the highest regard for your vast expertise and I am only questioning if the usage of aluminum predates WW2, and if not in these items, possibly others.