Luzon or Panay?

RobT · 20th December 2024, 08:36 PM

an,

The slanted guard and drooping blade/hilt arrangement notwithstanding, I would say that the first example in your latest post is a Philippine Bowie. Currently made sub-hilt Bowies sometimes show these very features. Again, keep in mind that the shape of the original knife created by Resin Bowie is unknown. The only things etched in stone appear to be its large size and cross guard. A look at the wide range of knife styles sold as Bowies in the US by British cutlers supports this. There are even 19th century British accounts calling folding sheath knives whose handles are only long enough to contain two thirds of the blade, Bowies. Given the above, we can surely allow Philippine smiths a good degree of stylistic latitude for their take on the Bowie design.
I would say that, save for the asymmetrical cross guard, your second example with its tapering, double edge blade is an Arkansas toothpick. However, the definition of an Arkansas toothpick as having a tapering, bilaterally symmetrical blade with a bilaterally symmetrical hilt and cross guard isn’t universal. There are 19th century accounts that say the name Arkansas toothpick is synonymous with Bowie.
As far as current carry goes, government restrictions may play a large role in what is permitted in the north (especially in more populous areas). Hopefully somebody in the Philippines can report on the current situation and, if carry of large knives is still allowed, what type of knives are favored.
In any event, those are two really great knives you have there.

Sincerely,
RobT

Ian · 20th December 2024, 10:52 PM

Thanks Rob. I was hoping Jim McDougall might have dropped in and commented on this topic of "Bowies" in non-U.S. cultures and large fighting knives in general. Obviously, there could be parallel development of large fighting knives among different cultures, simply based on the effectiveness of such weapons at close quarters. There is only so many ways you can shape such a blade, and some similarity may be expected. That said, as you point out there was some imitation of the supposed Bowie knife, especially in western cultures.

We do seem to have evidence here of a Spanish/Mediterranean influence on Filipino blades in the latter part of the 19th C. To what extent the "Bowie" idea filtered its way to the Philippines pre-1900 is impossible to say at this point.

Post-1900 there is direct involvement of the U.S. in the Philippines. After the Span-Am war it is likely that U.S. influence on local knife-making emerged quite strongly as U.S. military personnel increased in the islands. As you have pointed out also, during WWII and later saw an increase in large fighting knives of the "Bowie" type. Many of these were sold to U,S, forces stationed at Clarke AFB and Subic Bay. Many large bladed knives of that period had no guard, but there are also plenty of examples with guards.

Thanks for raising this interesting topic and I hope we will hear from more members about it.

Regards,

Ian.

JeffS · 21st March 2025, 12:22 PM

Ran across another from the Lew Waldman collection hosted on this site, posted as reference.

20th December 2024, 08:36 PM	#1
RobT Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 536	Looks Like a Philippine Bowie to Me an, The slanted guard and drooping blade/hilt arrangement notwithstanding, I would say that the first example in your latest post is a Philippine Bowie. Currently made sub-hilt Bowies sometimes show these very features. Again, keep in mind that the shape of the original knife created by Resin Bowie is unknown. The only things etched in stone appear to be its large size and cross guard. A look at the wide range of knife styles sold as Bowies in the US by British cutlers supports this. There are even 19th century British accounts calling folding sheath knives whose handles are only long enough to contain two thirds of the blade, Bowies. Given the above, we can surely allow Philippine smiths a good degree of stylistic latitude for their take on the Bowie design. I would say that, save for the asymmetrical cross guard, your second example with its tapering, double edge blade is an Arkansas toothpick. However, the definition of an Arkansas toothpick as having a tapering, bilaterally symmetrical blade with a bilaterally symmetrical hilt and cross guard isn’t universal. There are 19th century accounts that say the name Arkansas toothpick is synonymous with Bowie. As far as current carry goes, government restrictions may play a large role in what is permitted in the north (especially in more populous areas). Hopefully somebody in the Philippines can report on the current situation and, if carry of large knives is still allowed, what type of knives are favored. In any event, those are two really great knives you have there. Sincerely, RobT

21st March 2025, 12:22 PM	#3
JeffS Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 423	Ran across another from the Lew Waldman collection hosted on this site, posted as reference. Attached Images

20th December 2024, 10:52 PM	#2
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,362	Thanks Rob. I was hoping Jim McDougall might have dropped in and commented on this topic of "Bowies" in non-U.S. cultures and large fighting knives in general. Obviously, there could be parallel development of large fighting knives among different cultures, simply based on the effectiveness of such weapons at close quarters. There is only so many ways you can shape such a blade, and some similarity may be expected. That said, as you point out there was some imitation of the supposed Bowie knife, especially in western cultures. We do seem to have evidence here of a Spanish/Mediterranean influence on Filipino blades in the latter part of the 19th C. To what extent the "Bowie" idea filtered its way to the Philippines pre-1900 is impossible to say at this point. Post-1900 there is direct involvement of the U.S. in the Philippines. After the Span-Am war it is likely that U.S. influence on local knife-making emerged quite strongly as U.S. military personnel increased in the islands. As you have pointed out also, during WWII and later saw an increase in large fighting knives of the "Bowie" type. Many of these were sold to U,S, forces stationed at Clarke AFB and Subic Bay. Many large bladed knives of that period had no guard, but there are also plenty of examples with guards. Thanks for raising this interesting topic and I hope we will hear from more members about it. Regards, Ian.