Tenegre Nose Job

ClemFandango · 19th September 2025, 11:16 PM

Hello everyone,

I wanted some advice on this Visayan Tenegre I've acquired recently. It looks like it's in need of a nose job. Should I try repairing the nose or should I leave it as is? And if I do end up repairing how would one go about it?

side note: I've been lurking here for a little over a year. What a great resource this site and community has been.

Cheers!

Sajen · 20th September 2025, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClemFandango

Hello everyone,

I wanted some advice on this Visayan Tenegre I've acquired recently. It looks like it's in need of a nose job. Should I try repairing the nose or should I leave it as is? And if I do end up repairing how would one go about it?

side note: I've been lurking here for a little over a year. What a great resource this site and community has been.

Cheers!

Welcome to the forum ClemFandango, can you please show the complete sword? The handle is very nice and I wouldn't go to restore the broken nose and would leave it as is but I would try to restore the missing silver attachments, the top piece is missing and I see a missing eye.

I also own a tenegre with a missing nose, see pics.

Regards,
Detlef

ClemFandango · 21st September 2025, 07:12 AM

Thank you Detlef, glad to be here! Yeah I think I'll leave the nose alone after all, and I agree about the silver fittings. Will probably take it to a silversmith to restore the missing attachments.

Also that's a lovely complete piece. Thank you for sharing.

Best,
Clem

attached full length sword below

Sajen · 21st September 2025, 10:39 AM

Very nice tenegre you have there, when you ever get tired to look at it.....

Here one from my collection with a similar appearance bit without silver.

Regards,
Detlef

werecow · 21st September 2025, 10:50 AM

Since Tenegres and their noses came up, I'll share this one, which a Spanish seller recently first sold to me and then sneakily sold again at a higher price through another platform (where I strongly suspect he engaged in shill bidding) while repeatedly assuring me that he was not doing so over several weeks.

He could've just not accepted my bid or canceled the sale immediately, but I suspect he was stringing me along because he won his own lot through shill bidding and then offered it to the second highest bidder and was waiting for that deal to go through while keeping me as a backup. He then canceled the sale without explanation and stopped communicating with me. When the platform asked him for the reason he claimed it was "broken".
Luckily I saw the other auction and smelled a rat and opened a dispute in time to get my money back. #notbitteratall

Still like the sword though.

ClemFandango · 21st September 2025, 11:23 AM

Ah woah!! Thanks for sharing these pieces guys

Detlef, do you have closeups of the pommel by any chance? I love seeing the carved details on the hilts of these swords

And dang I'm sorry werecow. You were cheated out of a fine piece :c reminds me of the silver sapot talibongs from Aklan.

Ian · 21st September 2025, 11:26 AM

Very nice sword. Lousy seller. Glad you got your money back. That often does not happen.

werecow · 21st September 2025, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian

Very nice sword. Lousy seller. Glad you got your money back. That often does not happen.

Yeah, that has also happened to me before. Thankfully in this case I had pay insurance through todocoleccion. It just took another week or two of them trying to pressure him to follow through with the sale (which was obviously not going to happen since he presumably no longer had the sword in his possession), but in the end they refunded me in full.

I wouldn't have been so pissed off with him if he had just been honest and canceled the sale once he got a better offer, but he chose to lie repeatedly, and given that he had a new account on both platforms and it looks a lot like he was shill bidding on catawiki (which frankly enables this by allowing sellers to offer their lots to the next highest bidder) I suspect this is a habit for him. Buyer beware.

Sajen · 21st September 2025, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by werecow

Yeah, that has also happened to me before. Thankfully in this case I had pay insurance through todocoleccion. It just took another week or two of them trying to pressure him to follow through with the sale (which was obviously not going to happen since he presumably no longer had the sword in his possession), but in the end they refunded me in full.

I wouldn't have been so pissed off with him if he had just been honest and canceled the sale once he got a better offer, but he chose to lie repeatedly, and given that he had a new account on both platforms and it looks a lot like he was shill bidding on catawiki (which frankly enables this by allowing sellers to offer their lots to the next highest bidder) I suspect this is a habit for him. Buyer beware.

I can understand your anger very well! BTW, beautiful tenegre.

werecow · Yesterday, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sajen

I can understand your anger very well! BTW, beautiful tenegre.

Yeah, it would've been nice, but oh well. I hope someone else on these boards is currently enjoying it and taking good care of it!

Battara · Yesterday, 08:27 PM

Sorry Werecow. That was a nice piece indeed (one I'd like to own).

Back to the subject at hand:

There is a debate in the community going on for decades of restore or not restore. Some want it as is, where others (me, Charles, others) like a piece restored (which is why I restore antique weaponry and armor).

It's up to you.

BTW - I restored one like yours Clemfandango a few years ago.

werecow · Yesterday, 09:49 PM

Personally I don't mind small restorations or cleaning as long as they are

honestly documented,
fitting with the style of the original,
don't alter the handling characteristics or change important features (like removing markings), and
are non-destructive as much as possible (with the understanding that in some cases you can't very well keep the original, e.g. restoring a grip that has just a tiny remainder of rotting wood left on it), and
preferably reversible if possible.

But I really don't like it when I find out I've bought a fantasy composite of old (and new) parts after the fact, or when people take apart old swords that are still largely intact in order to harvest parts.

In this case I don't think I would mind knowing that either the nose or some of the silver was a replacement (but I would personally keep it as it is since I quite like it and I don't feel the missing bits detract from it).

ClemFandango · Yesterday, 11:10 PM

Thank you both for your thoughts and insight. Fair points to consider. I have a lot of research to do before attempting any kind of restoration work.

Btw Battara, how did you end up restoring that tenegre if I may ask?

Battara · Today, 04:07 AM

Well, there are collectors and dealers who know my work and reputation, and they come to me for restoration. One of them who owned this one asked me to restore it. Here is how I received it.

Battara · Today, 04:09 AM

Based on research, here is how I restored it. (and he was very happy

)

19th September 2025, 11:16 PM	#1
ClemFandango Member Join Date: Nov 2024 Posts: 4	Tenegre Nose Job Hello everyone, I wanted some advice on this Visayan Tenegre I've acquired recently. It looks like it's in need of a nose job. Should I try repairing the nose or should I leave it as is? And if I do end up repairing how would one go about it? side note: I've been lurking here for a little over a year. What a great resource this site and community has been. Cheers! Attached Images

21st September 2025, 07:12 AM	#3
ClemFandango Member Join Date: Nov 2024 Posts: 4	Thank you Detlef, glad to be here! Yeah I think I'll leave the nose alone after all, and I agree about the silver fittings. Will probably take it to a silversmith to restore the missing attachments. Also that's a lovely complete piece. Thank you for sharing. Best, Clem attached full length sword below Attached Images

21st September 2025, 10:39 AM	#4
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 9,346	Very nice tenegre you have there, when you ever get tired to look at it..... Here one from my collection with a similar appearance bit without silver. Regards, Detlef Attached Images

21st September 2025, 10:50 AM	#5
werecow Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Leiden, NL Posts: 609	Since Tenegres and their noses came up, I'll share this one, which a Spanish seller recently first sold to me and then sneakily sold again at a higher price through another platform (where I strongly suspect he engaged in shill bidding) while repeatedly assuring me that he was not doing so over several weeks. He could've just not accepted my bid or canceled the sale immediately, but I suspect he was stringing me along because he won his own lot through shill bidding and then offered it to the second highest bidder and was waiting for that deal to go through while keeping me as a backup. He then canceled the sale without explanation and stopped communicating with me. When the platform asked him for the reason he claimed it was "broken". Luckily I saw the other auction and smelled a rat and opened a dispute in time to get my money back. #notbitteratall Still like the sword though. Attached Images

Yesterday, 09:49 PM	#12
werecow Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Leiden, NL Posts: 609	Personally I don't mind small restorations or cleaning as long as they are honestly documented, fitting with the style of the original, don't alter the handling characteristics or change important features (like removing markings), and are non-destructive as much as possible (with the understanding that in some cases you can't very well keep the original, e.g. restoring a grip that has just a tiny remainder of rotting wood left on it), and preferably reversible if possible. But I really don't like it when I find out I've bought a fantasy composite of old (and new) parts after the fact, or when people take apart old swords that are still largely intact in order to harvest parts. In this case I don't think I would mind knowing that either the nose or some of the silver was a replacement (but I would personally keep it as it is since I quite like it and I don't feel the missing bits detract from it).

21st September 2025, 11:23 AM	#6
ClemFandango Member Join Date: Nov 2024 Posts: 4	Ah woah!! Thanks for sharing these pieces guys Detlef, do you have closeups of the pommel by any chance? I love seeing the carved details on the hilts of these swords And dang I'm sorry werecow. You were cheated out of a fine piece :c reminds me of the silver sapot talibongs from Aklan.

21st September 2025, 11:26 AM	#7
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,472	Very nice sword. Lousy seller. Glad you got your money back. That often does not happen.

Yesterday, 08:27 PM	#11
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,328	Sorry Werecow. That was a nice piece indeed (one I'd like to own). Back to the subject at hand: There is a debate in the community going on for decades of restore or not restore. Some want it as is, where others (me, Charles, others) like a piece restored (which is why I restore antique weaponry and armor). It's up to you. BTW - I restored one like yours Clemfandango a few years ago.

Yesterday, 11:10 PM	#13
ClemFandango Member Join Date: Nov 2024 Posts: 4	Thank you both for your thoughts and insight. Fair points to consider. I have a lot of research to do before attempting any kind of restoration work. Btw Battara, how did you end up restoring that tenegre if I may ask?

Today, 04:07 AM	#14
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,328	Well, there are collectors and dealers who know my work and reputation, and they come to me for restoration. One of them who owned this one asked me to restore it. Here is how I received it. Attached Images

Today, 04:09 AM	#15
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,328	Based on research, here is how I restored it. (and he was very happy ) Attached Images