Philippine knife (panabas shaped blade)

Ian · 8th May 2007, 11:46 PM

This is an interesting knife. I think it will turn out to be a working knife, but I'm not sure from the pictures which side has the cutting edge. The end-on view suggests that the concave edge has been sharpened.

The scabbard seems to be more helpful than the knife. This looks like work from the Bagobo or T'boli, but could be from another of the Lumad groups of Mindanao.

All in all an interesting piece. It recalls an old discusssion on the Forum about 6 years ago. Unfortunately some of the pictures are no longer available. http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000665.html

I have a similar shaped blade in a similar woven scabbard that was sold to me as Bagobo. The sharpened edge of that one is on the convex side.

Ian.

Ferguson · 9th May 2007, 02:25 AM

Thanks gentlemen. I'll post more pictures when it arrives.

Steve

Ferguson · 15th May 2007, 12:34 AM

The knife finally arrived today. A quick polish and etch revealed a well forged laminated blade. The wood handle is made in two pieces and bound together with rattan and leather. The wood is dark brown with thick black streaks. Very pretty. Black palm? The blade is sharpened on the convex side.
I couldn't find anything similar in Stone's. Don't know what is is, but I like it.

Steve

ariel · 15th May 2007, 12:58 AM

A huge problem with this one and the other Panabases ( Panabi?

) is the way their handles and blades are attached to each other. There are no rivets and no cementing substance to prevent the tang from moving up or down within the handle with each strike. My son wanted once to "use" a Panabas to chop off a pretty thin branch ( < 1 inch in diameter). The branch was easily cut with a single stroke but the rattan binding on the handle got torn by the tang.

8th May 2007, 11:46 PM	#1
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,361	Most likely Lumad This is an interesting knife. I think it will turn out to be a working knife, but I'm not sure from the pictures which side has the cutting edge. The end-on view suggests that the concave edge has been sharpened. The scabbard seems to be more helpful than the knife. This looks like work from the Bagobo or T'boli, but could be from another of the Lumad groups of Mindanao. All in all an interesting piece. It recalls an old discusssion on the Forum about 6 years ago. Unfortunately some of the pictures are no longer available. http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000665.html I have a similar shaped blade in a similar woven scabbard that was sold to me as Bagobo. The sharpened edge of that one is on the convex side. Ian.

9th May 2007, 02:25 AM	#2
Ferguson Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kernersville, NC, USA Posts: 793	Thanks gentlemen. I'll post more pictures when it arrives. Steve

15th May 2007, 12:34 AM	#3
Ferguson Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kernersville, NC, USA Posts: 793	The knife finally arrived today. A quick polish and etch revealed a well forged laminated blade. The wood handle is made in two pieces and bound together with rattan and leather. The wood is dark brown with thick black streaks. Very pretty. Black palm? The blade is sharpened on the convex side. I couldn't find anything similar in Stone's. Don't know what is is, but I like it. Steve

15th May 2007, 12:58 AM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	A huge problem with this one and the other Panabases ( Panabi? ) is the way their handles and blades are attached to each other. There are no rivets and no cementing substance to prevent the tang from moving up or down within the handle with each strike. My son wanted once to "use" a Panabas to chop off a pretty thin branch ( < 1 inch in diameter). The branch was easily cut with a single stroke but the rattan binding on the handle got torn by the tang.