Panabas, aka Bruticus Maximus...

[zamboanga]

Originally Posted by Bill

From what I have read, the early "Moro" seldom used thier valuable iron for tools. But they were early ship builders, & a panabas would likely be valuable in the process. Anyone have info on "Moro" ship building. Seen quite a few referance to ship building in Mindanao but little attributed to early Sulu Archipelago. What early tools were needed?

The local museum (inside the Spanish Fort del Pilar) here has a display on samal boat building tools and as well as several samal boats, large and small. I'll post some pictures I took. There are no panabas on display but I found a samal sangkil spear displayed as a fishing tool. the yakan sangkil i mentioned earlier has a broader profile. unlike the other moro tribes, the yakans are not seafarers.

A non-moro equivalent of the panabas (as an agri tool) would probably be the "tabas." it is a bolo with a question-mark like profile and is used in "kaingin."