Moro blades galore: Any gem/s here?

mross · 3rd November 2008, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KuKulzA28

I see, thank you, I wanted to make sure I understood.

So say I want to get a legitimate Filipino blade that's aesthetically pleasing (and functional) and I live in the USA... how hard would it be to acquire one as seen in all these nice images? From what I've heard the shopping usually needs to be done on the spot, ya? If so I would not be surprised. There is one main Taiwanese aboriginal blade-maker that I know of and finding his contact info was hard enough. And I think the only time I could buy an aboriginal blade is the next time I go back to Taiwan to visit relatives (someday)... The Philippines would be a whole new world and quite an adventure

not that I have that kind of money

Or, you could just check the swap forum for some leads.

KuKulzA28 · 3rd November 2008, 10:19 PM

oh I've heard of eBay... but the barongs on eBay tend to cost more than I have to spend... and I rarely ever seen any Taiwanese aboriginal knives... so I was lookin for alternatives... the aboriginal knives I can get in Taiwan next time I visit... but Filipino stuff... that's tougher

Rick · 3rd November 2008, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KuKulzA28

oh I've heard of eBay... but the barongs on eBay tend to cost more than I have to spend... and I rarely ever seen any Taiwanese aboriginal knives... so I was lookin for alternatives... the aboriginal knives I can get in Taiwan next time I visit... but Filipino stuff... that's tougher

Thin wallet syndrome can be a deterrent, that's true .

Yes, good Taiwanese stuff is rare and expensive .
Possibly a side trip to Japan next time you go seeing as they occupied it for some years ...

KuKulzA28 · 4th November 2008, 12:22 AM

yea, well I suspect that Taiwanese knives in Japan would be like Filipino knives in the USA... soldiers bring 'em home... there was a small amount of toursim blades made for foreign soldiers... doesn't mean they don't work, just not entirely traditional I guess....

However the aboriginal knifemaker, Nmah Yioudau, in Hualien County (NE side) still makes traditional blades and if my parents can't get them for me when they go back to visit my elderly grandparents, I'll get them myself when I go back to visit (been setting aside money from my budget for the plane tickets)... yay for Taiwanese heritage!

David · 4th November 2008, 01:03 PM

Well, it's hard to know what you consider to be too expensive. I see a whole lot of this contemporary Moro stuff go pretty cheaply on eBay, unless, of course, some bidder gets it in his head that he is bidding on an actual antique.

You are right about GI bring backs, and because of that there are a lot of Moro weapons here in the USA. I bought my first kris in an antique mall not too far from you in Keene, NH. The seller didn't even know what it was and sold it pretty cheaply. These weapons also tend to show up at gun shows alot, also due to the US military connection. But if you are really interested in the contemporary kris and barong that are shown in most of the photos on this thread you can definitely find tons of them on eBay, probably cheaper than they are in these "antique" stores in the Philippines.

3rd November 2008, 10:19 PM	#2
KuKulzA28 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: between work and sleep Posts: 731	oh I've heard of eBay... but the barongs on eBay tend to cost more than I have to spend... and I rarely ever seen any Taiwanese aboriginal knives... so I was lookin for alternatives... the aboriginal knives I can get in Taiwan next time I visit... but Filipino stuff... that's tougher

4th November 2008, 12:22 AM	#4
KuKulzA28 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: between work and sleep Posts: 731	yea, well I suspect that Taiwanese knives in Japan would be like Filipino knives in the USA... soldiers bring 'em home... there was a small amount of toursim blades made for foreign soldiers... doesn't mean they don't work, just not entirely traditional I guess.... However the aboriginal knifemaker, Nmah Yioudau, in Hualien County (NE side) still makes traditional blades and if my parents can't get them for me when they go back to visit my elderly grandparents, I'll get them myself when I go back to visit (been setting aside money from my budget for the plane tickets)... yay for Taiwanese heritage!

4th November 2008, 01:03 PM	#5
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,222	Well, it's hard to know what you consider to be too expensive. I see a whole lot of this contemporary Moro stuff go pretty cheaply on eBay, unless, of course, some bidder gets it in his head that he is bidding on an actual antique. You are right about GI bring backs, and because of that there are a lot of Moro weapons here in the USA. I bought my first kris in an antique mall not too far from you in Keene, NH. The seller didn't even know what it was and sold it pretty cheaply. These weapons also tend to show up at gun shows alot, also due to the US military connection. But if you are really interested in the contemporary kris and barong that are shown in most of the photos on this thread you can definitely find tons of them on eBay, probably cheaper than they are in these "antique" stores in the Philippines.