A working bolo for your comments

[tom hyle]

Zelbone is quite correct. Be aware that neither I, nor AFAIK, anyone has said that any of these examples actually had had a point cut off them, but that they were a variation on a style AS IF the point were "cut off" ie blunt (this was indeed sometimes done to "demilitarize"/etc. an existant sword). As you say, the slightly flared end is there, and not only that, but their length in relation to the curvature (more striking to my artist's eye, I guess) is the same; the curved tip (the part analagous to the actual cutting blade, rather than the "shaft" of a talibon) is just as long, and similarly curved, but just with a different end. One does, from time to time, especially with caribean/Southern N American machetes, and on small knives carried by soldiers and/or sailors (etc.) see both blades whose points have actually been cut/snapped for "safety", and "Safe point/cut point" ones that have been reground or otherwise reshaped to be thrustable. Also, be aware that a differently shaped point does have some different cutting capabilities. A wide tip is less vibratory, so more solid for cutting to the very tip, so in affect, for cutting, longer, and has been preferred by some workers and warriors for some purposes, and this is certainly a native concept that's been seen in SE Asian swords for a long time. I think we're seeing more the Spanish "blunted" idea here, but that's certainly an alternate line of thought that could have a lot of validity.

[Federico]

I second the notion of wrapping wet, at least that is how Ive done simple rattan wraps in the past, and it worked fine. Heat can also make the rattan more pliant, but if the stuff is dry it can burn fast. Though heat is a good way to color raw rattan. Good catch.

[Conogre]

Here's another that's even newer appearing due to the riveted hardwood scales, while the sheath (which I've temporarily misplaced) is of nicely tooled heavy leather and has the "Visayan sash tab" frog(my invented term, sorry) to keep it from sliding through a belt or rope (my guess is 1950's).
At first glance, "machete" pops immediately to mind, while in truth it's nearly indestructible and is my favorite tool for clearing brush, splitting kindling or even felling small trees.
Likewise, the blade appears flat, but upon close examination is expertly constructed with a sideways distal taper(right word?) and even ONE SIDE ONLY almost imperceptably rounded so that it sharpens to and holds an unbelieveabley keen cutting edge that's slightly reminiscent of a chisel grind in addition to the characteristics of a normally tapered blade.
The blade also appears to have been intentionally "blackened" except for the hardened cutting edge in a fashion totally unfamiliar to me.
Where it meets the hilt the blade is 3/8" thick, becomes thinner from top to bottom at mid-point where it curves up slightly instead of having a fuller and weighs a hefty 1 3/4 lbs.
While it's definitely a tool, it's anything but cheap and effectively beheaded a 6 1/2' rattlesnake that waited until I was far too close to rattle, temporarily becoming a weapon of need while I was out cutting saplings for spear hafts.....hey, instinct is instinct.(**grin**)
Mike
ps...found the better photos, sorry

[tom hyle]

Conogre, nice looking sword; I find especially interesting the way the "scales" are just barely longer than the tang and drawn together around its end; seems like a (very un-American, for instance) lack of concern with having the tang be "full" to the handle. I don't think it's quite the same type of sword, though it certainly bears a resemblance, and I'd call it, I guess, a matulis descendent; there's only the slightest nod to either the s-curve or the particular taper (as I described in one of these threads) of matulis; rather, despite a pretty vestigial seeming (?) clip to the spine, it seems to be more or less parrallel, edge-to-spine, and if anything, slightly swell-tipped, rather than the squared, but nevertheless narrowed tip we've been seeing. Yours is of a type; I've seen others; it seems like an evolution of matulis, and perhaps it is a matulis, but it's significantly different, of a significantly different style than any others we've discussed so far. The other "cut point" matulis we've seen still display the narrowing toward the tip that makes sense on a thrusting blade (of which it is a vestige, I think), while yours has "decided" (if you will) to take fuller advantage of the fact that it doesn't have a point to say "let's have a tip that's REALLY good for cutting, then; a widened one with mass and momentum, that will be less prone to excessive vibration that robs your cut of its force.). Is 3/8" a typo? It doesn't look that thick in the photos? I've been noticing those Visayan type belt tabs; Rick's one we saw the scabbard has one, and guess who else? One of my famous Mexican bolos!

[LabanTayo]

There is a sword in the P.I. called Espading. It has a square tip. Used for cutting sugar cane. Still trying to find what area they call them Espading.
Thats all....

[Ian]

Thanks Shelley.

Seems that the word espading (appears to be an adjective) could be related to espada (meaning Spanish in some local dialects). Would this imply locals describing swords or knives that were originally Spanish in their eyes and adopted for local use?

Ian.

[LabanTayo]

Ian,
could be...
maybe it came from when the spanish prohibited points on the swords, and all swords were square tipped..
any sword from that era could be called espading?
i'll find out more about espading next week in negros. thats where i heard the word espading.

[tom hyle]

Hmmmm Espada is Spanish for sword.
I once had a sword marked "en Toledo Espin".......Espania or Espagna or something (youse know I can't spell in English; what do you expect from Spanish?) is Spain in Spanish, no?