3 Philippine Swords

drac2k · 9th April 2018, 08:22 PM

I recently acquired these 3 swords.The first was purchased in Baltimore which was identified by Rick and confirmed by Battera, Ron, and his friend as a Mandaya Bolo.This was my first and I was greatly impressed by it's elegant form.
The next 2 came together and I'm not sure of what they are called or how old they are.At first, I thought the kris to be WW2 or later, but now I'm not so sure; it truly is a sword as the razor sharp blade measures approx. 22" long and 2" wide.There is evidence that there has been blade contact against this sword; now whether it was in combat, martial arts practice or some idiot playing "Star Wars," I can not say.It has a simple brass guard, a horn handle and the tang appears to be peened.I now would guess this weapon to be WW2 or older.
The last sword is another question mark.The horn handle and the collar are familiar to me and I have seen a few examples of the scarce guard, however, the heavy, sharp blade(approx.22" long, 1.5" at it's widest and almost 3/8" at the base of the spine, is a form unfamiliar to me.The sword blade angle to the handle and the weight and the balance make this primarily a chopping implement.When one holds it, it almost feels like it wants to cleave on it's own.I would guess this sword to be from 1900 to WW2.
Any information would be helpful.

9th April 2018, 08:22 PM	#1
drac2k Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,174	3 Philippine Swords I recently acquired these 3 swords.The first was purchased in Baltimore which was identified by Rick and confirmed by Battera, Ron, and his friend as a Mandaya Bolo.This was my first and I was greatly impressed by it's elegant form. The next 2 came together and I'm not sure of what they are called or how old they are.At first, I thought the kris to be WW2 or later, but now I'm not so sure; it truly is a sword as the razor sharp blade measures approx. 22" long and 2" wide.There is evidence that there has been blade contact against this sword; now whether it was in combat, martial arts practice or some idiot playing "Star Wars," I can not say.It has a simple brass guard, a horn handle and the tang appears to be peened.I now would guess this weapon to be WW2 or older. The last sword is another question mark.The horn handle and the collar are familiar to me and I have seen a few examples of the scarce guard, however, the heavy, sharp blade(approx.22" long, 1.5" at it's widest and almost 3/8" at the base of the spine, is a form unfamiliar to me.The sword blade angle to the handle and the weight and the balance make this primarily a chopping implement.When one holds it, it almost feels like it wants to cleave on it's own.I would guess this sword to be from 1900 to WW2. Any information would be helpful. Attached Images