Antique
Original
Filipino fighting knife
Usually called a ‘ Sundang' by various Visayan and Mindanao groups,
it can refer to any kind of long blade , whether it is a sword or a bolo.
This is an OLD old HAND FORGED BLADE
Some of these blades were even made from meteorite iron !
( this is NOT your typical 20th century ,… WWII era modern steel war souvenir)
It features exceptionally well carved embellishments ,
including several ‘rising sun‘ depictions & geometric carvings inscribed on the sheath,
Indicative of tribal membership in a specific ( unknown to me ) regional native clan
Probably a Spanish American war veteran bring back in 1898
( pre war manufactured… likely dating to the mid 1800s or earlier )
It measures approximately 24 inches long , over all in the sheath
The blade is about 14 2/4 inches long
the sheath has very intricate decorative carvings , indicating this was owned by a higher ranking tribal member
the blade exhibits the fluid lines made during the forging process , and old hand sharpening marks ….
The wooded sheath is in very good condition , there appears to have old repair to the tip of scabbard ,.. no big deal
( see the photos )
talibong (or talibon)
The traditional Filipino blade style originating from the Visayas region,
historically used as a combat weapon
Characteristics and Design
Blade Shape: Features a unique S-shaped profile with an exaggerated belly,
thick heavy spine, and typically a chisel-ground single edge
the blade design was so efficient, the United States military actually copied it , and made a plastic handled survival machete with nearly an identical blade configuration
the jungle vine twine sheath wrap was replaced with copper wire ,
( natural fiber twine was originally used ,
allowing the razor sharp knife to cut its way out of the scabbard instantly ,..
‘ Quick draw ‘ style ,….
Thus Saving the user a quick second or two at the initial start of a fight
this gave great advantage to the native warrior ,
Ultimately Costing many American soldiers their lives …
These were Widely used during the late Spanish colonial era,
the Philippine-American War (notably iconic to the Pulajanes groups), and even during World War II against invading Japanese
these blades are similar to other Southeast Asian knife / sword blades like the barong , depending on the length ,
A must have for the collector of Traditional Filipino Weapons ,
span am war & World War Two aficionados will love it too !
