User:Alternativity/Mobile Sandbox/Philippine Swords

Barong

Bangkon
(Moro)

Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity

A devastating new addition to our Sandata arsenal, the Bangkon is a quick, light blade that is amazingly sharp! Known in the Philippines as the "pregnant" blade for obvious reasons, its weight-forward design makes it hit far harder than you might assume for its size and weight. A different handle treatment is used on this weapon with cord wound tightly over wing-walk rough non-slip material. Finishing off this awesome Bangkon is a decorative hardwood scabbard with spring steel retention clip which snaps over the brass guard to securely hold the blade in place. A quick pull on the weapon handle and the retention clip releases the Bangkon from its scabbard. See more photos here, or All Moro Blades

Banyal
(Moro) Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity The Banyal is another light, quick, and devastating traditional Filipino Moro weapon, recently added to our combat blade arsenal. Eighteen inches of deadly steel with beautifully carved exotic hardwood handle in an ornate scabbard with locking spring lock retainer. Our new, lighter, harder steel is used in this weapon, making it razor sharp and amazingly quick!

Balasiong
(Moro) Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity The Balasiong is another light, quick, and devastating traditional Filipino Moro weapon, recently added to our combat blade arsenal. Seventeen inches of deadly steel with beautifully carved exotic hardwood handle of a fluted design in an ornate scabbard. Our new, lighter, harder steel is used in this weapon, making it razor sharp and amazingly quick!

Bicuco
Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity The Bicuco was known in the province of Tarlac, Pangasinan, and some towns of la union. Purely a working tool, this sword is considered by the Filipino people as a “long knife” that can be used for slaughtering animals and preparing the meat for a feast. But the nasty design of this long knife can actually cut a body in half very easily. Once you have it in your hands you will see for your self!

[[Bolo knife|

Bolo
]] Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity

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DahongPalay
]] Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity

Hagibis
Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity The Hagibis knife dates back to the Spanish occupation, but was re-designed by the grandfather of the now Grand Master (GrandTuhon) of Pekiti Tirsia Kali, Leo T. Gaje. It was Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje who made the Hagibis popular back the early 60's. The Hagibis was re-designed by him to make it a more effective "killing use only" blade! This blade was made for only one purpose...to kill.  Any other tasks for this knife such as for utility use or for Philippine jungle survival is secondary. This knife can still perform today because it is hand forged to perfection and developed specifically for the modern day warrior. The Hagibis is a knife that has to be held in the hand to get the full appreciation for it. Guaranteed, you will never feel a knife anywhere as nice as this one!

Garab
see Bolo The Garab is sometimes seen as another version of Talibon or Talibong with some very subtle differences. This does not mean that everyone in the southern Philippines believes the same as others elsewhere in the Philippines. Many martial arts practitioners of the Philippines would rather be traditional and still call the "Garab sword" by it's name. The handles and the modifications were done to achieve it's unique look which simply states that this sword has it's own identity. Many rich men and landlords carry a Garab while riding in their horses around their big land. It is not only a weapon, it is also a utility that is attractive to rich land owners.

Ginunting
Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity Perfect for close quarter attacks, the Ginuntings are shaped like a beak as the tip of these swords are curved downward, similar to Kukris of the Gurkhas. Ginuntings are the official swords of the Philippine Marines. The Ginunting is easier to use as a utility tool, as jungle bolos, for clearing brush, slaughter tools for hunting, chopping small pieces of wood for fire and a perfect weapon to carry. It is common to see a Ginunting along with M16s and the other firearms used for war in the jungles of the Philippines.

Gayang
(Moro) Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity The Gayang is another light, quick, and devastating traditional Filipino weapon, recently added to our combat blade arsenal. Eighteen inches of deadly steel with beautifully carved exotic hardwood handle in an ornate scabbard with locking spring lock retainer. Our new, lighter, harder steel is used in this weapon, making it razor sharp and amazingly quick!

Golok
North Golok: This sword of the Regions of Cordillera Mountains was not ever used as a tool. It has one use only and that is to chop heads and other limbs on the body off. You can feel the potential and the chopping power just by holding this blade in your hands! The chopping off of heads is done when someone is to be executed due to a heavy crime, or when there is a tribal war due to land disputes or family feuds. Actually the Golok is still used this exact way to this day.

The only sword that ever existed in the Philippines that does not have a pointy tip. The War Golok is most simple tool that has ever been used by the Igorot tribes of the north. The tribes consider this as their “multi-tool,” for it can be used to chop wood for fire, carve wood and create decorations, for butchering meat, peeling and slicing fruits, and many more uses. The tribal wars that existed between tribes found another use for the War Golok so it evolved to become their personal weapon.

Itak
(see Bolo) The Tagalog region in the Philippines has used this bladed tool only for cracking coconuts and for harvesting root crops. Eventually it evolved to become one of the deadly weapons of the Tagalog people. The Itak Tagalog was used by young boys who joined their father in the revolution and it was also used by the young women and their mothers in defending the town while the men are in the battlefields.

Kalis Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity

Kampilan

Katipunan
Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity KATIPUNAN (aka Katipunero)

The brotherhood KKK, pioneered by the KKK (Kataastaasan at Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Katipunan for short) who armed themselves with only bolos and fight the Spanish conquerors, used this popular design because apparently, this sword can deliver a deadly chop due to it’s heavy belly. This design was used by most members of the Katipunan called Katipuneros. Also used as a farm tool that has been converted as a weapon, this sword gained respect among the Filipino people and the enemies as well.

Kris

Lahot
(Moro) Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity A devastating new addition to our Sandata arsenal, the Lahot is one of several new releases from TFW of the original "Weapons of Moroland" traditional blades. Extremely light, fast, and sharp, this one is very maneuverable, with a deadly point! As with several of our newer models, the Lahot comes with a special spring clip scabbard retention system that keeps the weapon protected until needed, then a quick pull on the handle and it is ready for action! This blade is topped off with a beautiful hardwood sculpted carved handle which is rattan skin wrapped and finished with a brass pommel pin.

Laring
(Moro) Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity The Laring is another light, quick, and devastating traditional Filipino Moro weapon, recently added to our combat blade arsenal. Nineteen inches of deadly steel with beautifully carved exotic hardwood handle in an ornate scabbard with locking spring lock retainer. Our new, lighter, harder steel is used in this weapon, making it razor sharp and amazingly quick!   Notice the unique scabbard of the Laring which allows for straight up draws by pushing aside the spring loaded retainer.

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Panabas
]] Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity

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Pinuti
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Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity The Pinute is a straight blade that used to be carried by natives of the Vishayan island whenever they travel through the jungles in search of food. Children of farmers were seen carrying these blades when they are asked to harvest fruits from their backyards or whenever they chop on bamboos for setting up fences for their properties or simply building their huts. Just like many tools of farming and hunting, the Pinute can be a very deadly sword!

Pira
Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity PIRA COTABATO – Although not very popular, this Moro weapon is characterized by a wide tip and has a very nasty history of death behind it. It is feared by many due to the fact that this Filipino sword is used to chop the heads off the enemy. A Philippine native tribe called the Yakan of the Moro land are the ones who popularized this very good looking sword. Only this Pira Cotabato was more popular than the original Pira because is has became a working blade from the farms to the seaside, right to the market (for chopping meat and large fishes such as tuna, whale meat, etc.

Sansibar
Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity The Sansibar Sword, sometimes mistakenly known as the Zanzibar Sword. The Zanzibar sword, which is an African sword, mainly from around the Saudi Arabian/African border line area. If there is a historical connection between the Filipino version of the Sansibar and the Zanzibar, it is presently unknown!

The Sansibar was officially born in Leyte in 1881 before Spain sold the Philippines to America through a treaty. Mainly the sansibar was and still is used by the river men who cut bamboos and use it as floaters for their "bangka" or boats for local traveling. These same boatmen also travel the seas to cross to the other islands in the Philippines. That is the reason why the Sansibar design reached other islands within the Philippines. You will see various popular designs of the Sansibar sword...approximately 5 different designs in the various islands where the Sansibar had found a home.

The name Sansibar was first called "pang sibak", which "pang" means "for" and "sibak" means "chop" in Filipino term. So pang sibak means "for chopping," later the term evolved into "pang sibar" which means the same in Tagalog. Other explanations are "san sibak," meaning "one" (san or isan or isang) and "chop" (sibak) so to put them two words together "san-sibak" means "one chop!" Then much later on the name sansibar was adopted even though every Filipino dialect differs in almost every island. The hearing and the pronunciation of the word "Sansibar" changed until the occupation of America began...and then the word Sansibar was used as the standard name for this particular sword design.

This history is one strong theory supported by strong beliefs of the Filipino people. Any other history of this sword is not well known because a more popular swords like the "Katipunan" and "Pinute" were used by the katipuneros. Those swords are widely used in everyday tasks as tools of survival, and the Sansibar whose image, shape and style was temporality put aside. But then again, the Sansibar was also used by many of the katipuneros for all out combat purposes due to its perfectly engineered balance.

We offer five styles of Sansibar Filipino Sword to suit every taste in this type of blade!

Important Note from our Swordsmiths on Use of the Sansibar

"These long swords are forged to obtain flexibility because of their length. Normally, the dangers of a long sword, such as the sansibar, is that you may never know when it is going to snap into two. So we created a solution to this problem by making it flexible enough to avoid such accidents. The sansibar is used basically only as a weapon, and not for farming or industrial use. Chinese weapons, such as the wushu sword, and other flexible swords, are used in a specialized manner (such as techniques of maneuvering the wrist) to avoid bending.  Flexible swords are not meant to be used against hard, inanimate targets.  For combat use, only the vital parts of the body are the targets for such swords.  Using the sansibar outdoors for chopping trees or the bones of game, are incorrect uses and will not maximize a flexible sword's usefulness.  The proper use of this sword begins with techniques of moving the wrist with proper execution which takes some practice prior to using it for everyday chores."

Susuwat
(Moro) Origin and use Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity The Susuwat is another light, quick, and devastating traditional Filipino Moro weapon, recently added to our combat blade arsenal. Almost nineteen inches of deadly steel with beautifully carved exotic hardwood handle in an ornate scabbard with locking spring lock retainer. Our new, lighter, harder steel is used in this weapon, making it razor sharp and amazingly quick!

Talibong
(see Bolo) The "Talibon" or "Talibong" sword’s exaggerated belly indicates its uniqueness. This lady sword was seen in the northern Philippines during the later part of the Spanish era to the early American regime. Used for hunting, this sword’s shape can both cut grass easily (while hunting animals) and slaughter the game when caught. The handle used to be simple and ordinary until it was modified by the Filipinos to be used as a weapon during the later part of the Spanish era. The handle was designed to protect the fingers from getting cut during an encounter.

Utak
Blade - Single/Double Edge - Shape - Length Hilt - Guard - Grip - Pommel (counterbalance - Tassel Center of Gravity The Utak is another light, quick, and devastating traditional Filipino Moro weapon, recently added to our combat blade arsenal. Nineteen inches of deadly steel with beautifully carved exotic hardwood handle in an ornate scabbard with locking spring lock retainer. Our new, lighter, harder steel is used in this weapon, making it razor sharp and amazingly quick!

North

 * talibong
 * golok

Tagalog
Itak Dahompalay Katipunan Kampilan