While not as glitzy and sophisticated as foreign or custom blade builds, there’s something in Filipino blades that emphasize a unique identity.
During the 2020 pandemic, as lockdowns shut down normal routines and most people became cooped up, I observed a resurgence of hobbyists – and blade collectors were no exception. The mixed media of forged steel, wood, and other materials culminate in a sharp and highly capable tool. Traditional blades are made using indigenous materials, tools, and smithing methods.
There are collectors whose primary aim is to display or educate, and their pieces are arrayed inside private museums, trophy rooms, or simply hung on house walls. Others collect blades to learn proper wield and cutting, either for bushcraft tasks or martial arts training. FIGURE 1. The author’s current study: two nobility bolos. From top to bottom, production era and area: mid-late 1800s Laguna, mid-late 1800s Quezon.
My main interest is classifying old Filipino fighting blades via historical and cultural research. “Take apart and analyze each component” is the valuable advice of Sali Style Nagarajen, my mentor and foremost Filipino blade expert. Based in the United States, Mr. Nagarajen and his group have been quietly acquiring and studying Filipino blades since the 1990s. They’ve been acknowledged by local and foreign academics for their pivotal contributions in Filipino blade research..
Majority of our antique Filipino blades fell into colonial hands – first, Spain, then shortly afterwards, the United States. These migrant blades are collectively dubbed as “bringbacks,” a popular term of US soldiers for Filipino blades which were acquired as war loot, gifts, or trade with pandays and artisans. US blade shows, militaria auctions, and eBay are swimming with used but still-sharp Philippine cultural artifacts.
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