Quote:
Originally Posted by bathala
I olso respectfully disagree. I know you will not share your sources and it is understandable. But on the opposite sideI have samples and have seen katipunan themed swords (like the fist and sun themed) have both s and d guards. I comes really who can afford or what style they want. I think to say that katipunan did not employ d guards is assuming they did not have money and of pure peasant stock which I beg to differ. They had different statuses in life (eg aguinaldo and bonifacio)Bonifacio. Attached pics are of common folks and one of the basi revolt. As you can see they seem to carry dguard matulis and bolos. As for me it would be more practical for me to have some kind of hand protection I one can afford for his weapon.
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1. The "pics" that you referenced are artist renditions of those eras, and are not actual pictures. Artist renditions aren't dependable or accurate especially when it comes to weapons. In fact when compared to available documentation, most renditions are wanting, or are way off-tangent in their depiction of blades and other cultural items.
2. If you'll check actual period pictures- studio ones, especially- you'll notice that the only ones with legit "Katipunan" blades- notably daggers with the sun etc symbol- are ranked officers, notably those who came from principalia class. Now take into account that many of the First Republic officers are defectors who used to be allied with the Spanish side. Even in First Republic era pics, what's being carried by foot soldiers aren't S- or D-guards, but rather guard-less or simple-guard fighting bolos.
3. In contrast, there are actual period photos of S- or D-guard bolos among the Spanish forces- particularly among their civilian-military faction, of whose ranked officers are from the Spanish-Filipino (mestizo, etc) families. Based on evidence alone, it's logical to assume that it's the Spanish side that wore these S- and D-guard bolos as standard-issue.
4. I don't think having hand protection is necessary in a battlefield situation, from the Filipinos' point of view. They were being worsted by the gun- and artillery- equipped Spaniards, then later on, the Americans. Hence it's impractical to issue D- and S-guard bolos to their foot soldiers.
5. I don't know how many times various historians mentioned how underequipped the 1896 Katipunan rebels were with regard to equipment. In fact foot soldiers had to resort to sharpened wooden spears. There was even a direct order by either Bonifacio or Aguinaldo for foot soldiers to use sharpened stakes instead if they didn't have bolos. This is a clear indicator that the Katipunan was not as rich as you perceive it to be.