[Ian]

This one is interesting. Dated "1946," it is one of the earliest of this distinct style of knives which likely were produced near the old US Clark AFB and sold extensively to US servicemen.

The pommel on this one appears to show a very early form of the tri-lobed form that is seen on so many of these knives. Unlike later versions, however, the tang emerges not from the center lobe but from the lobe at the back of the hilt. I have never seen this before. If you look at all the other pics in this post of the tri-lobed feature, the hilts have a curved tang that is peined over the end of the middle lobe. The knife shown here also has a particularly deep "pinky notch" that could only be achieved if the tang was straighter than later examples. Perhaps this knife represents a transition from an earlier style which just featured the "pinky notch" and a simpler style of pommel--such examples exist and are also reasonably common.

These Negrito/Ilocano knives are found frequently online, and are still being made. I think one can appreciate how the "Negrito" styles evolved from previous Ilocano knives at the end of WWII, why the "Negrito" inscriptions and other decorations were added, and how features/materials on these distinctive knives have shifted over time.

Ian

Addendum: I have added pics of another similar knife with an older style of hilt, also dated on the blade "1946," to show how the first knife may have evolved from the earlier simple form into the tri-lobed pommel form.

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