[Lee]

Here is my very similar pira purchased by myself in the market in Zamboanga City in the early to mid 1970s. The scabbard has been wrapped with black plastic electrical tape - so much like what I would have done in that time - but in this case it came to me like that, loosely over-wrapped with the strip of cloth. It did not strike me as being really old, maybe about a decade (though it now looks much the same after I have had it at least 45 years!), but it did have some evidence of use and work staining and light bleaching of the handle and scabbard even when it was new to me. It was and remains incredibly sharp and feels great in the hand. I have always regarded it as being more of a practical everyday working tool than weapon. (I remember harvesting some backyard bananas with it.)