Classic Talibon Hilt w/Atypical Blade

[Rafngard]

Originally Posted by xasterix

In the area where that blade came from (Leyte/Samar), "sundang" is a catch-all term for long fighting blades. In other Visayan areas, it's a general term for blades. In Mindanao and Sulu areas, it can refer to various blade species, but in pre-war times the term usually referred to kris or kalis (keris sundang, kris sundang, etc).

Just to add to that, in the Waray-Waray speaking parts of Leyte/Samar that I visited last year (Specifically Carigara, Tacloban, Basay, and Santa Rita) people seemed to use the word "Sundang" in same way a Tagalog speaker would use "Bolo," as kind of a general term for blade. We talked to two different blade smiths (one in Carigara and one in Santa Rita) and this seemed to be the case.

I wish we'd bothered to ask Cebuano speakers, but alas, we did not.
Next trip.

Have fun,
Leif