Three new talibon enter my collection

[CharlesS]

All VERY nice examples and so nice to find them so complete! Congrats!

[Sajen]

Thank you Charles!

[Battara]

I think I'll now call nickname you "Tito Garab" (Steve Ferguson is Tito Gunong).

As far as age is concerned, I'm thinking that they are perhaps 1920s-1930s?

[Robert]

Great score Detlef. Now I know who it was AGAIN winning everything that I was watching. I agree with Jose on the dating of these, first quarter of the 20th century or there about. I especially like the last one you picked with the carved horn hilt. I was wondering if the missing banding on the end towards the blade would have been braided rattan or a metal collar? Either would probably be an appropriate replacement. Please post more detailed photos of it after it has arrived and you have had a chance to clean it up a bit. Again, congratulations on the newest additions to your ever growing collection.

Best,
Robert

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Robert

Great score Detlef. Now I know who it was AGAIN winning everything that I was watching. I agree with Jose on the dating of these, first quarter of the 20th century or there about. I especially like the last one you picked with the carved horn hilt. I was wondering if the missing banding on the end towards the blade would have been braided rattan or a metal collar? Either would probably be an appropriate replacement. Please post more detailed photos of it after it has arrived and you have had a chance to clean it up a bit. Again, congratulations on the newest additions to your ever growing collection.

Best,
Robert

Thank you as well Robert! And yes, it is the question, was there a collar (and from which material) or braided rattan at the hilt?

Will post some pictures after I have received them!

Regards,
Detlef

[Ian]

Kumusta Tito:

Nice scores Detlef. The first two look like typical early 20th C talibon/garab but the horn-hilted one seems unusual in several ways.

First, the horn hilt is very uncommon (I don't recall another example--I've seen only wooden hilts). Second, the carved "figure" at the end of the hilt is of a form that I've not seen on another talibon or other Visayan weapons--it looks perhaps Indonesian to me, while the "curly hair" reminds me of the creature on the hilt of a Singhalese kastane. Third, I'm having trouble seeing a beveled edge on this one--it could be V-ground, which I have not seen on talibon/garab before. Fourth, the S-shape to the blade is not as pronounced as most talibon--the belly is a little more forward than most (compared with your other two, for example), while the narrowing at forte is a little less pronounced than most talibon. Lastly, the blade looks thin at the forte in one of the pictures and this would be very unusual for a talibon which is typically quite "chunky" in that area.

In favor of this being a talibon is the typical wooden sheath that is characteristically eastern Visayan in construction and style.

So, I think the horn-hilted one is not your typical talibon, perhaps a knife from elsewhere in Visayan dress. Examination in hand will make it apparent to you whether this is a typical talibon, and better pictures would decide the issue for us.

Congrats again on three good scores.

Ian.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Ian

Kumusta Tito:

Nice scores Detlef. The first two look like typical early 20th C talibon/garab but the horn-hilted one seems unusual in several ways.

First, the horn hilt is very uncommon (I don't recall another example--I've seen only wooden hilts). Second, the carved "figure" at the end of the hilt is of a form that I've not seen on another talibon or other Visayan weapons--it looks perhaps Indonesian to me, while the "curly hair" reminds me of the creature on the hilt of a Singhalese kastane. Third, I'm having trouble seeing a beveled edge on this one--it could be V-ground, which I have not seen on talibon/garab before. Fourth, the S-shape to the blade is not as pronounced as most talibon--the belly is a little more forward than most (compared with your other two, for example), while the narrowing at forte is a little less pronounced than most talibon. Lastly, the blade looks thin at the forte in one of the pictures and this would be very unusual for a talibon which is typically quite "chunky" in that area.

In favor of this being a talibon is the typical wooden sheath that is characteristically eastern Visayan in construction and style.

So, I think the horn-hilted one is not your typical talibon, perhaps a knife from elsewhere in Visayan dress. Examination in hand will make it apparent to you whether this is a typical talibon, and better pictures would decide the issue for us.

Congrats again on three good scores.

Ian.

Kumusta Ian,

you are correct, I am with you, never before (when I remember correct) I have seen a talibon with a monster hilt but think that I have seen a few with horn hilts. The blade is beveled, I've asked the seller and he confirmed that one side is flat and the other beveled. But frankly said I haven't asked him how thick the blade is at the forte, we will see when it is arrived at the destination.
Thank you for your good observations and thoughts!

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Ian

First, the horn hilt is very uncommon (I don't recall another example--I've seen only wooden hilts). Second, the carved "figure" at the end of the hilt is of a form that I've not seen on another talibon or other Visayan weapons--it looks perhaps Indonesian to me, while the "curly hair" reminds me of the creature on the hilt of a Singhalese kastane. Third, I'm having trouble seeing a beveled edge on this one--it could be V-ground, which I have not seen on talibon/garab before. Fourth, the S-shape to the blade is not as pronounced as most talibon--the belly is a little more forward than most (compared with your other two, for example), while the narrowing at forte is a little less pronounced than most talibon. Lastly, the blade looks thin at the forte in one of the pictures and this would be very unusual for a talibon which is typically quite "chunky" in that area.

In favor of this being a talibon is the typical wooden sheath that is characteristically eastern Visayan in construction and style.

So, I think the horn-hilted one is not your typical talibon, perhaps a knife from elsewhere in Visayan dress. Examination in hand will make it apparent to you whether this is a typical talibon, and better pictures would decide the issue for us.

Very good observations Ian. Have received all three pieces and you are correct. The blade isn't beveled in the typical Visayan style and the scabbard don't belong to the sword. The blade is beveled on one side but not with a clear ridge like usual by Visayan blades. Either it was forged this way or someone has sanded it away since there are a lot of brush marks on the entire blade visible, very difficult to say.
Jose have given the sword a ferrule from silver and a guard from horn. Very nice restauration IMHO.
So now I ask myself and all others from where could this sword coming. All comments are very welcome.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Battara

I think I'll now call nickname you "Tito Garab" (Steve Ferguson is Tito Gunong).

As far as age is concerned, I'm thinking that they are perhaps 1920s-1930s?

I think for "Tito Garab" I still need some more! I have one real garab (http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=talibon) and now this three talibon.

And thank you for confirming my age guess!

Best regards,
Detlef