Bicol dagger for comment

[Ian]

Hi Detlef:

Apart from the carved dog (arso ?) head on the hilt there is little else to suggest a Bicol origin to me. The blade actually looks of European or US manufacture rather than Philippines, and the hilt (apart from dog's head) does not remind me of other bicolano knives.

Your example does not seem like a typical itak from Bicol. Perhaps a composite from a number of unrelated pieces?

Ian