Another eBay bolo to clean up

[Ian]

TS:

This is an Ilokano knife with a "double-clipped" blade--a common knife style. The hilt with a small "pinky" notch is also typical of Ilokano work. The wooden(?) hilt is in rough shape and has been "weathered," but overall I don't think this knife is particularly old--probably post-WWII. Knives of this style were common bringback items by U.S. servicemen in WWII and later.

Ian.

[Treeslicer]

Originally Posted by Ian

TS:

This is an Ilokano knife with a "double-clipped" blade--a common knife style. The hilt with a small "pinky" notch is also typical of Ilokano work. The wooden(?) hilt is in rough shape and has been "weathered," but overall I don't think this knife is particularly old--probably post-WWII. Knives of this style were common bringback items by U.S. servicemen in WWII and later.

Ian.

Yup. Going through stuff already posted here (including yours), I'd picked up a few of the Ilokano characteristics to look for (which is how I spotted this item). One thing that caught my attention as a deviation from the usual 1940's-and-later Clark-area bringback is the elevated protrusion at the ricasso (similar to some of the examples that Detlef linked). What (if anything) does that characteristic tell us about the provenance? At this point, my ignorance of such details is vast.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Treeslicer

... One thing that caught my attention as a deviation from the usual 1940's-and-later Clark-area bringback is the elevated protrusion at the ricasso (similar to some of the examples that Detlef linked). What (if anything) does that characteristic tell us about the provenance? ...

Good question! The "nub" at forte on these knives is interesting and I'm not sure if it is an Ilokano feature or is shared more widely. I'm inclined to think the latter, although there are many Ilokano blades that have this feature. So far, it has not been linked to a particular region. A decade or so ago, some of our older members who no longer post here described knives from Batangas with the same feature.

Your question needs more research.

Ian.

[Treeslicer]

Here's some photos. As you can see, restoration has begun. The hilt is horn, not wood. The most proximal part of the pecked-out design spells out "PHILIPPINES", and the blade is right-hand chisel-ground.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Treeslicer

... The most proximal part of the pecked-out design spells out "PHILIPPINES", and the blade is right-hand chisel-ground.

Should be a V-grind on an Ilokano knife. The inscription is typical of post-WWII knives from Central Luzon.

Ian