Moro / Borneo hybrid ?

[Battara]

I see what you mean - looks like an Indonesian blade with a form of Yakan barong hilt.

Interesting.


Another possibility is Borneo where there are Moros also and lots of mixing as well......

[Dajak]

This is the blade off the langai tingal

Is it possible to take off the Handle ???


Ben

[VVV]

Interesting one of a kind sword.
NW Borneo seems a probable origin based on the different influences.
What is strange is that except Iban/Sea Dayak (Langgai Tinggang blade) and Moro (Barong hilt) it also has (Borneo) Malay motifs on the blade?
So 3 different ethnic groups merged in one sword!

A wild guess would be that it belonged to an Iban Dayak who went on raids together with Moros and then later converted to Islam (which made him change the hilt and add the motifs to his blade)

Michael

[Royston]

Thanks Gentlemen, this has given me something to work on.

Ben, the handle is firmly fixed, it would need hard hammer blows to get it off. I think I will leave it as it is.

VVV
A wild guess would be that it belonged to an Iban Dayak who went on raids together with Moros and then later converted to Islam (which made him change the hilt and add the motifs to his blade)

Michael, Amazing powers of deduction.
Er, can you tell me what his name was ?

thanks again

Royston

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Royston

A wild guess would be that it belonged to an Iban Dayak who went on raids together with Moros and then later converted to Islam (which made him change the hilt and add the motifs to his blade)

Michael, Amazing powers of deduction.
Er, can you tell me what his name was ?

thanks again

Royston

Umm, before or after he converted ??





Seriously though; heating the blade may render it removable from the hilt .

[P.Abrera]

What leads/clues are we looking for if the handle can be removed?

[VANDOO]

SEVERAL YEARS AGO I BOUGHT A COLLECTION OF VARIOUS PHILIPPINE SWORDS. THERE WAS ONE SWORD REFERED TO AS A GAYONG THAT HAD A MANDAU STYLE HANDLE. YOUR SWORD REMINDS ME OF THE EXAMPLES IN THAT COLLECTION WHICH WAS COLLECTED IN 1944 THRU 1946 IN MINDANAO.
SEARCH IN THE OLD FORUMS UNDER TOPICS , "VANDOO'S MORO PIECES" (GAYONG) IS THE DAYAK LIKE SWORD, POSTED 6-20-2002 BY RICK, UNFORTUNATELY THE PICTURES ON SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS IN THE COLLECTION ARE GONE BUT THE INFORMATION IS STILL THERE AND THE PICTURES OF THE GAYONG ARE STILL THERE. YOUR SWORD MAY HAVE SIMULAR ORGINS TO THE ONES IN THIS COLLECTION. A VERY NICE SWORD.

AS TO REMOVING THE HANDLE THE ONLY THING THAT COULD BE LEARNED FROM THAT IS IF THE BLADE IS OLDER OR NEWER THAN THE HANDLE. THE BLADE LOOKS VERY CLEAN AND IF THE TANG IS AS CLEAN I WOULD SUSPECT THE BLADE AND FITTINGS WERE MADE AT THE SAME TIME. THE ITEMS IN MY COLLECTION MENTIONED ABOVE DO NOT SHOW MUCH WEAR AND MOST OF THEM NEVER SAW ANY USE AND THE BLADES WERE MADE AT THE SAME TIME AS THE FITTINGS. THE MANDAU HANDLE DOSEN'T SHOW MUCH USE BUT WAS NOT MADE AT THE SAME TIME AS THE BLADE AS FAR AS I CAN TELL. MOST OF THE ITEMS IN THE COLLECTION DUE TO THE PROVENANCE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE ANY LATER THAN 1946 AND WERE PROBABLY MADE A BIT BEFORE THAT, BUT ARE LIKE NEW AS THEY WERE STORED VERY WELL.