Showing off my Sword

[Raymund Suba]

This is a sword I got years ago. It was a birthday gift for me from an uncle.

Bonus points for those who can Identify it and say where it came from!

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

First of all it is beautiful! Your uncle picked a very nice gift for you.

Second it is an Aklanon Talibong.

However, I cheated as I saw your post over on the FMAforum.

 

[tshadowchaser]

beautiful weapon and great pics of it

 

[terryl965]

Nice weapon and dam Brian I knew the answer what do I win?
















OK so I did not know the answer.

 

[OnlyAnEgg]

Can't see it from work. crap.

I'm sure it's beautiful.

 

[arnisador]

Wonderful!

 

[tellner]

Very nice. It looks like a Bangkon with an extended horn on the stylized rhino, an old break on the tip and a decoratively curved sheath.

 

[Raymund Suba]

Ok candy for Brian R. VanCise, but since you cheated, I'll take it back! I love posting these pictures as I keep getting new information about the swords. One guy managed to tell me the exact town where it came from, which tells me that I have to visit a whole bunch of towns to see what kind of swords they would have there.

By the way, tellner, what's a Bangkon? I've never heard of it,and I'm always on the look out to fill in the gaps in my knowledge of such things. Where does it come from?

I love the sheer amount of new information I gather with each posing of these pictures!

 

[Blindside]

What province is this from? It looks like many of the Visayan blades that I have seen online, though that hilt with the extended nose is different.

thanks,

Lamont

 

[tellner]

By the way, tellner, what's a Bangkon? I've never heard of it,and I'm always on the look out to fill in the gaps in my knowledge of such things. Where does it come from?

What's a bangkon? It's one of those

The bangkon has a single-edge blade - usually clip point - about that long. The defining characteristic is the hilt. If it has a guard it's circular and fairly narrow. The hilt itself is a stylized rhinocerous. Yours is pretty standard except that the horn is usually shorter. The sheath doesn't typically have the curved extension. Many have a piece of leather wrapped around the upper part with a flap at the end so that the sheath stays more securely in a belt.

I can't remember exactly where they're from. I think Visayan, but that could just be my memory playing tricks.

 

[Raymund Suba]

Oh, right, "Aklanon" means "from Aklan" I forgot that not everybody speaks Filipino. This is, apparently, of the Libacao style (Libacao being the town). The pommel is a holdover from the time when we believed in anitos. It's not a rhino but a Bakunawa. I'm not exactly familiar with the myth behind it, but the design is reserved for fighting swords.

The bangkon sounds like a description I have heard of a talibong from another region in Panay. I best keep note of the term, as I'll be going back to Aklan and I'll be scouting for blades there. On Panay island alone I've heard of several terms just to describe a sword. Best to know as much as I can.

 

[Guro Harold]

Raymund,

You, Brian R. V, and Ron from CT are making me sick!!!

Dang, these are some great pieces!

I am having a blade hand-made by GM Lazo but it might be delayed (GM Lazo - you are in my prayers, get well soon)!

-Harold

 

[tellner]

It's not a talibon. That's a much different knife. In fact, here's an example:

I won't argue the rhino/bakunawa thing. A lot of mythical animals draw from actual ones, and rhinos were more common in that part of the world in days past.

 

[Raymund Suba]

It's not a talibon. That's a much different knife. In fact, here's an example:


I won't argue the rhino/bakunawa thing. A lot of mythical animals draw from actual ones, and rhinos were more common in that part of the world in days past.

You're not the first one to tell me that bit of news. The photo that you posted is a Talibong from a different region. It's the Filipino languages thing again. Yours is a talibong from another region. (I forget where, from the hip, it looks like something from Bicol, maybe Capiz). If I brought mine to Capiz, they'll call it a sanduko, and say that a talibong is a different sword (my teacher's talibong from Capiz bares little resemblance to mine). If I bring it to Cebu, they'll just call it sundang, which is their word for any blade, I believe, even for a kitchen knife. Here in Luzon it's a bolo or espada. Just in case you didn't notice, the name of the object really depends on the origin.

That's why I was a bit specific to call it an Aklanon talibong, to hopefully avoid misunderstandings.

 

[tellner]

Hundreds of islands, dozens of dialects. It's not surprising that there are a bunch of different names for the same big knife and a bunch of differnt big knives that have the same name in different regions.