Amazing Garage sale find! - Filipino Head Hunter Knife

Pykrim

Pykrim

Joined
Dec 10, 2012
Messages
684
Hi everyone! I'm new to the forums, but have been collecting knives, swords, & bayonets since my grandfather bought me my 1st knife when I was 8 years old. I frequently visited the forums to look over posts and such to find out as much about knives as I could, but finally decided to register (I should have much sooner!). Anyway on to what I was going to show. About 7 years ago I was at a garage sale and I noticed this knife in the back corner of a garage. I asked the lady running it if it was for sale and she said that it was not. So I looked around for a little bit longer and I could hear her talking to her husband in Tagalog. Just as I was leaving, the lady told me that she would sell it too me. I had no idea what it was for sure, but it looked handmade and was razor sharp. The lady told me that her and her husband moved to the USA 20 years ago and the knife was passed down to her from her great grandfather who was a head hunter. She said it was to be passed on to her son, but she didn't have a son and didn't want to pass it on to her daughter. I did some research on the knife, and had an appraiser look it over and do some research himself, and indeed it was a head hunter knife from the region of the Philippines. Anyway just wanted to show it off. Thanks for taking the time to check it out.

OAL is 18 3/4"
BL is 14-15"
Wooden Scabbard length is 15"
Attached to the scabbard is a boar tusk.


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Just a local antiques guy in my town. It took him a long time and had to send pics to someone else. It's a small town I live in so I didn't expect much from him. I have sword that he couldn't identify that I'll post on here in the swords section later today or tonight.
 
I think that is a great find. Congratulations and thank you for letting us have a look.
 
Out of curiosity how much is this worth? Reason I ask is so I don't devalue it by using it. I'd like to make a leather sheath or find someone to make a kydex sheath for me and maybe re-wrap the handle. I could get some good use out of it but just don't want to ruin it if it's worth something. If it is worth something I'll just put it up again. Thanks
 
Are the dimmensions wrong to be ground down from a marine bolo? That blade near the handle looks like one.
 
The 1917 model. But knowing how filipinos waste nothing it woulxn't suprise me if it were re-heated amd drawn out to be what it is either.
 
Pykrim said:
Out of curiosity how much is this worth? Reason I ask is so I don't devalue it by using it. I'd like to make a leather sheath or find someone to make a kydex sheath for me and maybe re-wrap the handle. I could get some good use out of it but just don't want to ruin it if it's worth something. If it is worth something I'll just put it up again. Thanks
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As a registered user, you aren't allowed to ask for value information.

That said, I personally would leave it alone. If the rattan wrap is falling apart, I might consider having it replaced, or do it myself.

Leather or Kydex, nah. Keep it in the scabbard made for it. If it is inded older, it's an interesting piece of cultural history. Use it with care, and enjoy it for what it is.

The waist thong is quite small, tiny waist. The Filipino that owned it probably had no reservations using it for what it was, a tool.

If you really want to beat the snot out of it, you can find a new Pinahig, probably right here on the X.

Ron - NOT reground from a Marine Bolo. ;)
 
I should have took a spine pic. The knife is pretty thick almost 1/4" toward the handle but not sure the exact measurement since it's not in front of me at the moment. I read that they made them out of all kinds of different things so it would be hard to tell.
 
Pykrim said:
... I'd like to make a leather sheath or find someone to make a kydex sheath for me and maybe re-wrap the handle. I could get some good use out of it but just don't want to ruin it if it's worth something. If it is worth something I'll just put it up again. Thanks
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You obviously don't believe that it is an actual headhunter's blade, otherwise you wouldn't want to botch it up with kydex and rewrap, right?
 
I believe it is. It's just hard to keep it sitting around if I could use it. But It's going back in storage. Just wanted some thoughts on it before I did anything with it.
 
Pykrim said:
I believe it is. It's just hard to keep it sitting around if I could use it. But It's going back in storage. Just wanted some thoughts on it before I did anything with it.
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Don't do that. It was made to be used, I'm sure it saw far more mundane tasks than deanimating a rival/trespasser.

Just leave it alone and use it within it's intended limitations. It's a great jungle knife and probably has served it's previous owners well.

Truly a "bush" knife.... ;)
 
Lol yeah I wasn't planning on super hard use although I'm sure it could handle it. The blade is one of the sharpest I own.
 
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