bolo knives

untamed said:
BTW, I'm from the province below, Pampanga, about 1.5 hours away.
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My family is also from Pampanga (Masantol)!

Do you guys ever visit "Band of Glockers" on www.glocktalk.com?

We have one bolo that my dad brought back from his trip home about 1976 or so. It's a bit wider in the blade as the second version in the previous photo. The scabbared is wood on one side, and carabao on the other, with silver-colored metal inlay and rivets. The handle seems to be cast of aluminum, with some carabao added to it.
 
untamed said:
(Apologies being OT to the rest folks. . .)

We're in the same boat Doc! Not too many reliable places that sell this "expensive" hobby of ours! I heard that the "Urban" store is now somewhere in Greenhills? The SOE folks are good friends and the "big" guy there is my gun and tactics teacher/adviser.

BTT. . .
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Urban Industries? They moved out of Shang a some time ago, been wondering where they went. I'll check it out when I have the time.
 
rhino said:
We have one bolo that my dad brought back from his trip home about 1976 or so. It's a bit wider in the blade as the second version in the previous photo. The scabbared is wood on one side, and carabao on the other, with silver-colored metal inlay and rivets. The handle seems to be cast of aluminum, with some carabao added to it.
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Hey there again Rhino! :D

Yep, a common feature as well is the bolster to add to the integrity of the handle especially with the rat-tail tang types. Wooden scabards are getting rarer these days.
 
untamed said:
Hey there again Rhino! :D

Yep, a common feature as well is the bolster to add to the integrity of the handle especially with the rat-tail tang types. Wooden scabards are getting rarer these days.
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Hey, Cousin! :D

I'll try to get a photo of our bolo soon.

We also have a pair of samurai-style swords obviously made by the same smith. The blades are classic katana, but the handles are the same carabao and the scabbards are the same wood on one side and carabao with the silver inlay on the other.
 
Fred A said:
Wish I knew where to get one of those mine was confiscated in Okinawa by customs when I was leaving Kadena!
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I have a couple of bolos acquired at either Clark AFB or Cubi Pt. NAS in 1970 or '71. I did go through jungle school at Clark but by far most of my time was in Cubi doing carrier landings in the O Club and hanging out on the other side of the Shit River. lol My household goods shipment was out of MCAS Iwakuni but I have no idea where customs was cleared. Why would customs confiscate personal knives? I don't get it.
 
I used to do fieldwork in various provinces, and the guides I walked with had your regular sized bolos, but one I still remember was from an older, experienced guide. It was maybe about a foot long, very compact, yet heavy enough to chop through brush. I'm not sure how to describe the style - it had a strong taper toward the handle - ricasso? - (sort of like the second from the top from Hachetjack's post, or like the throwing knives in the House of Flying Daggers movie). I remember when I was younger an uncle showing me a bolo he said was Cebuano style - it sort of looked like that. Sheath and handle were wood and probably not that sturdy.

It seemed to me that it was small enough not to get in the way, yet big enough to do the multiple tasks bolos are made to do there. Wish I had one of those. :thumbup:

EDIT: I think it looked like this (9th post from the top, third bolo from the top (it's the smallest one), also being held in the lower picture):
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=930
 
I just looked around at some webs at the prices of Bolos and what a shock! I paid $8.00 for the first Bolo I bought in 1979 in the Philippines. The second one cost me a bottle of Jack Daniels and $10.00 for a weekend long lesson in village bladesmithing. The third Bolo cost me less than $10.00. I have picked up a few at swap meets and never paid more than $15.00. All of the ones I have bought are the cruder working Bolos, Which to me are the better knives.
 
Guys, let me just clarify that my frame of reference is from the Central Luzon perspective (Subic in Olongapo City included), which have the above-mentioned characteristics I posted. Other regions' designs may vary (i.e. - the further you go south, to the Visayas regions, they become more sword-like: longer and more slender akin to the "pinuti" or "talibong" designs similar to the the 2nd one in Hatchetjack's pic or to what Ultraman is describing. They posses or have evolved more weapon potential than the ones we have which are dedicated tools).
 
It's been along time since staying in Olongopo (Nas Subic) and I was wondering if you can still buy the old style bolos from the school. I was up in Manilia a few years back visiting a old girlfriend to see how the place has changed and didn't get a chance to goto Olongopo, we spent too much time either going to the Mega Mall or Hard Rock in Makati although I wonder now with all the new security how hard it would be to ship a bolo back now. Back then we smuggled them in through Military Transports but now I don't know. To me I don't see why such a big deal, it would be like sending a machete through the mail, I wish I had the time and cash to do another run through the school again, last time the military picked up the tab. Jeepneys,trikes baluit and all that stuff always brings back good memories.
 
untamed said:
Guys, let me just clarify that my frame of reference is from the Central Luzon perspective (Subic in Olongapo City included), which have the above-mentioned characteristics I posted. Other regions' designs may vary (i.e. - the further you go south, to the Visayas regions, they become more sword-like: longer and more slender akin to the "pinuti" or "talibong" designs similar to the the 2nd one in Hatchetjack's pic or to what Ultraman is describing. They posses or have evolved more weapon potential than the ones we have which are dedicated tools).
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That description of bolo style with region seemed to click in place for me memory-wise, because I do recall the more slender style when I was in the visayas. In fact, I still remember how someone was describing a "dueling" bolo and yes, it was somewhat more slender, probably to make it faster to wield.

Off topic, but I've heard of "bolo bridgades" in the visayas, and also recall stories of bolo-wielding madmen who run amok into a crowd - the injuries were always deep cuts and gashes. Most of the time the victims would survive, thank goodness . I'm guessing it reflects the philosophy that the point is mightier than the edge (actually I got that from Robert Heinlein's novel, Glory Road).
 
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