CS Moro Barong as heavy machette ???

Md 25v

Md 25v

Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
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I just got an old Cold Steel Moro Barong as an extra in a trade. This is the one I'm talking about, not the machete.
http://www.trueswords.com/images/prod/c/TS-TCS88PB_540.jpg
The problem is, I just can't figure out what to make of it. Its 1075 carbon steel and if it were thinner would make a nice "traditional" machete but unfortunately this thing is 1/4in thick. It has a nice rosewood scabbard and handle but its not well balanced at all for it's implied use as a practice weapon for Kali, Arnis, or other Philippine martial arts. I'm thinking about just trying it out as a heavy chopper or machete just to see what its capable of. Anybody have one of these monstrosities? What, if anything, do you use it for?
 
Kali for me. Most Filipino blades grew out of farming and vegetation clearing first, war was second. Convex it and chop away!
 
It's already convexed. I also sharpened it and found that with a 20 micron belt, it took a polished, hair shaving edge. I'm gonna take it out tomorrow and test it out. As heavy as it is, should be a good chopper but I'm sure it will be fast to cause fatigue due to that weight as well as the poor balance.
 
Poor balance? Does it have a Distal Taper, and if so, how thick was it in the back?
 
It does have a distal taper, from 1/4in at the juncture of the handle to about 1/8in near the tip. The poor balance is due to the taper being so slow and the weapon being about 6 inches longer than a traditional Barong (I have two from the Philippines). Just to make what I'm saying clear, the poor balance is refering to its use as an Arnis/Kali weapon. I'm sure it will do find as a chopper. I'm leaving in about an hour to find out.
 
What kind of tang does that beast have? It's a cool looking knife, but from what I can see, the handle doesn't inspire confidence. Looks like it could snap under hard chopping if you're gripping the rear part of the handle.
 
The tang is pinned and epoxied, don't know what it would look like under the handle.
If it breaks it breaks, no biggie. Like I said, it was a freebie add on to a trade.

I'll be back, going out to try it now.
 
I've chopped with mine. I prefer a bolo, but the barong works OK.

It is not longer than a traditional barong. A barong can vary in length. The ones I have other than the CS barong vary from 13" to 15", my dad has a few with one being about 17", and one aunt has one longer than the CS version, and it was in her family for a few generations.

The handle is a bit thick, though probably scaled properly for most Americans. The pins might stick out a bit but they can be filed. The scabbard is not hooked at the mouth like every other barong I've seen, so it might not stay in the belt/sash as well as a typical barong. I've been told it was a copy of a barong from the Philippines, so I guess there are some built likt it.

While it is not as well-balanced as my other barongs, I don't think it is bad. IMO it is due to the weight. I remember when I switched to a Kris Cutlery 29" katana from a lighter one, it felt heavy and strangly balanced, but I got used to it.
 
OK, just got back from playing with the Barong. It is an OK chopper and had no trouble slicing through 3-4in trees in one swing. I cut for about 20 minutes straight on standing small trees in an area that is to be cleared this week. The blade has a full convex grind which resists binding and I sharpened the edge with a 20 micron belt. The fine edge retention seems to be pretty good because it was still able to cut paper when I was done. I also chopped down a pine tree that was 5 inches wide and took every swing at full force to test the strength of the handle junction. The small brass ring above the handle is a little loose but the handle seems to be fine. There was no rolling or chipping on the edge but that doesn't say much since I don't think I went through any knots.
All in all, it wasn't bad. It seems pretty good at taking small trees in a single swing but it also causes a lot of fatigue due to the weight, as compared to a long golok or hatchet. It is not a good slicer, because it is so heavy and all that extra weight is not necessary. It is easily out performed in small limbing/clearing tasks by a good machete. I'm not sure it can really excel at anything and the practical application seems to back up my initial impressions.

P.S. The blade has a nice polish and this allowed for easy sap removal and clean-up.
 
I had intended to get one of those when they were available, but I never got around to it. Good looking knife. I do have the 12" machete version. It chops pretty well and is very scary now with a polished convex edge.
 
Grind a wide fuller in that bad boy, or make the blade a trapezoid shape, to reduce the weight. BTW, I have seen original barong in an amazing array of lengths, widths, and thicknesses.
 
The only thing I have heard about the CS version is that it isn't really that great for one thing, but it isn't that bad at anything either. (This comes from a non knife guy, though)
 
You guys need to chill and go with what the guys in Central or South America use.
This over done crap is mall ninja material.
Go back to the basic machete.Cheap. Soft, and functional.
 
Did you even read the OP?
It was a free add on to a trade. The whole point of giving it a good beating was to see if it was even good for anything.
 
Toucan Oasis said:
You guys need to chill and go with what the guys in Central or South America use.
This over done crap is mall ninja material.
Go back to the basic machete.Cheap. Soft, and functional.
Click to expand...

Mall ninja? With a barong? I was not aware that the ninja were active in Mindanao. Wouldn't that be more like a Mall Juramentado?


Last time I was in Manila the malls were guarded by guys with automatic weapons.


Are you saying that people who live in South America know about using large blades better than those in the Philippines? Last I checked the Philippines also has a lot of jungle.


While a barong is primarily a weapon, it is also used as a tool.


Bolos with a barong-like profile are also common. They are generally thinner and of simpler construction.
 
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