Good looking modern moro kriss

Beautiful Kriss - bet the guy from Mindanao doesn't get left off the promotions list :D
 
beautiful silverwork. How in the world would the tang be arranged inside that pistol-grip handle, do you suppose?
 
Fausto, Very nice album!!:) Would you be interested in selling or trading for your 15 inch Sher made AK? I'd like to get one of those!:)
 
I would sure enough like to have one like that in my collection......:D

Jance if this keris follows the same customs as those found on my two keris the tang is a very slender round piece that doesn't extend that far into the handle.
And also on the keris the handle is locked in place with either a small piece of cloth or a length of hair wrapped around the tang and then the handle is twisted on.
Makes a quite surpriseingly secure connection.
 
Spot on Walosi!
;) The man was a very hard working OS during his last contract (Ordinary Seaman), and he came back as AB (Able Bodied Seaman) this time. The present was unsolicited but extremely welocome! :) :) :)
Skag,
the Sher AK is one of my favorites (together with the WWII and the two wooden handled villagers) and is meant to stay :) :) :)
The pistol grip is a concern for me too, I wouldn't try to open a crate with this one!
Glad you guys liked it!
Fausto
 
Nice gunong.

Some people dont like these modern tourist gunongs, but with all the repousse work I still think theyre beautiful (though really depends on the price you pay while nice they really arent all that expensive to buy). Anyways traditional gunongs were kinda ugly little devils, that didnt start getting prettier till they started making them for tourists.

As for the construction Ive taken a few apart. The tang is surprisingly short, and does not extend past the ferrule. Instead of being round its flat and kinda trapezoidal. Its held in there with a pitch/epoxy of some sort with a filler type straw. The bands are most likely aluminum or white brass (though it could be a alloy of a bunch o stuff). Silver is usually reserved for only high status items for a datu.

I would not recommend using this knife extensively. While Im sure its sharp and probably will cut tourist knives arent known for their quality of blade. Im not saying its gonna fall apart the first time you use it, but the blade was the thing they took the least time making on this gunong. Itll definitely not out preform an HI khuk.
 
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Federico, I have your Moro's weapons page bookmarked since quite a while. I have another 3 slightly smaller and rather ugly ones (more presents), one of them lost its handle the very moment that it was in my hands and the tang/guard/ferrule assembly is exactly as per your description.
I don't plan on any practical use for this one, it is just going to sit in the display looking pretty. The 3 ugly ones fit your description as to the use of aluminium, they feel extremely light in weight, this one is quite heavy, I think is some kind of heavier alloy (babbit, "white metal", whatever). I will correct the name on my album.
Salamat
Fausto
 
Just to talk about the philipino edged weapons, the Bosun here tells me that a good moro sword can cut an Armalite (M16) in two!!!
Of course it sounds quite optimistic, but I like to hear this kind of statements, it reminds me of the magic khukri and so on...
It also brings to my memory a diver trying to cut a 10 m/m wire rope with a big hammer and someone else's cold steel recon tanto (the owner of the tanto was less than pleased with what was left over of his knife)
Fausto
 
I remember some diver I had as a customer who used his khukuri as his diving knife. I never heard but often wondered what sort of rust problems he ran into.
 
The legend of Moro kris cutting guns in two is probably attributed because of Juromentados and their effectiveness against soldiers with guns. Im sure it must have been un-nerving to see someone with a sword be able to take down guys with guns. Also in WWII most Moro rebels only had kris and barong, and stalked the Japanese in the jungles. While I havent seen any legitimate proof to back up the claim that these swords could cut into guns, I have seen cases in which these things were shot with krag bullets and yet were not seriously damaged.
 
fausto,

Do you have any more information on the WWII dive knife? Did they have stainless steel back then?

Will
 
Originally posted by Federico
While I havent seen any legitimate proof to back up the claim that these swords could cut into guns, I have seen cases in which these things were shot with krag bullets and yet were not seriously damaged.
Click to expand...

I can't recall where I read it, but one author said that the Moro Swords at one time compared with and in some cases excelled the Finest Spanish Toledo Steel.:)

Edit....
I believe the BirGhorka Himalayan Imports Khukuris would fit in the excelled reference above consistently.
All of the khukuris I have I would bet are within four points on the Rockwell Scale ranging from 58Rc to 62 Rc. And that's quite an accomplishment for any knife maker let alone a Nepalese Kami pouring water from a tea kettle!!!!:)
 
Will,
Sadly I don't know much about that knife. There are no markings on it so I do not know where it comes from (to my limited knowledge I know is not british / american / italian). I've bought it in France from Nautical antique shop. The blade is 5 mm thick and about 18 cm long, handle is bakelite with brass guard and pommel. The blade is not made of stainless (unless is some older lower grade alloy)and prone to rusting.
I'm looking forward to add some more of these old diving knives to my collection, let me know if you know any good source.

Federico,
Thanks for explanation.

Fausto
 
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