Large Historic Knives and their Origins: Bowie (California), Khukuri (Nepal), Bolo Knife (Philippines), Golok (Indonesia), etc., etc.

Let's not forget everyone's favorite: The Machete

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Probably, better known around the globe then all of the other large knives combined.

n2s
 
DangerZone98 said:
We’ve got tons of awesome blades here in the Philippines. Bolo, itak, ginunting, kris. We love ‘em big blades.
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On one of his trips to visit home in the mid 1970s, my dad returned with some interesting large blades made in the province, one of which was a bolo. The handle scales and one side of the sheath were carabao horn with some silver-colored metal rivets (probably aluminum) and the metal part of the handle was aluminum. The back side of the sheath was mahogany. If I ever find it, I'll try to get some pics.

He also brought a pair of Japanese-ish swords and a matching short sword, all three of which had the same style and materials for the handles and scabbards.
 
rhino said:
On one of his trips to visit home in the mid 1970s, my dad returned with some interesting large blades made in the province, one of which was a bolo. The handle scales and one side of the sheath were carabao horn with some silver-colored metal rivets (probably aluminum) and the metal part of the handle was aluminum. The back side of the sheath was mahogany. If I ever find it, I'll try to get some pics.

He also brought a pair of Japanese-ish swords and a matching short sword, all three of which had the same style and materials for the handles and scabbards.
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Awesome, thanks for sharing. Hope you find it, hehe.

Japanese swords can be beautiful as well. The short sword is a wakizashi perhaps.
 
DangerZone98 said:
Awesome, thanks for sharing. Hope you find it, hehe.

Japanese swords can be beautiful as well. The short sword is a wakizashi perhaps.
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I think that was the intent, but the style is a blend of Filipino and Japanese (which given the history in the 20th century is a very odd thing).
 
Well someone mentioned the seax as an antecedent, but it's also one of my favorite large knife types from Scandinavia and Western Europe. Also the rondel and ballock daggers, again Western Europe. The gaucho knife from Argentina.

I'm also calling foul on you machete / gloom / parang guys. Those things are too big to be knives! :)
 
Triton said:
Well someone mentioned the seax as an antecedent, but it's also one of my favorite large knife types from Scandinavia and Western Europe. Also the rondel and ballock daggers, again Western Europe. The gaucho knife from Argentina.

I'm also calling foul on you machete / gloom / parang guys. Those things are too big to be knives! :)
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I mean in the Wheeler typology of the seax, the type III/II and IV/II are basically just bowies with no guard.
 
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