ASSORTED BLADE FROM CEBU

Assorted Blades from Cebu.

1. Sundang (Multi-purpose Bolo)
2. Garab ( Vegetation Cutter Scythe)
3. Baraw or Plumengko ( Cebuano Dagger)
4. Sundang Gamay (Small Multi-purpose Bolo)
5. Guna (Planting/Farming un-sharpen Bolo)
6. Sanggot ( Coconut Wine Gatherer Sickle )
7. Pinuti ( Fighting Bolo Sword)
8. Sundang Dako (Fighting Bolo or Machete)

Prominent Families in the Philippines usually buy #7, #1 & #3. They used this as an ornamental decoration in their living room complete with stand. They said that those bladed weapons is a true signature of our Cebuano ancestor and that we can remember them by displaying their weapons as part of our cultural heritage.

You can contact me through my email if you are interested on this item. We can ship this anywhere in the Globe via DHL world wide express.

BOLO SUPPLIED BY USAFFE

United States Armed Forces realized that the Bolo was the weapon of choice of the Native Filipino soldiers.

The United States Armed Service Committee commissioned U.S. Knife Manufacturer to made specialized Bolo based on Filipino fighters specification and issued this to Filipino USAFFE units Bolo Battalion in the Philippines during of World War 2.

These were Limited World War 2 bolos and today it commands a very high price as a souvenir and collectible item.

BOLO BATTALION COMBAT TRAINING

Members of the World War 2 Volunteer Guards Bolo Battalion during the training demonstration in the Hinterlands of Philippine Islands.

Note that the bolo used in this actual practice is the Sundang (multi-purpose bolo).

This group was where my father belong.

BOLO BATTALION

During World War 2, Philippine Army with Specialized Skills in hand-to-hand combat were integrated into a special unit named Bolo Battalion. These units were the answer for the Specialized Samurai units fielded by Japanese Imperial Army during the war.

BOLO DURING 1900

Native Cebuano policemen and military guards during the American Occupation were armed with multi purpose Bolo (Sundang) and the Fighting Bolo (Pinuti). These were the elite hand-to-hand fighters of the Philippine Commonwealth Military during those days.

These bolos were hand-forged by Cebuano Artisan Blacksmith from surplus Carbon Steel Spring of Railways or Surplus Unserviceable Spanish Iron Canons from Military garrisons.

These material were quenched and tempered to the final desired dimension.

Coconut Oil or Castor Nut Oil mixed with Saltwater were served as ancient quenching Oil during the blade heat treatment process.

The handles during those days were made of High quality Native Philippine hardwood from Kamagong wood (Philippine Ebony), Guava wood, Molave wood, Tindalo wood and the Red Lauan wood.

The blade was of High quality Hand-forged steel that will cut even the barrel of some single shot rifles during those days. Quality hand forged blade bolos were made from Cebu City at the heart of ancient Cebu rice field area known as Barrio Basak. Also at Southern Cebu Province notable from the Municipality of Ronda and also the then Municipality of Carcar (now a city).

CEBUANO ANCIENT BLADED WEAPONS

The ancient Filipino bladed weapon system consists of Pinuti, Sundang and Baraw. These 3 bladed weapons were part of the Bolo Weapon System employed by the Ancient Visayan fighter during the post Sri Vijayan Empire.

The Kampilan which is the forerunner of the Bolo is a weapon of Choice of Raja Lapulapu our First Filipino Hero.

During the time of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the kampilan were outlawed by the natives and only the multipurpose farm implements’ such as the guna (small un sharpen bolo) & the sundang (multi purpose bolo) were allowed by Spanish Authorities.

Because of these eventualities, the native Filipinos re-shaped the kampilan to a more realistic farm implements and thus the birth of the pinuti (bolo sword), they also re-sharpen the guna to form like a small multi purpose bolo, and thus the birth of plumenko or baraw (Filipino dagger) , and the multi purpose bolo known as sundang or itak is used for hacking coconuts and cutting trees.

Bolos were actually used by Katipuneros during the outbreak of Philippine Revolution. Notable Visayan Katipuneros were armed with Pinuti and baraw.

Bolos were instrumental in subduing American forces in Balangiga, Samar during the Philippine-American War. In that encounter, all American Expeditionary Forces were slaughtered by Filipino fighters using pinuti, sundang and baraw in one of the bloodiest encounter the American troops ever had in the entire U.S. military history.

During World War 2, bolos were matched with katana sword of the Japanese Imperial Army in one of the great encounter during Operation Victor at Kantipla and Tabunan Ridge, Cebu City.

Bolo Battalion were members of the USAFFE that had special skills in Bolo Fighting known as Eskrimador that would matched the Samurai warriors of Japanese Army.