Bolo from Luzon Island, Philippines
This knife will easily snick through 1" hardwood branches on my apple tree. The handle under the rattan is composed of the same steel as the blade, flattened out and formed into a hollow metal handle. The construction is similar to the handle on the Cold Steel Bushman.
The following information was provided by the gentleman in the Philippines from whom I obtained the blade.
A head hunters machete hand made from spring steel by the Ifugao people. Superior quality, the handle is made from the same steel like the blade (average strength: 4mm!) and therefore virtually unbreakable! For better handling it is covered with Rattan weaving. It includes ONE wooden scabbard. The blade is 29 cm, the length of the whole item as seen above is 46 cm.
This original weapon is
the highlight of any collection, but you can also use it for garden works. You
will be amazed by the power and sharpness of this well balanced tool! Even
nowadays you can still see many locals carrying weapons similar to this either
on their hip or on their back. Locally it is referred to as a Bolo.
The Ifugao people and the region
Ifugao is a region in the northern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. It is a very mountainous and remote region that has some of the most amazing rice terraces - a UNESCO heritage site - of the world.
The Ifugao are originally warriors, who formerly even engaged in head hunting. They live in tribes and especially in the remote mountain villages they still live a life like hundreds of years ago. Some old people still have tattoos documenting their successful head hunting. Even today venturing too far into the remote mountains of the Philippines can be dangerous, since some tribes are hostile to strangers protecting their villages with deadly traps.
The Ifugao are well known of their believes and the great primitive artworks
that they are producing.
I personally went to the Ifugao people in Banaue and got it there. They turned out to be very friendly and hospitable and were not too much interested in my head :-)