Heavy Antique Moro Barong Knife from the Philippines

An antique Moro heavy knife or chopper known as a Barong. From the southern part of the Philippines, Mindanao, the hilt features a lovely grip of striped brown wood carved with exquisite details and features, nodelled on the head of a kakatua bird. The lower grip with a sleeve of silver and a collar of braided cord. The blade is fabulously made of heavy laminated steel, slight patterns can be seen here and there, a very stout thick back and long tapering leaf shaped blade with a razor shape edge. Barongs such as this are one of the most lethal types of blades and would have been used simlarly to the kukri of the Ghurkas of Nepal. This barong retains its original sheath albeit in somewhat damaged condition. The upper part carved and with cane binding.The hilt with chips and minor losses to extremeties, a nice older example hard to find these days, late 19th c. Overall length of barong 57 cms