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Concept
Bolo knife
Summary
A bolo (iták/gúlok, bunéng, badáng/aliwa, baráng, paláng, tabák/minasbad, súndang/kampilan, sansibar, sandúko/binangon, talibong) is a general term for traditional pre-colonial small to medium-sized single-edged swords or large knives of the Philippines that function as both tools and weapons. They are characterized by a curved wide blade that narrows towards the hilt, with pointed or blunt tips. Bolos are a common tool in the Philippines and are often compared to the machete.
Bolos are differentiated from other Filipino swords and bladed implements by their dual use as both tools and weapons. They are characterized by a curved (usually convex) wide blade that narrows towards the hilt, with pointed or blunt tips. There are various types of bolos differing by ethnic group and purpose, ranging from large knives to short swords to specialized agricultural equipment. They had a wide range of use, from hunting to scything grass, opening coconuts, harvesting crops, or clearing dense brush.
Most bolos are cheap and unornamented, with the handle usually made from plain carabao horn or wood. Bolos with finely carved handles with precious materials were used as status symbols of high social rank.
The bolo is common in the countryside due to its use as a farming implement. As such, it was used extensively during Spanish colonial rule as a manual alternative to ploughing with a carabao. Normally used for cutting coconuts, it was also a common tool for harvesting narrow row crops found on terraces such as rice, mungbean, soybean, and peanut.
During the American colonial period of the Philippines, Filipino fighters armed with bolos were known as "bolomen". They were used as auxiliary troops by the Americans during the Philippine-American War. They were often placed in front of riflemen, as beliefs in anting-anting. The bolo men were effective in close combat with riflemen using bayonets but were easily defeated if riflemen opened fire on them.
The bolo was adopted by the US Military as the bolo knife.
Official source
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