Traditional Filipino Weapons – War Golok

The War Golok is unusual in the Philippines for being the only type of traditional sword that has no tip whatsoever. The unusual design has its roots in the Spanish occupation of the Philippines when the Spaniards in the controlled Luzon area systemically broke the tips off the Filipino swords and machetes as an attempt to hamstring their martial arts fighting system. This was followed by a law forbidding the creation of machetes and swords with a tip and this design constraint led to the flat-tipped War Golok being a regional sword style that persisted and the locals developed a new and deadly fighting system around it. The Golok is not only a weapon of self-defense in the area, but is regarded as a multi-purpose tool for clearing brush, slicing fruits, butchering meat and all manner of practical uses.

The blade is crafted from tough and well-tempered single-edged blade of 5160 / D2 high carbon steel with a hardness of 58-60 HRc. The grip is wrapped in rattan for a surprisingly sure and comfortable grip and the sword is matched with a well-carved scabbard of wood embellished with bands of rattan. A metal spring retaining clip on the scabbard aids in keeping the sword in the scabbard by “locking” over a button knot of rattan.