The Sansibar dates back to the latter years of the Spanish occupation of the Philippines. It is sometimes called a san sibak! which means one chop! in Filipino dialects. Over time the name phrase has been anglicized into Sansibar. Then, as now, the Sansibar-style blades are used by rivermen who bamboo for boat making. These well-traveled Filipinos spread the Sansibar throughout the islands, making it a widespread and widely modified blade design.
Though it has many utilitarian uses, be not deceived by the Sansibar, for it was borne out of the fighting of nationalist Filipinos against the Spanish. The Sansibar was a popular blade of the Katipuneros, who used its swift and decisive chopping and thrusting blade as a tool in their revolution. This is particularly noticeable in this blade, which has the addition of a Spanish-influenced fighting knuckle guard. This blade is light and quick in the hand, and its design ensures lethality in the strike.
This Philippine-crafted Northern Sansibar has a sharp blade of 5160/D2 high carbon steel tempered to HRC 58-60. The guard and grip ferrule are of darkened metal. The grip is of wood with fired design and the pommel cap is of brass. Comes with a scabbard of carved wood.
Please Note: Due to being crafted in a tropical environment with native woods, it is common for these weapons to develop thin, minor cracks in the wood and the scabbard as the woods adjust to our more temperate environment. Cracks in items sent to you will not be harmful to the structural integrity of the item. Also – The decorative rattan wrapping can be brittle and may crack or break.
It is recommended that a light coating of protective oil is used to protect the wood from dryness and cracking.
R –
Fast, beautiful blade It is short and it is narrow. But for tight quarters this one will do very nicely. The wooden handle is beautifully crafted without any extra bits sticking out. The scabbard is custom fitted for the blade. The guard is tight. The blade is sharp enough to slice paper. If you have very large hands you may find the handle too small. Also, it is most suitable for a hammer grip/choping grip, where I use a handshake grip and the side of my palm on the little finger side toward the wrist goes over the pommel, and I have small hands. But nothing uncomfortable for me. I do have a thing for d-guards. Of course, the balance is perfect for what it is designed for. I feel it is fantastic for edged weapon collectors looking for a short and very portable sword that doesn’t weight your down.