# Itak Tagalog #2...a beautifully deadly sword



## Ron Kosakowski

Ok, you have to feel this one to believe why I am all over this one with full bragging rights. I have never felt something so perfect in my hands. Weapons wise that is! 

Go to http://traditionalfilipinoweapons.com/Itak%20Tagalog2.html This is the sword from the Eastern Tagalog region of the Philippines. I have been waiting for it to come in. I first saw it in the Philippines. I cut a bamboo tree down with it and said I have to have these for my collection and everyone else collecting. Once you hold it, you will see what I mean.

Feel free to ask me questions if you have any. I have been so busy with the school and the blade biz, I have not had to much time on lone lately but i will pop in to see whats going on in this and other threads.


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## wushuguy

you have very beautiful and functional filipino weapons.


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## kungfu penguin

totally sweet blade!!


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## Ron Kosakowski

kungfu penguin said:


> totally sweet blade!!


I ma just all excited about this blade. Of course, I fall in love with every new one. B8ut this one really feels so dam good in every which way I play around with it. After hacking at the bamboo tree, I had to have it in the TFW collection. I can't wait to hear the reviews from the folks who bought one so far. i just got it and just sent them out. 

Here is the sibat (Filipino spear) I just got http://www.traditionalfilipinoweapons.com/Spear.html This is also a work of art. Now I will e practicing more of my spear work.


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## Estrellanorte

As one of the people who recently received an Itak Tagalog #2 from Ron, I have to say that this is an _awesome_ little sword, both in form and function.  Lighter than I was expecting, the 19" blade has an elegant distal taper that balances the flared belly at roughly 4" from the guard.  The back edge reminds me of an Unokubi Zukuri - a false edge that stops and beefs up about 1/4" before the tip.  The handle is robust and fits my American hands perfectly, and the pistol grip shape really makes it easy to get the blade up to speed and maintain control.  

While I have no weapons training and minimal backyard cutting experience, I found the Itak Tagalog #2 to be very natural and reliable to cut with.   When the sword arrived 3 days after ordering (Thanks Ron!), I set the triangular mailing tube on end, free-standing, then proceeded to take slices out of it with minimal effort - and without knocking it off the recycling bin (a first, for me).  Very aggressive little blade.


This is my 2nd TFW sword and I couldn't be happier with it.  Thanks Again to Ron for being accommodating and shipping so quickly, I look forward to being able to add more of his weapons to my collection.


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## lklawson

Estrellanorte said:


> As one of the people who recently received an Itak Tagalog #2 from Ron, I have to say that this is an _awesome_ little sword, both in form and function.  Lighter than I was expecting, the 19" blade has an elegant distal taper that balances the flared belly at roughly 4" from the guard.


It's funny how everything is context sensitive.  The Romans considered 19" just about right (maybe an inch or two short) for a gladius (sword) but there are extant examples of rusian kindjal, scottish dirks, and D-Guard Bowies (considered "knives" instead of "swords") in the 19" range.

Sounds like a nice blade though.  

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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## Estrellanorte

lklawson said:


> It's funny how everything is context sensitive.  The Romans considered 19" just about right (maybe an inch or two short) for a gladius (sword) but there are extant examples of rusian kindjal, scottish dirks, and D-Guard Bowies (considered "knives" instead of "swords") in the 19" range.
> 
> Sounds like a nice blade though.
> 
> Peace favor your sword,
> Kirk




I did hesitate to refer to this blade as a sword, but contextually, I believe it is defined as one by the Filipinos, who are traditionally smaller in stature (not to mention that its' cutting abilities far exceed anything else I own in that size range).   I generally consider anything between 18" and 25" to be a short sword, but I would love to see a 19" D-Guard Bowie knife!  I think the largest Bowie I ever saw was with a 15" blade.


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## lklawson

Estrellanorte said:


> I did hesitate to refer to this blade as a sword, but contextually, I believe it is defined as one by the Filipinos, who are traditionally smaller in stature (not to mention that its' cutting abilities far exceed anything else I own in that size range).   I generally consider anything between 18" and 25" to be a short sword,


Oh, I'm not carping, honest.  You're right that the line between a short sword and a knife or a sword and a "short sword" is rather blurred.

I guess I was just opining on the rule that culture can play in the definition.  



> but I would love to see a 19" D-Guard Bowie knife!  I think the largest Bowie I ever saw was with a 15" blade.


Well, a 15" blade isn't anything to sneeze at either.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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## Ron Kosakowski

I have seen what is called big knives here in the US and small swords there in SE Asia...hard to see the difference for the untrained eye at least. My ceremonial knives look like swords almost anyway. All deadly beautiful though!


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## Xue Sheng

lklawson said:


> It's funny how everything is context sensitive. The Romans considered 19" just about right (maybe an inch or two short) for a gladius (sword) but there are extant examples of rusian kindjal, scottish dirks, and D-Guard Bowies (considered "knives" instead of "swords") in the 19" range.
> 
> Sounds like a nice blade though.
> 
> Peace favor your sword,
> Kirk


 
In China... that's not a knife.....this is a knife 

Or at least that is how it is translated


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## Ron Kosakowski

lklawson said:


> It's funny how everything is context sensitive. The Romans considered 19" just about right (maybe an inch or two short) for a gladius (sword) but there are extant examples of rusian kindjal, scottish dirks, and D-Guard Bowies (considered "knives" instead of "swords") in the 19" range.
> 
> Sounds like a nice blade though.
> 
> Peace favor your sword,
> Kirk


All swords origins had their beginnings in whatever technology was going on at the time. There are swords for people wearing armour. There are swords for and against people on horses. The Civil War swords were long enoughto be used against the butt end of a rifle before they reloaded. The answers to this are ongoing. Before technology "got so advanced," infighting was the concern. All battles come to some sort of clech so a shorter sword made sense for what we call hand to trapping to standing grappling range.


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