Bolo knife
| Bolo | |
|---|---|
Top: A typical bolo from Luzon; Bottom: Lumad bolos with sheaths from Mindanao in the National Museum of Anthropology | |
| Type | Knife or sword |
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Service history | |
| Wars | |
| Specifications | |
| Blade type | Single-edged, convex blade |
| Hilt type | hardwood, carabao horn |
| Scabbard/sheath | hardwood, carabao horn |
A bolo (Tagalog: iták/gulok, Ilocano: bunéng, Ibanag: badáng/aliwa, Pangasinan: baráng, Kapampangan: paláng, Bikol: tabák/minasbad, Cebuano: súndang/kampilan, Waray: sansibar, Hiligaynon: sandúko/binangon, Aklan: talibong) is a general term for traditional pre-colonial small- to medium-sized single-edged swords or large knives of the Philippines that function both as tools and weapons. Bolos are characterized by a wide curved blade that narrows down to the hilt, and that comes with a pointed or a blunt tip.
Bolos are sometimes incorrectly described as a type of machete (as bolo machete), due to their similarities in use and shape. But bolos are not related to the machete. Bolos are pre-colonial in origin and have very different characteristics. The most obvious physical difference between the two is the shape of the cutting edge, which is typically curved in bolos and more or less straight in machetes.