Panabas
Sign in to saveThe panabas is a chopping bladed weapon or tool from the Philippines, variously described as both a sword and a battle axe. It has a distinctive long straight haft and a curving blade of various designs. It can range in size from and can be held with one or both hands, delivering a deep, meat cleaver-like cut.
~6 min read
Encyclopedic overview
12 sectionsContents
- Names
- Appearance
- Blade
- Haft
- Scabbard
- Usage
- Weapon
- Execution tool
- Domestic use
- See also
- References
- External links
The panabas is a chopping bladed weapon or tool from the Philippines, variously described as both a sword and a battle axe. It has a distinctive long straight haft and a curving blade of various designs. It can range in size from and can be held with one or both hands, delivering a deep, meat cleaver-like cut.
It is found throughout the islands of the Philippines as an agricultural tool for cutting branches and thickets. Variants of the panabas used as combat weapons or ceremonial executioner's axes are more commonly associated with the ethnic groups of the southern Philippines, particularly with the Maranao and Maguindanao people.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Panabas” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.