All About Pocket Knives

Would appreciate knowing all you can offer including worth about this Dagger. Believed to be from Philippines maybe late 1800's to mid 1900's It may be called Gunong, it is probably Moro. It is definetly sharp and the sheath can open your hand if you do not exercise caution. Interesting the way sheath has been joined together.
moss

Cool knife, moss. That is indeed a gunong. It's also called a punyal or punal (punal means "dagger" in Spanish). The gunong originated in Indonesia and over time versions of it spread throughout Southeast Asia. It's been used as both a utility knife and a fighting knife. Yours looks Filipino rather than Indonesian. Gunongs from the Philippines tend to have wider blades. The Filipino gunong is from Mindanao. Mindanao is the southern region of the Philippines and culturally has close ties to Indonesia. For example, the majority of Filipinos are Catholic, but Mindanao is predominantly Muslim like Indonesia (Islam was introduced in the 14th century). It could be Moro, but it could be from any number of tribes on Mindanao. The Maranao traditionally carried the knife more so than the other tribes.

Dating these knives can be quite difficult. Modern gunongs can look very similar to those made in the late 1800's. But those with more elaborate and high-quality decoration (e.g. ivory or bone over wood, extensive engraving and/or filigree) are likely to be older. Looking at your knife I'd lean more towards it being early 1900's, WWII or earlier.

As for value, most often I've seen knives similar to yours sell in the $40 to $70 range. But I've also seen them sell for as low as $20 or even around $100. It's a weird, relatively small market that depends on finding that one buyer who really wants the knife, so you're unlikely to get $100 for your knife. Usually gunongs costing $100 or more are mid-1800's or older with ivory handles and a lot of engraving and filigree (both on the knife and scabbard). These high-end gunongs are usually Indonesian rather than Filipino.

Thanks Dave:
You gave me the perfect info. I will be listing it in my store. I will set it at $60.00 with $5.00 shipping. Should you want it let me know.
moss