Kalis
Broadsword version of a keris
- Type
- dagger
- Place of origin
- Philippines
A kalis (Baybayin: ᜃᜎᜒᜐ᜔; Jawi script: كاليس; Abecedario: cális) is a type of Philippine sword derived from the wider Southeast Asian, originally Javanese keris, better known as kris. It differs in that the Philippine kris or kalis tends to be a sword, not a dagger, and thus often called a "kris sword".
Like the keris, the kalis has a double-edged blade, which is commonly straight from the tip but wavy near the handle. Kalis exists in several variants, either with a fully straight or fully wavy blade.
While the dagger-sized kris or kalis also exists in the Philippines, "kris" by itself in Philippine English contexts usually connotes the sword instead of the dagger. The sword is much larger than the keris and has a straight or slightly curved hilt, making it a primarily heavy slashing weapon in contrast to the stabbing pistol grip of the keris.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q1338354 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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