Kampilan
Type of sword
- Type
- rapier
- Place of origin
- Philippines, Indonesia
The kampilan (Baybayin: ᜃᜋ᜔ᜉᜒᜎᜈ᜔) is a type of single-edged sword, (also known as talong) traditionally used by various ethnic groups in the Philippine archipelago, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. It has a distinct profile, with the tapered blade being much broader and thinner at the point than at its base, sometimes with a protruding spikelet along the flat side of the tip. It is a long sword usually held in both hands. The design of the pommel varies between ethnic groups, but it usually depicts either a buaya (crocodile), a bakunawa (sea serpent), a kalaw (hornbill), or a kakatua (cockatoo)..
This weapon was featured in the American bladesmithing competition, Forged in Fire, in season 4 episode 16.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q1723372 (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.