Pirah

Pirah
Yakan pirah with scabbard
Type	Knife or sword
Place of origin	Philippines
Service history
Used by	Yakan people, other peoples in Mindanao and the Visayas
Specifications
Blade type	Single-edged, convex blade
Hilt type	hardwood, carabao horn
Scabbard/sheath	hardwood, carabao horn

Pirah or pira is a type of Philippine bolo sword or knife characterized by a heavy blade and a wide tip. It superficially resembles a falchion but is much heavier. It is the traditional weapon favored by the Yakan people of Basilan Island. It usually features a kakatua ("cockatoo") hilt, which among the Yakan is distinctively elongated to function as arm support. Among Cebuano people and other Visayans, a similar sword is also known as the pira, but differs in that it has an acutely pointed tip. Like other bolos, pirah were commonly used as farm implements, in addition to being used in combat.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Gallery[]

Yakan pirah (c. 1960s)
Various bolo from the Philippines. 6 and 10 are pirah, from the Cebuano and Yakan people, respectively.

References[]

^ Lawrence, Marc (2009). "Filipino Weapons from A to Z" (PDF). Filipino Martial Arts Digest. Stephen K. Dowd.
^ "Pira Cotabato". Traditional Filipino Weapons. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
^ Zerrudo, Maria Rosalie (2 November 2013). "Alchemy of fire and metal: The blade-making of Southeast Asian roots". SunStar Philippines. Retrieved 17 July 2019.

v t Filipino weapons
Edged weapons	Balarao Balasiong Balisong knife Balisword Bangkung Banyal Barong Batangas Bicuco (Binangon) Bolo Dahong palay Gunong Gayang Gulok Kalis Kampilan Karambit Klewang Lahot Laring Panabas Parang Pinutí Pirah Punyal (Gunong) (Tenegre) Sundang Susuwat Tagan (Sawfish rostrum) Talibon Utak
Impact weapons	Baston (cane) Bugsay (Karay-a) Pingga Tabak-toyok Tungkod
Shields	Kalasag Taming
Flexible	Buntot Pagi Cadena Latigo
Pole or spear weapons	Sibat (Bangkaw, Budiak) Bagakay
Projectile	Pana/Busog (Bow and arrow) Sumpit (Blowgun) Saltik/Paltik (Slingshot)
Firearms	Astinggal Cetbang Lantaka Lela Filipino Marine Scout Sniper Rifle Floro PDW Model 45A Paltik PVAR rifle Special Operations Assault Rifle GA Personal Defense Weapon Sumpak
Associated martial arts	Arnis/Kali/Eskrima Kuntao Silat Sikaran Suntukan Yaw-Yan

Sword types and classifications by region and historical era

Swordsmanship
Thrusting swords (Edgeless)
Curved swords (Single-edge)
Straight swords (Double-edge)

Europe

Prehistory	Bronze Age sword Khopesh
Ancient period	Iron Age sword Harpe Gladius Xiphos Kopis/Falcata Makhaira Spatha Sica Rhomphaia Falx
Post-classical period	Migration Period sword Viking sword Arming sword Longsword Claymore Falchion Shashka
Early modern period	Zweihänder Spada da lato Katzbalger Cinquedea Estoc Side-sword Espada ropera Swiss degen Colhona
Late modern period	Rapier Sabre Cutlass Basket-hilted sword Small sword Hunting sword Pistol sword Spadroon Sword bayonet

China

Ancient	Jian Dao
Medieval	Dadao Hook sword Zhanmadao
Ming – Qing	Liuyedao Wodao Changdao Yanmaodao
Modern	Miaodao

Korea

Bronze Age – Gojoseon	Liaoning bronze dagger
Iron Age – Three Kingdom Era	Hwandudaedo
Goryeo and Joseon era	Bonguk geom

Japan

Yayoi – Nara periods	Chokutō Tsurugi
Heian – Kamakura periods	Tachi Ōdachi Kodachi Nagamaki Tantō
Muromachi – Edo periods	Wakizashi Katana
Meiji period and beyond	Guntō Iaitō Ninjatō Shikomizue

India

Ancient	Khanda Urumi Aruval
Medieval and modern	Firangi Kastane Talwar Pulwar Kayamkulam vaal Pata

Western and
Central Asia

Arab sword

Scimitar type	Turko-Mongol Sabre Kilij Shamshir Saif Yatagan Mameluke sword

Indonesia

Early period	Mandau Niabor Parang Balato Gari Surik
Late period	Keris bahari Klewang Sundang Langgai Tinggang Parang Nabur Sikin Panjang

Philippines

Classical	Balasiong Bangkung Banyal Barong Batangas Bicuco (Binangon) Bolo Dahong palay Gayang Gulok Kampilan Kalis Karambit Lahot Laring Panabas Parang Pirah Pinuti Sundang Susuwat Talibon Utak
Spanish colonization	Balisword

Mainland
Southeast Asia

Classic stage	Dha
Post-Classic stage	Krabi–krabong
Cambodia	Preah Khan Reach
Thailand	Phra Saeng Khan Chai Si

Mesoamerica

Pre-Columbian era	Macuahuitl Macana

Africa

Ancient Egypt	Khopesh Acinaces
Mainland	Ida Kaskara Nimcha Flyssa Shotel Billao Takoba

v t Knives and daggers
List of daggers List of blade materials
Kitchen and table knives	Boning Bread knife Butcher knife Butter knife Cheese knife Chef's knife Cleaver Electric knife Fillet knife Grapefruit knife Lame Mezzaluna Parmesan knife Pizza cutter Splayd Steak knife Tomato knife Japanese kitchen knives Deba bōchō Maguro bōchō Nakiri bōchō Santoku Sashimi bōchō Udon kiri Unagisaki hōchō Usuba bōchō Yanagi ba
Other knives	Aircrew Survival Egress Knife Athame Balisong/Butterfly Ballistic Ballpoint pen knife Bayonet Boline Bolo Boot knife Bowie Cane knife Ceramic knife Clip point Combat knife Commander Corvo CQC-6 Deba bōchō Diving knife Drop point Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife Gerber Mark II Ginsu Golok Gravity knife Guna Hacking knife Higonokami Hunting knife Jacob's ladder Karambit Kard Kirpan Kitchen knife Kukri Laguiole knife Machete Mandau Marking knife Misericorde Mora knife Multi-tool Navaja Neck knife Nontron knife Opinel knife Palette knife Pantographic knife Parang Penknife Penny knife Pirah Pocketknife Phurba Putty knife Puukko Rampuri Resolza Sabatier Sami knife SARK Scalpel Seax Sgian dubh Sharpfinger Sheath knife Shiv Sliding knife Smatchet SOG Knife Straight razor Strider SMF Survival knife Swiss Army knife Switchblade Taping knife Throwing knife Trench knife Tumi Ulu Utility knife Warrior knife Wedung X-Acto Yatagan
Daggers	Anelace Applegate–Fairbairn fighting knife Arkansas toothpick BC-41 Bagh nakh Balarao Baselard Bichuwa Bollock dagger Cinquedea Dirk Ear dagger Emeici Facón French Nail Gunong Hunting dagger Janbiya Jile Kabutowari Kaiken Kalis Katar Khanjali Khanjar Kris Kunai Marine Raider Mark I trench knife Parrying dagger Poignard Push dagger Rondel dagger Seme Shobo Sica Stiletto Tantō V-42 Yarará Parachute Knife Yoroi-dōshi
Manufacturers	Aitor Knife Company Al Mar Knives American Tomahawk Company Aritsugu Benchmade Böker Buck Knives Camillus Cutlery Company Cattaraugus Cutlery Company Chris Reeve Knives CHROMA Cnife Clauss Cutlery Company Cold Steel Columbia River Knife & Tool Cuisinart Cutco Dalian Hanwei Metal Dexter-Russell DOVO Solingen Due Ancore Ek Commando Knife Co. EKA Emerson Knives F. Dick Fällkniven FAMAE Fiskars Gerber Legendary Blades Füritechnics Glock Ges.m.b.H. Imperial Schrade Ka-Bar Kershaw Knives KitchenAid Korin Japanese Trading Company Kyocera Leatherman Mad Dog Knives Marble Arms Medford Knife and Tool Microtech Knives Morseth Muela Murphy Knives Olfa Ontario Knife Company Opinel Randall Made Knives Rösle Sabatier Shun Cutlery Slice, Inc. SOG Specialty Knives Spyderco STI Knives Strider Knives Thiers Issard TOPS Knives Tramontina Victorinox W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. Carl Walther GmbH Wenger Western Knife Company Wilkinson Sword Wüsthof Yoshida Metal Industry Global Zero Tolerance Knives Zwilling J. A. Henckels
Knifemakers	Rex Applegate James Black Blackie Collins John Nelson Cooper Ernest Emerson Jerry Fisk Bill Harsey Jr. Phill Hartsfield Gil Hibben Jimmy Lile Bob Loveless William F. Moran Ken Onion Ralph Osterhout Bo Randall Chris Reeve A. G. Russell Jody Samson William Scagel Mike Snody Robert Terzuola Michael Walker Buster Warenski Daniel Winkler
Associations	American Bladesmith Society Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association Knifemakers' Guild
Category:Knives / Daggers

This article relating to knives is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

This article relating to swords is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

This Philippine history-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

Pirah

Gallery[]

See also[]

References[]