Pirah

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 (the talibong), 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]

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

Gallery

• 
  Yakan pirah (c. 1960s)
• 
  Various bolo from the Philippines. 10 is a pirah from the Yakan people, while 6 is a talibong (also known as pira) from Cebu, c. 1926

See also

• Filipino martial arts
• Bolo
• Kampilan
• Kalis
• Klewang
• Panabas