Bolo Knife
The Bolo Knife is a big cutting tool, kind of like a Machete, which is used mostly within the Philippine and Indonesian jungles. It is also used a lot in Cuba in the Sugar Cane fields. the Bolo is mostly used for clearing out excess vegetation. It is used for blazing trails and for agricultural tasks.
Bolo knives have also historically been used as Military Battle Weapons and were used extensively in the 1898 Philippine Revolution against the Spaniards, in the American War against the Philippines and also in the Commonwealth Period. Any average person could get their hand on a Bolo knife since it was first used for farming and agriculture before it made its way into combat. The Filipinos use the Bolo in their Filipino Martial Arts as well.
Bolos are made with a Hardwood Handle and a Full Tang. The Tang is the portion of the Sword Blade that extends into and most cases all the way through the grip it's fastened to. The Blade of the Bolo Sword is very curvy and usually widens the most at its tip. Because of this Blade Design, the center of gravity is pushed forward which gives this sword much-needed momentum so it can effectively chop vegetation.
The Combat Bolo Knife is called a Jungle Bolo. They are longer than the knife used for Agriculture and the tip is very thin so it will puncture through its target a lot easier. Also the term "To Bolo" was used by U.S. Troops and it meant to fail a test or exam. This term originated in World War II because Filipino Guerrillas who failed to prove marksmanship proficiency were given Jungle Bolo knives instead of firearms in order to preserve ammunition.