Bolo

A general-purpose curved utility knife, longer and heavier than a typical kitchen knife, used for a wide range of food-related and household tasks including butchering, splitting coconuts, and clearing vegetation.

Material & Construction

A broad, curved steel blade, generally thicker toward the tip for chopping power, fitted with a simple wood handle.

Traditional Uses

General heavy-duty kitchen and household cutting tasks, from butchering to splitting coconuts, functioning as an all-purpose tool rather than being kitchen-exclusive.

Modern Availability / Equivalents

A Western chef's cleaver or machete covers similar heavy-cutting functions; the bolo itself is also sold internationally as a general utility/survival knife.

Care & Maintenance

Hand-wash and dry promptly to prevent rust; sharpen on a coarse stone given its use for power over precision.