Unusual Lumad Sword

[zamboanga]

Just sharing this quite unusual sword. The owner says it is a lumad sword.
Made of brass with MOP on the handle and scabbard. blade length is about 15" and is very thick (a tad under 1/2"). it is quite heavy too, almost a kilo in weight without the scabbard. Of course, being made of brass the edge is not that sharp.

[tom hyle]

cuprous daggers from PI seem to turn up from time to time. There is a native tradition that copper is poisonous (which I hear has some, though I'm not sure how much, basis in fact), which may have some bearing. Is that a "scale" type handle?

[Justin]

Tom:

I think Ive also heard that copper is poisonous but copper ore often times contains quite a bit of arsenic.

[tom hyle]

Yeah, I think the speculation I've heard has run in that direction, too. That's how they know the "Ice Man" was a copper-worker; he also contained some arsenic :cool:

[Battara]

What is also not healthy is the oxide that develops when copper is exposed, that green-blue stuff. Thus the tinning of copper pots and cups.

[BSMStar]

You are quite right Battara....

Metallic copper is not toxic, but the oxides or salts of copper are (just like lead). I would not suck on a real old penny. :D I would not think there would be enough arsenic left in metallic copper after smelting to be a problem... more likely it would have to be added to the surface of the copper, to be toxic. But who would want to handle a sword like that?

Well you see Officer, my wife was sharpening my sword when... :rolleyes: