A Mandaya dagger for comment
 

I was able to acquire this rare Mandaya dagger with a fault but have the hope that it will be possible to restore it.
Here the good pictures from the seller who thought that it is a Sudanese dagger, some thousend kilometer aside. ;) Enjoy and comment!

nice catch on that one, Detlef! I would almost bet that the accoutrement is made out of braided human hair. I saw an ilongot sword scabbard one time that has braided human hair as part of decoration. granted, those two tribes are not close, but it seems like this was not uncommon back in the old days. I reckon they are taking with them a part of their loved ones with them wherever they go? :shrug:
I have a moro spear that has human hair clippings tied close to the ferrule.
can't wait for you to repost this piece!

Hello Ron,

thank you for comment! :) Very good hint that the "belt" (?) could be from braided human hair. I wonder if there has been once silver bands at the hilt but can't see any clue like different patination. Aside from the broken crest and the drying crack is the dagger in a very good condition so I doubt there ever have been such bands.

Best regards,
Detlef

CONGRATULATIONS
I HAD PURSUED THIS SORT OF DAGGER FOR MANY YEARS BUT GAVE UP A FEW YEARS BACK. THEY ARE EVIDENTLY VERY SOUGHT AFTER. IT IS UNUSUAL FOR ONE TO BE THIS COMPLETE SCABBARD AND ALL. THERE IS AT LEAST ONE GOOD OLD POST ON THESE Ihttp://www.vikingsword.com/vb/images/misc/navbits_finallink.gifN THE FORUM ARCHIVES. :cool:
I USED TO BE ABLE TO ADD A LINK TO OLD POSTS BUT SEEM TO BE UNABLE TO ANY MORE. THE BEST POST I FOUND ON THESE WAS BY BILL M. ON 31ST JANUARY 2008 IT HAS TWO LINKS TO TWO OTHER RELEVANT POSTS AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY MANY OLDER POSTS HAVE LINKS TO PHOTOS THAT NO LONGER WORK SO NO PICTURES.

Congratulations! The silver ones are more for datus, but even the non-datu versions are hard to come by.

And then this one with that hair belt! NICE!. VERY NICE. And crazy rare! :eek:

Never seen Mandaya knife like this with a hair belt before. Thanks for posting for our records.

Hello Barry,
thank you for your kind words. :) I think you mean this thread: http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000548.html
An other informative thread is this one: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=mandaya

Regards,
Detlef

Hello Jose,
thank you as well. Like I've seen you have such a datu dagger in your collection, beautiful piece btw.
It seems that you like Ron also think that the belt is worked from braided human hair, hope that I can confirm it when I have it in my hands.

Regards,
Detlef

Yes let us know when you get it in hand.

I wouldn't rule out braided cord either...........

A superb piece, Detlef, congratulation! I'm looking since ages for such a dagger and asked some Filipino dealers, but I've got only cheap stuff offered. It will certainly be one one the highlights of your collection.
Regards Udo

Hi Detlef nice piece and congratulation.... To aquire a rare Mandaya dagger in a nice condition with a hair on it... Nice find.
:eek: like it

Hello Udo,

thank you very much for your kind words! :)

Regards,
Detlef

Thank you as well dark379. ;)

Regards,
Detlef

Have received the dagger. Unfortunately is the red stuff (feathers?) at the end of the tang missing. :( The belt material isn't from braided hair and very brittle and the wooden parts are very dry. In the back of the scabbard is attached a piece of a unknown palm leaf. The blade is still very sharp and pointy and I've cleaned it from rust. Inside scabbard is the dagger 31,5 cm long with a blade from 17,5 cm. Here some additional pictures.

It seems that the dagger has had once a silver band at least in the middle of the handle between the both rattan bands, there are two small holes where the band was attached.

Here a picture from the restored dagger. In my opinion Robert have done a great job. He have closed the both cracks in the wood, have given back the hilt the missing horn and attached the supposedly missing silver bands.

Very nice! And nice job Robert! Glad this is restored.

Oh yes on the question on feathers, not feathers but dyed rattan.

Dyed cotton, this is was Robert found when he opened the rope in up. So he attached new red dyed cotton there.

Regards,
Detlef

A EXCELLENT RESTORATION WHEN THE SILVER GETS A LITTLE PATINA IT WILL BE PERFECT. CLOSING THE CRACKS IN THE WOOD IS OFTEN THE MOST DIFFICULT. NICELY DONE. :D

Hi Detlef, is the Robert you refer to as the person who restored this our own Robert the forum member/moderator ?

Hi Rick,
yes it is our member Robert who has done this excellent job! :)

Way to go Robert !
I had no idea you were doing resto's .
Great job !

Jose, Detlef Vandoo and Rick, Thank you all for your kind words on the work I have done on the Mandaya dagger. I am very happy that it has met with your approval. I really enjoyed doing what I could to try to give it back some its former glory. Thank you all again and remember Detlef, if you ever get tired of looking at it I would love to add it to my own collection. :D

Best,
Robert

Want to post a picture of the restored dagger and reunification with the scabbard. ;) :D