some Paiwan swords
I am pleased to show the last Paiwan knife I purchased. The metal work on the sheath is different from the two others I own and I enjoy these different ways to represent the heads they valued as they were head-hunters. Most sheath are carved but some have the blade covered by a stamped foil of metal.
One of the important collectors in Taiwan told me that the width of the blade show the age of the knife. The thinest are the oldest; I don't know if it true. The sheath is an other indicator anyway, as the blade might be recycled for a new knife.
I have seen several times knives traded back from Japan having their blades shortened to forbid any use. It seems that there are still dangerous!
Last edited by varta; 28th October 2011 at 08:10 AM.
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