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Originally Posted by spiral
O wow , dont know why i bother to post this, guess its just I like stuff like the truth & facts, rather than , imagination,supposition, old wives tales & fantasy. Close up photos particlarily of the end grain are neccasary to identify Rhino horn. 
So many collectors seem unable to tell the differance between unusualy coloured & fiberous buffalo or goat horn & rhino.  {Guess that makes a few dealers happy though.  }
And after allAny horn thats realy dry will grab a sweaty paw in a fiberous thirsty manner! 
If it rhino , Bukaran or some such, Its the differance between a $100 knife & a $1500 knife.
Good pics will tell the truth.
Spiral |
Preach it, Spiral my friend, you speak the truth!
Macro shots of the grain - preferably, although not necessarily, a trans-sectional shot - are needed in order to confirm rhinoceros as source species. It's hard to say from the pictures at hand, because the handle in question is both very dark and in very good condition.
In general, rhino horn doesn't tend to chip when damaged like bovine horn, but becomes more "thready" with age almost to the point of completely disintegrating on very old pieces.
Color alone is no indicator either. Rhino as well as bovine horn can both come in a wide pallette of colors and hues, from light honey, almost blonde, to pitch black.
*Trenchwarfare* If you could get some close-ups of the pesh hilt, I'd be happy to give you my opinion on the material.
All the best, - Thor