Thank you for your nice comments. I will get some pictures up of the scabbard, as soon as the lighting is fit. It's not a pretty sight, but at least we will have the carving up for future reference. It is indeed possible that the hilt once had pegs - if the transition from peg to hair was done careful enough, I guess it'd be impossible to tell so by now.
I've been through all the old Murut-related threads, both here and in the archives - this forum is a true treasury of knowledge!
When I got it, as I mentioned, everything was polished to a high shine. I took the blade through a series of sandpaper from grit 800 - 1000 and then steel wool. It then got a vinegar etch (my first time etching anything. wee!) and I finished off with more steel wool and a very light coating of WD40.
The hilt was gently cleaned with lukewarm water and cotton-sticks. I then gave it a drop of linseed-oil and a soft-tissue rubbing.
The hair was probably the most troublesome part to do: Most of it had tangled up into these sausage-like locks. Using a thin hardwood-pick and a lot of patience, I worked on it for 1½-2 hours a day over a week. Once untangled, I then gave it an application of dry-hair shampoo followed by a treatment of "damage-repair" conditioner and finally a coating of something called 'Moroccan Oil' - all btw, on the careful advice of my girlfriend.
The Moroccan oil, she explained is essentially just a coating of silicon that you leave in, making the hair feel softer and look more shiny. Plus my sword now now come with the most delightful smell of flowers!
This light restoration has really been an exciting process for me. Although no way near the magic we sometimes see, for instance, our friend Battara pull off, I feel it has been a journey full of learning. Just watching that pattern emerge during the etch made my jaw drop and I really feel I have done the sword right, in restoring it to it's full potential like this.
- Thank you for all your coments guys!
All the best, - Thor