IT WOULD STAND TO REASON THAT SPEAR BLADES WOULD SOMETIMES BE GIVEN DECORATION, BECAUSE DECORATED SWORD BLADES ARE NOT RARE AND THE METAL WORKERS WERE VERY SKILLED. I IMAGINE THE REASON FOR MOST NOT HAVING ANY DECORATION IS BECAUSE OF COST, ONLY SOMEONE WITH THE WEALTH OR POWER WOULD HAVE THE EXTRA MONEY TO SPEND ON IT.
IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE SOCIETY WOULD NOT ALLOW A PERSON TO HAVE THE DECORATION OR TO ADD IT TO A BLADE UNLESS THEY HAD EARNED THE HONOR THRU SOME DEED OR HAD ATTAINED THE WEALTH AND POSITION TO QUALIFY.
OUTSIDERS DOING RESEARCH IN STRANGE SOCIETYS WHERE THEY DON'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OFTEN RELYING ON INTERPERTERS WHO HAVE NO SKILL OR TRAINING THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND THE FORIGNER THEY WORK FOR OR THE SOCIETYS THEY ARE STUDYING, UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES IT IS VERY EASY TO MAKE MISTAKES. FOR EXAMPLE A RESEARCHER ASKS INTERPRETER WHAT THE CHIEF CALLS HIS SWORD, THE CHIEF SAYS HE NAMED IT GEORGE, THE RESEARCHER WRITES HIS PAPER AND FOR MANY YEARS ALL FORIGNERS REFER TO ALL THE SWORDS FROM THE AREA AS GEORGE. THE LOCALS WONDER WHY ALL THE FORIGNERS ALWAYS CALL THIER PEDANG ILANGS GEORGE?
