I had no idea that ivory is rarely used to make a handle for a mandau. Although the material is available locally, culturally it is apparently not the custom to use it.
Have shown the mandau to a friend who is more familiar with it. He confirmed my suspicion that the scabbards were fairly recent, but the swords seemed older. The quality of the carving is good and the small utility knife has a good patina. He also found that the talismanic figure is of good quality and age.
As in many cultures, the things most exposed to wear and tear are replaced regularly, perhaps with these mandau's the case.
The blade of the mandau with the ivory handle is laminated, not visible in the photo but in the right light and at a certain angle it is slightly visible. I assume the damage to the blade is from use. The flaws present in the steel created during the fabrication process may have been visible but still found good enough to make it a weapon.
Regards
Marc
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