Hello Bill,
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Bugis used blowguns with poisoned darts until firearms. They practised definitive warfare, always removing the head.
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Ok, let's assume this really is a major difference although I'm not sure you're comparing both ethnic groups at the same period. (AFAIK, most folks throughout the archipelago tend to make sure that their enemies won't get back to them later on. While there are certainly several options to accomplish this, beheading is a pretty sure way... ;o)
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As experianced tool makers it seems logical they would develop a blade that would dispatch & behead.
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Well, in warfare you often don't have time nor do you wan't to take unneccessary risks. I'd assume that the Dyaks would have copied any superior tool for removing heads since they really prized the heads. And a spear is much safer for poking seemingly dead bodies.
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I've posted a blade in the past where one of the one curve shows continuous use.
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Yes, I remember your kris but I have to admit that the visible signs of use didn't convinced me that they resulted from taking heads...
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How did the Bugis finish off a man dazed by a poison dart and remove their head? I've posted in the past a referance by early Portuguese that described the Burgis warrior as carrying a sword just for that task; although there is no description of the sword itself.
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Yeah, but where are the artifacts from early museum collections? It's not that the European exploiters never met the Bugis up close and personal...
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I have a feeling that Bill M's sword is older then you think. One needs to concentrate on the blade & disregard the fittings and scabbard.
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Sure, I am focusing on the blade. It would be important to know how long it has been kept in western collections since this heavily influences preservation of the blade.
If coming out of Indonesia during the last 60 years, this pamor blade would be very well preserved if it's a 19th century piece (which I'd guess - maybe 1850 +/- 100 years).
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It would be interesting to know what type of tang it has.
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Yes, yes, yes!
Bill (M), any chance that you let Jose craft a nice clamp for this beauty and let him have a peek at the tang while he's at it?
Regards,
Kai