Well Gustav, i do apologize if you are having trouble understanding my statement. If it seems at all "lengthy" to you that is perhaps because i was sure to add words like "probably" in order to be sure no one considered my statement to be in any way a statement of "fact". I expressed an informed opinion bases upon my experience with available evidence. As such i would hardly consider such an opinion as being "reckless". I am also uncertain about your own meaning when you use the term "light minded", but i can assure you that i did indeed think about my opinion before posting it.
If you read my sentence carefully you will note that i never implied that an old version of this material used as a hilt does not exist, only that it is very rare. In fact i stated that somebody would probably now post one. So now you have fulfilled my statement by providing us with that example. No, it would not be the habit, then or even now i would image, for someone to simply pick up any old trash and create a hilt from it. Obviously the person who created the Sumatran hilt of which you speak valued the material when they made that hilt. Why would't they as we know it can be beautiful, especially when worked. But valuing a material does not necessarily equate to a belief that the material holds talismanic properties, nor does beauty alone. Of course the possibility exists that for the maker it did, but from my perspective it would be more irresponsible to assume that without more supportive evidence. Talismanic meaning in these cases usually is supported by some sort of community or societal agreement of the powers and uses of any given material. So if we saw more examples of these hilts from the time period i might be more likely to suspect that there was talismanic intent in their usage.
I hope that what is now indeed a lengthy response to your confusion clears up what i had originally believed was a fair simple expression of opinion.
