[Spunjer]

got back from my first ever Timonium trip, and was rewarded with this 1st Republic piece that is so hard to find. a couple things attracted me to this particular piece:
one, the intricacy on how the handle was carved out of carabao horn. there are numerous silver pins accentuating the dark background, giving it a stunning contrast. there are two or three pins missing, but it's small enough to not distract the look. also, a silver strip is missing, but from the way it looks, it must have been gone for awhile, since the patina is pretty uniform throughout.
the second reason i got attracted to this is the blade. it appears that it was a reformed budiak, making it truly unique. it does have some rough spots towards the tip, but talking to a fellow forumite, he doesn't have a problem smoothing this out. can't wait to see the final outcome. another thing is, this piece is a beast! it's about the same size as a barung...
there were some other good stuff at Timonium, something i have been missing out all these years, lol. Met some new friends as well, which is a big plus!! for sure, there will be a next time!!!