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Old 5th March 2015, 04:26 PM   #4
VANDOO
(deceased)
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: OKLAHOMA, USA
Posts: 3,138
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IT LOOKS LIKE A GOOD OLD ONE TO ME I WOULD GUESS IBAN BUT THEN I AM FAR FROM AN EXPERT. THE HANDLE IS DRIED OUT AND PERHAPS SUN BLEACHED FROM A LONG PERIOD OF STORAGE. BONE AND ANTLER BOTH OXIDIZE AND FORM A WHITE CHALKY COAT LIKE YOUR EXAMPLE'S HANDLE APPEARS TO HAVE. IT SHOULD CLEAN UP NICELY WITH JUST A LIGHT CLEANING AND OILING OR WAXING UP. THE BLADE , HANDLE AND SCABBARD MAY HAVE BEEN REPLACED OVER THE LIFE OF THE MANDAU OR ALL ORIGINAL. ON THIS PARTICULAR SWORD I WOULD GUESS ALL THE WORK WAS DONE BY THE DAYAK OWNER AND NOT JUST FIXED UP TO SELL. I LIKE THESE OLD ORIGINAL ITEMS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN TAMPERED WITH OUTSIDE OF THE CULTURE THAT CREATED THEM.
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