I don't know what the word is, to refer to the braiding/plaiting/weaving on the hilt. This sort of work, as well as the split rattan weaving often found on the "warangka" (warangka, of course, is not the right word, but I use it in lieu of "scabbard" of Mandau is pretty impressive. Looking at the way it's done on the hilt shown in the photos, it appears to be a braid/plait of three sets of paired wires twisted together, or two sets of paired wires with a single wire, or a set of two paired wires braided with two single wires, or two paired wires braided with three single wires, wrapped around the hilt, then (to accomplish the linking of the salient "bands" along the axis/lengthwise along the hilt) part over/under, then resume braiding and part over/under the next horizontal "band". As can be seen in the photos, some unraveling has taken place; in some instances it can be hard to tell if certain wires have been broken, or if the original work incorporated dropping and/or picking up/adding strands of wire into the braid.
N.B: With apologies, I use the terms "braid", "plait", and "sennit" sometimes interchangeably, and in a way which may be less-than-precise, technically speaking. I hope the meaning I intended to convey can still be understood by the layman as well as the specialist. For myself, Philippine sandata are less-than-familiar ground. I've been told Warren Buffet once said, "Never buy anything you don't understand". With one possible exception, (because I suspect it's a re-worked piece originally manufactured in the U.S.) I've taken his advice to heart. Braiding, on the other hand, I have a little experience with.
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