NO DOUBT THE FORM CHANGED FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY AND THE QUALITY AND DIFFERENT USES VARIED AS WELL. THE LONG CURVED HANDLE AND SHAPE OF BLADE ALOWS FOR USING PLENTY OF PRESSURE AS WELL AS HAVING SMOOTH STABLE CONTROL SO DELICATE WORK CAN BE DONE. I WOULD CERTIANLY CONSIDER SHAVEING ONES SELF OR SOMEONE IMPORTANT A DELICATE OPERATION AS IN THE LATTER YOUR LIFE MIGHT DEPEND ON A GOOD JOB.
I COULD SEE YOUR EXAMPLE ONLY BEING USED PERHAPS TO SHAVE A HEAD OF AN IMPORTANT PERSON AND PERHAPS IN DIFFERENT RITUALS DEFINITELY NOT A COMMON WORK KNIFE. LESS FANCY ONES MAY HAVE BEEN USED AS WORK KNIVES AS WELL AS FOR PERSONEL HYGENE OR IN SPECIAL RITUALS AS WELL.
ALL OF THSE KNIFES REMINDS ME OF THE SMALL SIDE KNIFE (PISAU RAUT) CARRIED IN THE BACK POUCHES OF SOME DAYAK WEAPONS. THESE KNIVES WERE USED TO CARVE WOOD AND WORK FIBER AS WELL AS TO GROOM THE OWNER, SHAVEING TRIMING HAIR OR FINGERNAILS ECT.
SO FAR WE HAVE SIMULAR KNIVES FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT COUNTRYS THE ONE IN STONES BEING FROM SIAM (THAILAND) IF USED ONLY IN RITUAL IT WOULD NO DOUBT BE USED IN BUDIST CEREMONY. NO DOUBT THERE WOULD BE DIFERENCES IN HINDU , MALAY, INDONESIAN AND OTHER CULTURES
UNFORTUNATELY THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY FOR CERTIAN ABOUT THE FIRST KNIFE IS COOL WELL MADE KNIFE AND PRETTY WOOD.
