Agreed. Always check worn areas, especially torn edges/etc. - very tough to fake with plastic leather.
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There are the following types of test for Rhino horn:
Bounce: Rhino horn will bounce and not break when dropped from shoulder height. However , be careful. If your handle is not rhino, the dagger might break so keep this for the end or just dont do it if you are not sure.
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To me, this sounds very much like "Kids, don't try this at home!"...
A fairly compact jambiya/khanjar hilt may survive some punishment (average shoulder height, floor material?) when structurally intact to begin with. Antique, weathered rhino horn is certainly not immune to cracking as can be seen in many extant hilts.
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Heat: Take a red hot pin and place it on the handle or if you can risk it, light a very tiny part of the horn. Burning rhino horn smells like burning hair.
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As do all other horn types as already noted by Barry.
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Cut: The fibrous structure is visible when the surface, which may be shiny, is cut away. Dont try this, unless you want to disect your handle.
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No need to damage a piece of history. Magnification is the key (experience and examples for comparing do help though).
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Light: Rhino horn displays luminescence when a torch is shone along its edge. Take the torch and place it close to the handle as i told you before.
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Not diagnostic as already covered in the post above.
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Magnify: Fibres are more easily visible on the surface under low magnification. THese fibres look like orange peel/ hair strands or as you said, "thin spaghetti".
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The microstructure of the hair strands of which rhino horn consists is the only suitable diagnostic feature to identify rhino horn; the orange peel look may be a first hint but can be mimicked by other (well-aged) horn types. For verification, we need to focus on the microstructure!
Regards,
Kai