Borneo Parangs

[VANDOO]

THAT DOES COMPLICATE THINGS. THE ONLY THING I CAN SUGGEST THAT MIGHT GIVE YOU SOME LEADS AS TO WHERE YOUR DAD WENT WOULD BE TO LOOK AT HIS OLD FLIGHT RECORDS IF THEY ARE STILL AROUND. THERE MAY BE SOME INFORMATION THERE, LOOK FOR RECORDS FROM THE YEARS HE WAS MAKEING TRIPS TO LONGHOUSES AND VILLAGES IN DAYAK TERRITORY.THAT WILL GIVE YOU SOME IDEA AS TO LOCATIONS AND TRIBES WHO MIGHT HAVE MADE THEM. THAT WILL ALSO HELP PIN DOWN THE AGE TO NO MORE RECENT THAN THAT PERIOD AND PERHAPS OLDER. MOST WEAPONS USED FOR PRESENTATION ARE TOP QUALITY NEWER ONES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN USED OR OWNED.BUT OF COURSE THAT ISN'T ALWAYS TRUE AND HE MAY HAVE TAKEN SOME AS PARTIAL PAYMENT OR TRADE WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN A OLDER USED WEAPON CONSIDERED VALUABLE ENOUGH TO PAY BACK A DEBT OWED. IF YOUR FATHER CONSIDERED THEM AS A COLLECTION HE MAY HAVE WRITTEN SOMETHING DOWN SOMEWHERE ABOUT THEM BUT IF THEY WERE JUST GIFTS OR PAYMENT THERE PROBABLY IS NO RECORD.
I WOULD GUESS THAT WHEN HEADHUNTING WAS THE CUSTOM YOU USED YOUR MANDAU FOR WORK,WAR AND CEREMONY. SINCE THEN I SUSPECT THAT THEY WOULD USE A MORE ORNATE ONE FOR CEREMONYS AND A PLAIN ONE FOR CHOPPING PLANTS ECT. JUST AS THEY WEAR A FANCY COSTUME FOR IMPORTANT CEREMONYS AND REGULAR CLOTHES FOR WORK.GOOD LUCK