Moro Budiak with a bit of baling wire

[Lee]

The budiak that retains its pole weighs just under 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs) and in the hand, the weight feels very much up towards the spearhead. So, it would indeed be most throw-able, but that bit of baling wire suggests to me an intended use as a lance, as a user throwing it at an adversary who could throw it back should prefer it come apart after his (first) toss. Krieger mentions that some warriors would carry two spears - one to throw and the other for final hand-to-hand; he also suggests arms for the hunt were usually simple in embellishment compared with weapons for combat and ceremony.

I had left the budiak-head with the tag on a shelf, rather than properly putting it away. From this angle I then saw the tang in a different light and it suddenly struck me that the tang was corroded much like the tang of a Japanese sword. The tag tells us that it was without a pole in 1907 and the exposed, polished surface has remained in good condition in the century since it was presented. So that brings up the question of just how old are these spearheads of this design...