Another Afar gile

[Ian]

ML, you could be correct. Hard to say. What you have circled is a small hole in the hilt that is darker than the surrounding area. This looks like a fairly old and much used hilt, and I think it would take a careful direct inspection to know exactly what the hilt is made from. Maybe even a hot wire in a discreet area to see if it smelled like burning wood or hair.