Oldschldude:
Very nice kampilan and congrats on finding such a good piece.
I just have one question. Are you sure this hilt is whalebone? Old wood that has dried out and been "weathered" can look very similar. I'm not seeing the porosity in the hilt material that I associate with whale bone, but I can see a longitudinal "grain" that makes me think this is perhaps wood. Also, the carving has remained very crisp for whale bone, which tends to crumble a bit with repeated handling. The cross guard appears to be wood. Whale bone would also be a rather fragile material on which to hang chain mail.
Just a few thoughts.
Ian.
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