Hello Thomas,
Quote:
Blade length 44 cm , total 59 cm , thickness starts at 7 mm , around 5 mm at half of the length. The scabbard shows a complete metalwork. I think that was a lot of handwork but from my opinion it looks not as a real good craftmanship. But this is just a feeling. The grip looks not well used. The bladeis looking older, but I ´ m not sure if it is just deeply etched to give the look of an old blade. The black core seems to be hard steel with softer outer layers.
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This may originate from Sulawesi Selantan (Bone, Gowa, etc.) or expat communities like on Sumbawa.
The silverwork may not be top notch but certainly looks decent enough from the pics; age is tough to ascertain but I'd guess at least vintage to early 20th century. The hilt is certainly not Sumba style - I'd posit this is original to the blade and probably scabbard; looks like hardwood of decent quality, too.
The blade seems to have been stained in Java - too much surface corrosion for Bugis taste and maybe a bit too dark AFAIK. I don't see the high-carbon steel at the back of the blade which would hint at an inserted edge construction - can you verify?
I believe this qualifies as an alamang/alameng, at least in contemporary Bugis parlor - seems to be denoting swords with slender blades in general...
Regards,
Kai