OBSERVATIONS. THE SECTION OF ANTLER USED TO CARVE THE HANDLE WAS NOT THE PRIME PIECE WHICH IS USUALLY USED FOR DAYAK HANDLES. IT APPEARS TO BE FROM A SMALLER ANTLER PERHAPS A SPIKE SO THE LARGE FORK THAT IS USUALLY USED WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PRESENT ON THAT ANTLER SO THE BUTTON AND FIRST SMALL SPIKE WAS SELECTED FOR CARVING. THAT WOULD LIMIT WHAT COULD BE CARVED AND WOULD DETERMINE THE FINAL SHAPE THESE FACTS DON'T NECESSARILY POINT TO MODIFICATION OR FAKERY AS A SMALLER ANTLER WOULD BE USED IF BETTER ONES WERE NOT AVAILABLE OR THE BUYER WHO WANTED A HANDLE CARVED WAS LOW ON CASH.
THE BLADE IS DEFINITELY NOT ONE MANUFACTURED BY DAYAK AND WOULD NOT BE THE PREFERRED FORM OR STYLE USED BY THEM.
THE RED FLAG I SEE THAT MAKES ME AGREE THAT THIS MAY HAVE COME TOGETHER IN BALI IS THE USE OF DYED RAYSKIN THERE IS AN INDUSTRY OF THAT IN BALI AND QUITE A LOT OF WEAPONS ARE EITHER MADE OR FIND THEIR WAY TO BALI'S SHOPS. THE CARVERS COULD EASILY HAVE CARVED THE HANDLE AND IF THE PIECE OF ANTLER THAT IS STILL ROUGH IS SEPARATE FROM THE CARVED POMMEL OR IS PART OF THE SAME ANTLER BUT LEFT ROUGH THAT WOULD NOT BE A DAYAK CARVING TECKNIQUE OR AT LEAST I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE.
THIS DISCUSSION IS PRODUCTIVE IN THAT WE ALL WILL BE MORE ON GAURD AND AWARE SO WILL LOOK MUCH CLOSER AT SUCH ITEMS. STILL IT IS A NICE LOOKING ITEM AND WHO KNOWS SOME LOCAL IN SARAWAK/KUCHING MAY HAVE COBBLED IT TOGETHER BUT THE ODDS SEEM TO BE AGAINST IT UNLESS THEY IMPORTED SOME RAYSKIN FROM BALI.