New Rencong Meucannge comments and advice

[kai]

Hello Russel,

Looks like a good 19th century rencong.

I'm pretty sure that the break is old and got glued already.

As I would like the repair to be functional as well as aesthetic, perhaps I should incorporate a retaining pin of some kind to add strength

With the rather thin hilt part, this repair is not easy to do but you'll need a (metal) pin, indeed, and work very carefully.

However, before you start with the repair work, make sure to remove all old glue! The probably best way would be to have both surfaces touching a damp towel for several hours (possibly up to days) until the glue softens and gets whitish, then carefully clean off all glue with needles and forceps; afterwards let the horn dry slowly and let all pieces equilibrate for several days in a well-ventilated place with as little fluctuating humidity as possible.

Regards,
Kai