Ethiopian 19th century Gurade

roanoa · 3rd February 2015, 01:13 AM

It's a SAD story. A while back I spotted two gorade with blades of a pattern that I do not have in my collection. GREAT swords. I was too late in contacting the dealer. The swords had already left for China. My request about the possibility of buying back JUST THE BLADES fell on deaf ears. It was obvious that the swords were sold at a very high price only because of the handles, which were, OF COURSE, made out of rhino horns. So, what is happening is that the GOOD QUALITY swords will continue to be butchered and lost to the collectors' world. Or come back as those horrible trinkets/tourist souvenirs abortions from Yemen. And YES, we all know that the powdered horn will NOT work.............

BANDOOK · 3rd February 2015, 06:49 AM

YES AND SO WILL THE YEMENI JAMBAYAS AND KHANJARS FROM OMAN WHICH HAVE RHINO HILT WILL ALSO DISSAPEAR COZ OF THESE GUYS

Rick · 3rd February 2015, 03:20 PM

That is a damned expensive placebo .

roanoa · 3rd February 2015, 09:25 PM

One of the sad parts of this absurd saga is that now MUSEUMS are being targeted by thieves who break in and steal the stuffed heads of rhinos!!!!!! Or chop the horns off the full size mounts. Next will be the zoo.

Rick · 3rd February 2015, 10:02 PM

What kind of money does this stuff bring ?

VANDOO · 4th February 2015, 12:12 AM

THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME. I WAS IN DJBOUTI SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND SAW 100 OR MORE OF THESE SWORDS ALL WITH REPLACED HANDLES MADE OF SEVERAL PIECES OF HORN OR WOOD. THE REPLACEMENTS WERE OLD AND SHOWED GOOD PATINA AND WEAR AND SOME HAD THE BETTER IMPORTED BLADES THAT NO DOUBT HAD RHINO HILTS AT SOME TIME. THE SILVER POMMELS WERE MISSING TOO. I SUSPECT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE NATIVE MADE SWORDS NEVER HAD RHINO HILTS OR SILVER POMMEL CAPS BUT MOST THAT DID LOST THEM LONG AGO. UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BUY THE REMAINING SWORDS AND DESTROY THEM TODAY.
MOST LIKELY THE LEGENDS OF THE UNICORN GO BACK TO PREHISTORIC TIMES IT IS UNFORTUNATE THEY PERSIST TODAY AND ENDANGER THE SURVIVAL OF A UNIQUE AND INTERESTING ANIMAL. NO DOUBT A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF RHINO HORN MIXED IN WITH THE GROUND DUST OF ALMOST ANYTHING SERVES AS THE MEDICINE SOLD TO ALL BUT THE RICHEST CUSTOMERS. IT IS A VERY LONG RUNNING CON AND THOUGH NOT AS DESTRUCTIVE TO PEOPLE AS DRUGS IT DESTROYS RHINOS AND ARTEFACTS INDESCRINIMATELY.

Dimasalang · 5th February 2015, 10:05 PM

I recently watched a documentary on rhino poaching and where these horns were ending up. They are mostly going to Asia, many Asians believe it does sever as a super medicine. Oddly enough they mentioned many of the horns ended up in Vietnam, as many Vietnamese and Chinese living there believe in its powers more than in other areas. While Vietnam is a poor country, the rich and powerful elite were the ones buying it. Many believe it restored their vitality; so to these old folks they swear by it as being the fountain of youth. One individual who resided in Vietnam showed he was dying of cancer, but the rhino horn reduced the cancer to the point he now goes about his daily life with no issues. He showed his stash, and it was only a small chunk, about the size of a small medicine bottle, which he says he paid about US$5000 for it. He also showed how they prepared it, only scraping off little shreds and putting it in tea to drink, the strength they say lasted several days. So a small amount will last a very long time.

Just to add, South-East Asia do still have Rhinos. In Vietnam they are completely wiped out and extinct. They are different compared to the African rhino in that they only have one horn which is also very short and stubby. So it is not like the rhino was a completely foreign animal to Asians.

kronckew · 5th February 2015, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

What kind of money does this stuff bring ?

in 2013: pprox. prices to nearest dollar

rhino horn:..USD 2800 per gram
gold:...........USD 53 per gram

it has fallen a bit since.

spiral · 6th February 2015, 08:55 AM

[IMG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

in 2013: pprox. prices to nearest dollar

rhino horn:..USD 2800 per gram
gold:...........USD 53 per gram

it has fallen a bit since.

According to all the undercover purchases & siezures by Rhino horn charitys , its More like $10 to £15 a gram in Europe, $50 to $60 in Vietnam & China, up to $100 a gram for Asiatic rhino, as end user price. Evry trader makes a big mark up.

If it was $2800 a gram there would be not one rhino left in the world, nor jambiya or Gurade with a rhino grip.

In China its used as a fever cure.

Some desperate people in Vietnam with cancer believe it might cure them... it doesn't.

Many newly rich in Vietnam take it along with cocaine & Viagra to party. Those types also say it helps hangovers.

Either way there better drugs for everything, Rhino does reduce fever slightly, {like asprin.}

But soon there will be no rhinos, in the last 5 years over 50 museums around the world have been robbed of rhino horns by an Irish gang called the Rathkeale rovers.

In India, rhino already have been killed in zoos. In England a plot to do the same was thwarted.

In Africa they will at current rate be extinct within a couple of decades.

If the price goes up even faster...

Gurade have been striped since at least the 1970s by Yeminis to make jambiya, the always sold the off cuts to the Chinese.

All this is well recorded.

spiral

3rd February 2015, 01:13 AM	#1
roanoa Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 241	It's a SAD story. A while back I spotted two gorade with blades of a pattern that I do not have in my collection. GREAT swords. I was too late in contacting the dealer. The swords had already left for China. My request about the possibility of buying back JUST THE BLADES fell on deaf ears. It was obvious that the swords were sold at a very high price only because of the handles, which were, OF COURSE, made out of rhino horns. So, what is happening is that the GOOD QUALITY swords will continue to be butchered and lost to the collectors' world. Or come back as those horrible trinkets/tourist souvenirs abortions from Yemen. And YES, we all know that the powdered horn will NOT work.............

3rd February 2015, 06:49 AM	#2
BANDOOK Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: AUCKLAND,NEW ZEALAND Posts: 624	YES AND SO WILL THE YEMENI JAMBAYAS AND KHANJARS FROM OMAN WHICH HAVE RHINO HILT WILL ALSO DISSAPEAR COZ OF THESE GUYS

3rd February 2015, 03:20 PM	#3
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	That is a damned expensive placebo .

3rd February 2015, 09:25 PM	#4
roanoa Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 241	One of the sad parts of this absurd saga is that now MUSEUMS are being targeted by thieves who break in and steal the stuffed heads of rhinos!!!!!! Or chop the horns off the full size mounts. Next will be the zoo.

3rd February 2015, 10:02 PM	#5
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	What kind of money does this stuff bring ?

4th February 2015, 12:12 AM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME. I WAS IN DJBOUTI SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND SAW 100 OR MORE OF THESE SWORDS ALL WITH REPLACED HANDLES MADE OF SEVERAL PIECES OF HORN OR WOOD. THE REPLACEMENTS WERE OLD AND SHOWED GOOD PATINA AND WEAR AND SOME HAD THE BETTER IMPORTED BLADES THAT NO DOUBT HAD RHINO HILTS AT SOME TIME. THE SILVER POMMELS WERE MISSING TOO. I SUSPECT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE NATIVE MADE SWORDS NEVER HAD RHINO HILTS OR SILVER POMMEL CAPS BUT MOST THAT DID LOST THEM LONG AGO. UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BUY THE REMAINING SWORDS AND DESTROY THEM TODAY. MOST LIKELY THE LEGENDS OF THE UNICORN GO BACK TO PREHISTORIC TIMES IT IS UNFORTUNATE THEY PERSIST TODAY AND ENDANGER THE SURVIVAL OF A UNIQUE AND INTERESTING ANIMAL. NO DOUBT A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF RHINO HORN MIXED IN WITH THE GROUND DUST OF ALMOST ANYTHING SERVES AS THE MEDICINE SOLD TO ALL BUT THE RICHEST CUSTOMERS. IT IS A VERY LONG RUNNING CON AND THOUGH NOT AS DESTRUCTIVE TO PEOPLE AS DRUGS IT DESTROYS RHINOS AND ARTEFACTS INDESCRINIMATELY.

5th February 2015, 10:05 PM	#7
Dimasalang Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 264	I recently watched a documentary on rhino poaching and where these horns were ending up. They are mostly going to Asia, many Asians believe it does sever as a super medicine. Oddly enough they mentioned many of the horns ended up in Vietnam, as many Vietnamese and Chinese living there believe in its powers more than in other areas. While Vietnam is a poor country, the rich and powerful elite were the ones buying it. Many believe it restored their vitality; so to these old folks they swear by it as being the fountain of youth. One individual who resided in Vietnam showed he was dying of cancer, but the rhino horn reduced the cancer to the point he now goes about his daily life with no issues. He showed his stash, and it was only a small chunk, about the size of a small medicine bottle, which he says he paid about US$5000 for it. He also showed how they prepared it, only scraping off little shreds and putting it in tea to drink, the strength they say lasted several days. So a small amount will last a very long time. Just to add, South-East Asia do still have Rhinos. In Vietnam they are completely wiped out and extinct. They are different compared to the African rhino in that they only have one horn which is also very short and stubby. So it is not like the rhino was a completely foreign animal to Asians.