Hi Fearn
2 things spring to mind: Yes, these are so much easier to make then greenstone. I've heard reports of maori taking years to carve a patu from greenstone.
Bearing this in mind, the alternative is wood. And whalebone probably compares quite well to most woods in terms of strength.
Also, I wonder if being so porous ensures the bone is less likely to break. I wonder if it provides a certain springiness or flexibility, and hence a certain structural strength. I suspect it might.
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