I just finished examining Justin's piece in person, along with his Bagobo sword, and I'd have to say he did VERY well this tiome around.
The mandau blade is VERY solid, well aged and has probably half-again to twice the weight of my contemporary
sword and looks to be a true old warrior.
I love the rounded blade as opposed to the more common flat profile as it appears to give it an extreme advantage in strength.
Likewise, it has a very smooth feel to it that I suspect may conceal a very nice pattern underneath that's currently impossible to detect...the patina is extremely blackened as in VERY old good blades, IMHO 100% natural.
The one I have is very similar to Tim's and probably purely work oriented, although with the dramatic events in Borneo a few years ago, that's never a certainty.
Mike
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