Sumatra sword , sikin parang

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by DaveF

Thanks, Maurice. I've a couple of swords with black horn hilts that haven't cracked. Maybe they're not as old, or do some types of horn crack more readily than others?

Most of the Achenese gliwangs I have seen had age cracks (some cracks larger and wider than others).
Probably, because of the heavy and thick blades, these types often have larger cracks than other Indonesion swords with horn hilts.
Some cracks are filled with some kind of substance (wax or other material in the same colour as the hilt), put in there by collectors or dealers to mask the crack.