Moro Kriss With Clamshell Pommel

[CharlesS]

I had heard of clamshell being used as a material for Moro sword pommels but knew they were rare and had never seen one till the Baltimore show. Erik Farrow picked it out immediately! The carved shell almost comes across as marble. This example has a pretty standard blade. The hilt is dressed with typical silver fittings decorated in Moro motifs. Oddly, woven copper wire has been incorporated and woven into the more typical black corded grip wrap.

I am wondering if perhaps clamshell was a poor man's ivory, even though it was likely harder to work with.