Help with (Moro Kris?)

[tunggulametung]

Yanni, this is a very nice kris, there's something beyond words on this piece, I like it a lot. May I ask a question, is it stained? or the dark color comes from oiled surface rust? Why I ask is because it is likely the 'original' stain from the owner, and I'm still looking on how a Moro kris is ideally stained/look. As for restoration, I personally suggest rattan binding for the sheath and nothing further, it might be originally metal binding but rattan is easier to do with more guaranteed result/more natural look for the sheath at this condition. The pommel can be replaced but will change the overall look so must be taken with care before deciding (I also have a kris which loosing a pommel). My suggestion on this probably you don't want to fix it for sometime say 1-3 months after the pommel being carved and see if they really goes along well.

@ Battara: please enlighten me on how you identify the hilt wrapping as later and not original to this please? I might want to re-wrap a kris hilt in the near future and thought that I like how it is done on this piece but your comment disturb me somehow. Probably not traditional design?

Thanks