Another campilon

[VANDOO]

I ALWAYS WANTED A NARWHALE TUSK BUT GAVE UP SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND BOUGHT A REPLICA MADE OF CAST RESIN. IT LOOKS GOOD AT A DISTANCE BUT NEVER WILL GAIN A PATINA OR BE THE REAL MAGICAL THING BUT IS THE BEST I CAN DO IN THIS LIFE.
IT IS 57 INCHES LONG AND 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER AT THE BASE. I SUSPECT IT IS A LARGER SIZE AS THESE TUSKS GO BUT THERE ARE SOME LARGER ONES NO DOUBT. THIS WAS A REPLICA OF A REAL TUSK SO DOES GIVE SOME IDEA OF SIZE.
ONE THING THAT PUZZLES ME IS WHY WOULD ONE WANT TO REMOVE ALL THE RAISED SPIRAL TEXTURE OF THE NATURAL TUSK TO MAKE A SWORD HANDLE OR ANYTHING ELSE. THAT VERY UNIQUE SPIRAL TEXTURE IS WHAT SETS IT APART FROM ALL OTHER IVORY AND GIVES IT ITS BEAUTY.

A PICTURE OF A RARE NARWHALE SKULL WITH 2 TUSKS IT IS 8 FEET 11 INCHES LONG. THEY USUALLY ONLY HAVE ONE TUSK.

[DaveS]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

I ALWAYS WANTED A NARWHALE TUSK BUT GAVE UP SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND BOUGHT A REPLICA MADE OF CAST RESIN. IT LOOKS GOOD AT A DISTANCE BUT NEVER WILL GAIN A PATINA OR BE THE REAL MAGICAL THING BUT IS THE BEST I CAN DO IN THIS LIFE.
IT IS 57 INCHES LONG AND 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER AT THE BASE. I SUSPECT IT IS A LARGER SIZE AS THESE TUSKS GO BUT THERE ARE SOME LARGER ONES NO DOUBT. THIS WAS A REPLICA OF A REAL TUSK SO DOES GIVE SOME IDEA OF SIZE.
ONE THING THAT PUZZLES ME IS WHY WOULD ONE WANT TO REMOVE ALL THE RAISED SPIRAL TEXTURE OF THE NATURAL TUSK TO MAKE A SWORD HANDLE OR ANYTHING ELSE. THAT VERY UNIQUE SPIRAL TEXTURE IS WHAT SETS IT APART FROM ALL OTHER IVORY AND GIVES IT ITS BEAUTY.

A PICTURE OF A RARE NARWHALE SKULL WITH 2 TUSKS IT IS 8 FEET 11 INCHES LONG. THEY USUALLY ONLY HAVE ONE TUSK.

Barry: I've wondered that myself. It would seem to me that the spirals would give a natural non-slip surface. There is a dealer in Canada that sells narwal ivory as well as other kinds of related things........Dave.

[Battara]

I have resisted commenting until now. To me this hilt seems wrong on several levels to be contemporary with the blade:

1. Narwal ivory would be so difficult to get to the southern Philippines, even through trade.

2. The pin keeping the old Spanish coin in the pommel - usually there is no pommel cap on kampilans.

3. When one rarely sees this type of hilt shape, it is usually because the pommel has been broken so many times that the isn't much left.

4. Unless the cross guard is made of horn, ivory would not normally be used without also using other higher ranking materials in suite.

These are my thoughts on this piece. It all may be authentic, or at least the blade may be older, and yes trade went very far and anything is possible. I guess I have my reservations until proved or convinced otherwise.

[DaveS]

Originally Posted by Battara

I have resisted commenting until now. To me this hilt seems wrong on several levels to be contemporary with the blade:

1. Narwal ivory would be so difficult to get to the southern Philippines, even through trade.

2. The pin keeping the old Spanish coin in the pommel - usually there is no pommel cap on kampilans.

3. When one rarely sees this type of hilt shape, it is usually because the pommel has been broken so many times that the isn't much left.

4. Unless the cross guard is made of horn, ivory would not normally be used without also using other higher ranking materials in suite.

These are my thoughts on this piece. It all may be authentic, or at least the blade may be older, and yes trade went very far and anything is possible. I guess I have my reservations until proved or convinced otherwise.

Jose: I agree with you that this kind of ivory would be difficult to obtain in the Philippines but not impossible. My own thoughts are India. Many kinds of exotic materials were traded to India from northern lands going way back to Viking days. then traded to other places. As far as the pommel cap goes, yes, there is usually no caps on campilons handles, BUT....this is not a normal type of handle for this type of sword. This is no doubt this is a "put together" piece, but this is the way we got it. The question is where was it done, and who, and how long ago was it done. These are questions that I can't answer...........Dave.