Kyber Collection

[Rick]

Good for the 'wet work' .

[spiral]

O wow , dont know why i bother to post this, guess its just I like stuff like the truth & facts, rather than , imagination,supposition, old wives tales & fantasy. Close up photos particlarily of the end grain are neccasary to identify Rhino horn.

So many collectors seem unable to tell the differance between unusualy coloured & fiberous buffalo or goat horn & rhino. {Guess that makes a few dealers happy though. }

And after allAny horn thats realy dry will grab a sweaty paw in a fiberous thirsty manner!

If it rhino , Bukaran or some such, Its the differance between a $100 knife & a $1500 knife.

Good pics will tell the truth.

Spiral

[David R]

A nice collection, all in one go...so whatever the backstory, congrats. Re the whole Rhino horn thing, I do so wish there was a nice easy way of telling. I have a load of stuff that might or might not be, and one source says this, and another says that. IMHO if it ain't plastic , it's all good.

[Rick]

Try a forum search under rhino horn .
It's edifying .
Right to the 'point' in fact .
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ght=rhino+horn

[trenchwarfare]

Sorry spiral, there is no visible, photographable end grain. Not with the 16x magnification I have. There are a few small areas, that exhibit side grain like several known examples found here, and on line. Around the edges, there are some bug nips, and chips. The larger ones, have been filled with something. When touched with a hot pin, it smells like burning hair. So whatever it is, it's organic. The surface shows areas similar, to old cracked paint. I found a few photos on line, that were similar. Maybe, I can take it to the zoo, or college.

[A.alnakkas]

I'd say skip the hot needle test it only damages the item without any confirmation. You'll need a bright light and a good eye basically. The top should be something like the included picture.

[laEspadaAncha]

Originally Posted by trenchwarfare

Maybe, I can take it to the zoo, or college.

I'm picturing your trip to the zoo. With a large Khyber knife.

Not so sure this scenario ends with a validation of your horn grips though.

[T. Koch]

Originally Posted by spiral

O wow , dont know why i bother to post this, guess its just I like stuff like the truth & facts, rather than , imagination,supposition, old wives tales & fantasy. Close up photos particlarily of the end grain are neccasary to identify Rhino horn.

So many collectors seem unable to tell the differance between unusualy coloured & fiberous buffalo or goat horn & rhino. {Guess that makes a few dealers happy though. }

And after allAny horn thats realy dry will grab a sweaty paw in a fiberous thirsty manner!

If it rhino , Bukaran or some such, Its the differance between a $100 knife & a $1500 knife.

Good pics will tell the truth.

Spiral

Preach it, Spiral my friend, you speak the truth! Macro shots of the grain - preferably, although not necessarily, a trans-sectional shot - are needed in order to confirm rhinoceros as source species. It's hard to say from the pictures at hand, because the handle in question is both very dark and in very good condition. In general, rhino horn doesn't tend to chip when damaged like bovine horn, but becomes more "thready" with age almost to the point of completely disintegrating on very old pieces.

Color alone is no indicator either. Rhino as well as bovine horn can both come in a wide pallette of colors and hues, from light honey, almost blonde, to pitch black.

*Trenchwarfare* If you could get some close-ups of the pesh hilt, I'd be happy to give you my opinion on the material.


All the best, - Thor

[Rick]

........

And do these stick to a wet hand ?
Yes .

Does dry horn stick, or feel the same ?
No .

[Atlantia]

Come on Trench, how about those pictures?
The brown hilted Kyber for a start (the hilt itself)

Unless these are all relatively modern, some are likely be wootz. Probobly as is often the case poor crystaline, but wootz none the less.
You are unlikely to be able to tell unless you etch them.

[trenchwarfare]

Hi guys. Sorry it took so long to get back. With a 16x loop, and bright sunlight, I finally managed to find a small window of end grain. According to all images I have seen, the hilt of the black Pesh-kabz, is Rhino. There is also a small window of side grain, that looks right. Unable to take decent photos, with my limited equipment, and abilities. The blade does have a visible wootz pattern. Without etching, there is no visible wootz on any other blade. The brown handle on one of the military swords, is unfortunately, wood. But, I believe that it is the original hilt. What is the preferred etching medium? It seems everyone likes something different. And, what is the preferred technique.