[QUOTE
Further, it would seem the most pertinent news that this scabbard is not crocodile, as appears in photos, but 'gutta percha' which is a latex type material produced from sap in Malaysian trees from 1850s+
As this is a faux crocodile hide scabbard, and clearly of Victorian context, why would we presume this item of flatware to be African?[/QUOTE]
As noted in previous posts, it is the hilt scales (not the scabbard), that are probably made from gutta-percha. The scabbard is made from crocodile skin.
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