Tumbuk lada with Malayan rhino horn handle?

[Sajen]

I also doubt that it's Rhino horn!

[kai]

Hello Nik,

Extremely unlikely from mere statistics alone. (Search this forum for identifying features - not visible from these pics though.)

BTW, I suspect the "carving" of the pommel is from rats gnawing away on it...

Regards,
Kai

[Green]

Now that I have this item in hand, I'll putting up a few close up pics of the handle and part of the sheath. A rather unusual thing for me is the coloration of the handle, it is not black or translucent as in albino bufallo horn but brownish in parts and with lines/striations and pittings(?) in some places. It look almost like a skin rather than horn.

Can anyone comment what it actually is?... buffalo horn?

[David]

I'm not sure what kind of horn this is. It doesn't really look like rhino, but then your photos don't really reveal very much. I can't see the structure of the horn. On close examination though you should be able to see a tubular structure with a dot in the center if it is rhino .

[Sajen]

It look like water buffalo horn, very worn and get wet once over some time. Still a nice sewar or when you want tumbok lada!

Regards,
Detlef

[Green]

Thanks for the confirmation/opinion Detlef!

[mariusgmioc]

In my opinion this is a Sewar, not a Tumbuk-lada. Tumbuk-lada have a significantly thicker hilt with a flater pommel.

I think it might be rhino. Rhino horn was fairly frequently used for sewars. I have at least one if not two rather muddane sewars with rhino horn hilt and top part of the scabbard.

Rhino horn under magnification has a fibrous structure as it is practically compacted hair.