Introducing...

[BluErf]

Originally Posted by David

i'm pretty sure they stain it to give it a look of aged ivory.

Yes, and that too... Haha But I have heard that at least in Sumatra and N Malay peninsula, some hilts were traditionally stained when newly made, to impart the desired colour. For e.g. tajong hilts may be stained black to look more aggressive, Sumatran ivory hilts may be stained dark brown, possibly for aesthetic reasons, and some of these hilts have lost their dark stain over time.