Featured Help identify faux mystery material knife with art scene hand etched into blade

It’s very light and it’s see through when help up to a light there’s not hardware at all on it it’s just fitted together can anyone maybe tell me what material this is and maybe what it is

 

Hard to see from your photograph; a photograph against a plain background would be helpful. Looks like horn. And from the Philippines.

Debora

 

Along the lines of this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3746904582...Xoud6gEsdHiaM9cWmCFkTHHnWvpiBjIBoCz4MQAvD_BwE

Debora

 

I think it’s horn as well I’ll upload a new pic now

 

That’s definitely the material it looks identical thank u so much now to see if I can track down orgin

 

Got it thank u so much for your guys help ur post led me to this one it’s almost identical
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1650714255...ossNQcOSgW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

The horn isn't etched, it is carved. Etching is done by applying acid.
So a hand carved buffalo horn souvenir from the Philippines.

 

In the shape of a cutless.

Debora

 

or scimitar...

 

I thought it was cutlass? Although cutless sounds safer.

Given the origin, that is probably closer. A lot of Arab influence in the region.

 

Perhaps meant to be a tabak. (Like on the 1st Infantry Division's coat of arms.)

Debora

 

Is that a Tagalog word?

 

Yes, apparently. Here's an explanation of the 1st Infantry's nickname.

"The 1st Infantry Division, Philippine Army (1ID, PA). Colloquially referred to as the "Tabak" Division, named after one of the fighting blades of precolonial PH."

And here's a description of a tabak in the collection of the Imperial War Museum. (No photo.) Interestingly, they compare the shape to a scimitar.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...short sword).,Chief, British Far East Command.

Debora

 

This is better. Photo and description. (Hilt made of carabao horn, by way.)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Filipino_sword_luzon_tabak_overall.JPG

Debora

 

That could be the origin. There were always many Hadrami traders in the area, from southern Yemen. In Indonesia there are even old Arab (Hadrami) neighbourhoods.

Carabao or karbau (Indonesian) means buffalo.

 

Know that (re carabao.) But thanks. Was just confirming that horn associated Filipino swords.

Debora

 

With many sword hilts, also many scimitars. And keris, of course, also the Filippino kalis. So it is tradition and it relates to the introduced scimitars as well.