The Montagnards, or Mountain People, were an indiginous tribe that lived in the mountains of Vietnam. Their allegiance was sought after by both, the Americans and the Vietcong during the Vietnam war.

The item featured here is a Montagnard crossbow. Items like these were actually used by the hunters of the tribe to get food. They were also sold to GI's as souvenirs. The sides of this example has very basic ornamentation. No string is found.

Vietnamese gear in general is currently being reproduced. It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this headgear. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of the collectible.