[A. G. Maisey]

Thanks Rick, makes life a lot easier when I don't have to find the pics. Not always easy.

Barry, the fitting of a blade to a scabbard is not at all difficult, but it is time consuming. Mostly you need a lot of patience and sharp tools. To the two tools shown in the photos Rick posted, I'd add a couple of very sharp small knives --- I use pocket knives, about ten or twelve of them, sharpen them up before I start.

Firstly you place the blade on the outside of the scabbard and line up the curve of the gonjo top with the curve of the top of the scabbard, then you look at where the outside edge of the blade runs. If it is still within the bounds of the gandar sides, you've got something you can work with, if its not, you need to remove the top part (atasan) of the wrongko and proceed in a slightly different way to that which I shall now describe.

You put some light oil into a saucer, and smear it all over the blade with your finger, if the blade already goes part way into the hole, you only smear the oil where the blade ceases to enter the wrongko. The oil leaves a mark on the wood. You carefully remove this oil stained wood and repeat and repeat and repeat as many times as is necessary to get the blade to enter. When entry of the blade is stopped by the angle or width of the hole inside the gandar you use the segrek --- that rasp thing with backwards facing teeth --- to remove the necessary wood from inside. When the inside of the gandar no longer stops entry of the blade you go back to oil and cutting away little bits of stained wood.

Segreks are of different types and sizes and to do a proper fitting job from scratch you probably need about 3 or 4 of different sizes.

If the angle of the gandar to atasan will not permit a good alignment of the top of atasan and top of gonjo, you need to separate gandar and atasan. You can usually get this done by stuffing damp rags inside the wrongko and periodically keeping them damp by pouring water on them --- the glue softens, then you just pull them apart. Clean off all the old glue and give it plenty of time to dry out. Then fit the blade to the atasan only with the oil stain method already described. When the atasan is a good fit to the blade you fit the gandar, and re-cut the angle of the gandar to get the fit you need.

This wrongko that has only the hole is started by laying the gonjo on its side along the top of the scabbard, being very careful to get the pesi exactly over the hole. You mark each end of the gonjo , measure or gauge the widest part of the gonjo under the pesi, mark this width either side of the hole, widen the hole to less than the full width, and then just using your eye, roughly sketch the outline of the gonjo on top of the wrongko --- an experienced tukang wrongko will not do this, he'll just immediately start to cut, but in any case you make the hole big enough to begin the procedure described above, but smaller in all directions than the actual gonjo.

To glue back together it helps if you use a wedge to bring the gandar tongues into good contact with the atasan. Make sure no glue is left inside, as it can generate rust. If you are confident and experienced in the use of epoxy resins, these are far better than PVA glues, or the original fish based adhesives.

This wrongko you've shown is a Balinese kajongan, in olden times favoured by young men. The similar shape in Jawa is called sandang walikat --- rib dress --- and is used as an under jacket dress and as a storage scabbard.

As I said, its not rocket science, but you do need sharp tools and a lot of patience.

PS--- I probably should add one thing:- you need to keep the pesi centered to the raised rib that is in the middle of the atasan face.