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Originally Posted by David
I am afraid one can only guess how this blade looked originally. There is "restoration" and then there is "re-creation". I am not usually in favor of the latter and would have little interest in such a blade afterwards if it came on the market again. That is, if i knew of the changes. What is most disturbing to me is that if these re-creation jobs are done exceedingly well they become a bit of a modern forgery. Perhaps the next owner will be informed of the upgrade. Perhaps not. Eventually it may be impossible to tell one way or another. That is unfair to the next generation of collectors. We all want perfect and pristine pieces, but often enough that is just not possible. I would suggest that we all think very carefully before we embark on a project that radically changes the present physical character of our collected blade, especially when those changes can be little more than educated guess of what the original blade actually looked like. 
That said i do believe that Spunger's post shows a good guess of what probably occupied the holes in this blade. I'm fairly sure this was always a kris.  |
Agree with you, it's every time a narrow path you walk by restoration. I am many many times unsure byself if something should be done or not. See for example here:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16260
Jose have given back many kris their baca-baca/asang-asang, many kris I have seen here at this place has get partly restore jobs at the handles, recently for example:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16562 or a new wrapping. Nobody from us know how they have looked originally.
The kris/kalis in question has a well preserved scabbard but the kris byself is a relict, the handle isn't original or not in it's original state anymore, the asang-asang is missing, the plates which was attached are missing as well and the blade was heavily scrubbed with sandpaper.
There will be every time different opinions what should be done but I agree again with you when there will be done a great restore to this kris it should be documented and by a possible reselling told.
By my kris (
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16260) I am not really happy with the result but I think there was no other possibility to keep the scabbard.
Here is a thread from a restore Jose have done once, a kris which was a more bad relict as the one from Ariel, worth in monetary value as well in historic value nearly nothing:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=kalis
Should it have been done or not? I personally think sometimes it's easy to decide and sometimes difficult.
Regards,
Detlef