[A. G. Maisey]

Welcome to our little group Silkreeler.

As I understand it, the primary reason for removal of old oil from the surface of a Japanese blade is to allow the blade to be read. If the oil remains on the surface, it will not cause deterioration of the blade, but it can interfere with the ability to read the blade.

A similar situation can arise with keris blades, however, since the material in many keris blades is textured, and often a little porous, the removal of oil each time a blade is oiled is not really necessary. In Jawa the oils that we use are often based on coconut, and over a period of time coconut oil can dry out and harden and leave a deposit on the blade.This deposit generally will not harm the blade surface, but it can make it difficult to read. Here in Australia I do not use coconut based oils, and the oils which I do use do not tend to leave a deposit as do the coconut based ones.

When it has been necessary for me remove old oil from a blade I have washed the blade with mineral turpentine, followed by a rinse with WD40, allow the WD 40 to dry overnight and then apply scented oil --- if that is your preference --- or a good gun oil or light machine oil, both of which will give better protection than the scented oils.I personally use scented oil, but this is a personal preference.

Patting a keris blade with a synthetic facial tissue will undoubtedly cause wear to a blade, or any other material, if done often enough, however, at the rate of twice a month I feel that the period necessary to cause such wear might stretch to many thousands of years.

Silkreeler, you have asked if I use menyan for my kerises as often as you do.

I do not use menyan for my kerises at all.

The ritual of offering menyan smoke to a keris is a part of a specific belief system. I have a very good understanding of this belief system, but I do not subscribe to it, nor do I practice the rituals which are a part of it.

For me to engage in one ritual extracted from an entire belief system would be as pointless, and as offensive, as for a person who had no belief in Jesus Christ to accept holy communion, or for a person with no belief in Allah to attend Friday prayers. One cannot extract that which one wishes from a system of belief and follow just that single ritual, for any ritual to be of value it needs to form a part of a whole.

The matter of spiritual presence in a keris is one which is very little understood, and although there is no bar to the discussion of the esoteric aspects of the keris in this discussion group, my personal feeling is that it is distinctly inappropriate to attempt to engage in discussion of the more difficult aspects of keris belief in the environment of any public discussion group.

Consider this:- should one attempt to discuss quantum theory in a situation where that discussion is open to people who have not yet begun to learn the necessary philosophical and material concepts for the comprehension of Max Planck's equations, and their further development, the only possible result of such discussion would be a hodge podge of half understood ideas and misconceptions.

Similarly, if one wishes to come to some understanding of the nature of the keris in a particular cultural context, one must begin by first coming to an understanding of the relevant culture.