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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
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I bought this barung two weeks again because I liked the profile of the blade. At that time it was just a gray blade with absolutely no hint of pattern welding....I just liked the long elegant blade.
Imagine my surprise when I began to clean it up and etch it!!! I was amazed. It is only the 3rd twistcore barung I have seen. I have intentionally "over" etched it to highlight the complex twisting. Note one side is more complete and obvious than the other. I even wondered if it was a "failed" twistcore, but I don't think so. Note also that false edge has been tempered as well as the bottom edge. You can see that the blade has seen some sort of action(looks more like work than war!) if you look at the worn spot in the center of the edge. Generally, I have associated these long, lighter, and elegant blades with later post-1930 barungs. This one, however, has forced me to rethink that. I believe this is a 19th-century blade or very early 20th century at the latest. Comments and opinions welcomed. Dimensions: Overall length: 28.25in. Blade length: 17in. Blade's widest point:2.25in. Blade's thickness at the hilt: .25in. |
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#2 |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,165
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Hi Charles:
I'm not surprised. A long silver punto and an elegant kakatua often suggest an accompanying blade of quality. The scabbard looks complete too and of the older flat style. Great find. I agree with you that longer slim blades have been around for some time and are not necessarily post-1930. I've seen several of these that are likely 19th C. Ian. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Austria
Posts: 1,903
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What a beauty!
![]() Congratulations for this great find! But I would wipe off some of the etching and leave just some hint of the pattern... if the blade were mine... but it isn't... ![]() |
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#4 |
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
Posts: 8,726
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Agree with Ian and Marius, great piece!
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#5 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Kernersville, NC, USA
Posts: 793
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Stunning!
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#6 | |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
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![]() Quote:
Marius, I couldn't agree more. I don't think this is the original or "natural" state of the barung. I did this dark etch ONLY for the sake of photography and showing the complex twisting on this site. I will eventually tone it down to a more natural look just as you suggested. |
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#7 | |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: California
Posts: 1,036
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![]() Quote:
"Blades that are still found in the Philippines are often dusky in appearance, not bright. They frequently exhibit some form of patterning on the surface of the blade. Acidic chemical agents such as various indigenous citrus fruits, were used on the blade right after completion, and in later cleaning. These substances darkened the overall surface of the blade, while at the same time, highlighting the layers of various metals within it." (p 20) Robert had done field research for this book in the southern Philippines and I was fortunate to have been able to discuss this with him. When he eventually sold his collection I had the chance to look at a few pieces that did retain at least a modicum of the original patina and were not sandpapered bright like so many on the market today. The patterns appear in shades of brown to gray-black. This is consistent with what I have experienced when trying some plant-based etchants, which however are more difficult to get a consistent effect with than the method you used on your barong, which turned out beautifully from a metallographical standpoint. |
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#8 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,200
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Absolutely right Phillip.
Also I have been informed in the past that long slender blades are call sipput barongs. This great example seems to be a variant of this type. |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Germany
Posts: 525
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Nice blade indeed. But I believe, this is not a twistcore, it is thin layer of twisted metal on each side. This would explain the unusual wild look of the twisted layer. The twisted bar was forged into two thin layers.
My suggestion for a final treatment, just polish the blade a while with soft kitchen-paper and Ballistol or another oil of your choice. Roland |
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#10 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
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![]() Quote:
Roland, I have wondered this exact same thing myself, but keep getting consistent feedback that it is Moro twistcore..... |
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#11 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Centerville, Kansas
Posts: 2,196
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My congratulation on a most beautiful addition to your collection.
![]() Best, Robert |
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#12 | |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: California
Posts: 1,036
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![]() Quote:
There are Moro keris blades that show all the signs of being a twist-core construction, the format bearing considerable similarity, in principle, to sword-blades of Anglo-Saxon and Nordic Europe during the early Middle Ages. |
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#13 | |
Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,252
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Hello Phil,
Quote:
![]() The most important features seem to be: 1. forged from twisted bars 2. exposure of the core of the "twist" by removal of the surface. If anything, symmetrically applying the forged twisted bars to a sandwich construction needs even more skill IMVHO... Regards, Kai |
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#14 | |
Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,252
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Hello Roland,
Quote:
I was considering a complex stacked construction instead of twistcore - kinda like the blotchy pattern sometimes seen with barung blades but crafted with the intend to obtain a regular "fishbone" pattern. However, the margins of the pattern do seem to support your notion that this twistcore got flattened a lot and sandwiched onto the central steel layer; this certainly explains the distortions but still is a real feat to forge with only a traditional workplace! Regards, Kai |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,235
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There are two twisted bars on each side. The blade as end product is much to wide and long for the size of these bars - so while forging out in the length and width the control over the appearance of twisted pattern was lost. We see it the best towards the tip of the blade - always the trickiest place to control the pattern.
Normally there would be more bars on such a blade, like on ex-Gavin's Barong (or yataghans) http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...istcore+barong and/or the bars would have been kept narrow http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...istcore+barong The smith simply wasn't experienced well enough to work with twisted bars and didn't know the relation between the size of the bars before the forging process (let alone some tricks like increasing the amplitude of the twists) and the blade at the end of process. That could be a hint to a slightly later date of production or/and a more "provincial" place of production. Last edited by Gustav; 17th January 2018 at 02:08 PM. |
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#16 |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,165
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Gustav,
Thanks for your very interesting observations. You seem to have some experience with twist core techniques. Do you forge your own blades? Ian |
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#17 |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,235
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Ian,
no, just had some interesting conversations with a person who does forging with a focus on pattern welding. Actually one can understand a lot about different appearances of twistcore and other patterns just using plasticine of two different colours. Gustav |
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