Timoho (Kleinhovia hospita L)

[brekele]

Hi...
According javanese people that believe about good timoho wood for keris sheath is that wood has pelet. What is pelet actually? Is it those black spots on the wood?


bre

[A. G. Maisey]

This is an interesting question Brekele.

The word "pelet" actually means to seduce---lots of other similar ways this can applied, but "seduce" is the normal everyday meaning.

So I reckon that when people talk about "kayu pelet" what they were originally saying was that this wood would make you fall in love with it---it seduced you. It was enchanting wood.

Over time, it has become one of the wood names used by some people associated with keris.

I used to know a tukang wrongko in Solo who was the grandson of one of the great, old-time mranggis. He would not accept the use of the word "pelet" in reference to woods. He reckoned straight out that it was wrong and used by people who didn't know any better. He himself always referred to the various types of timoho that displayed black markings by their specific names---timoho this, or timoho that.

Woods other than timoho can show pelet grain, for example awar-awar and pakel, just to name two.

[Raden Usman Djogja]

if most part of sheath is dominated by pelet, what its motif name?

warm regards, OeS

[brekele]

Pelet
Many kind of pelet in timoho wood considering javanese people.
Here some of name
1. PELET KENDHIT.
2. PELET TULAK.
3. PELET PUDHAK SINUMPET.
4. PELET PULAS KEMBANG.
5. PELET DHORENG.
6. PELET NGAMAL.
7. PELET PULAS GROBOH.
8. PELET BERAS WUTAH.
9. PELET NGIRIM (NGINGRIM) KEMBANG.
10. PELET GANDRUNG.
11. PELET CEPLOK KELOR.
12. PELET CEPLOK BANTHENG.
13. PELET SEGARA WINOTAN.
14. PELET GANA.
15. PELET SEMBUR.
16. PELET NYERAT.
17. PELET DEWADARU.
18. And probably there are some more ….


What is pelet in timoho wood considering keris lover?
Stil don’t get a good describe/explanation about it.

Bre

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, and there are other names as well---some invented on the spot because they will either A)--help to raise the price, or B)-- help to raise somebody's prestige.

In my notes I do not have an example precisely the same as the wrongko you show, but if we look at this wrongko, essentially it has dark in the center of the body, and light on either side. Perhaps this conformation could be classified as timoho slempang---a slempang is a strap that is worn over the shoulder.

Or maybe the dark area is too wide for timoho slempang, maybe we should call it timoho sidi---but really, that would be stretching it because the white is in the wrong place. Pity it has those two light spots on either end, without those we could give it as bosokan.

This name of the timoho thing is like a lot of names in the field of the keris---cross the street and somebody will give you a different name.Especially today when we have so many newly born, self-created experts around. It tends to become a little less confused when you talk to old men who have been in the keris trade for most of their lives---but these people don't publish books or join keris discussion societies.

Centini should be required reading for all who wish to learn the keris. Not for the information to be found there, but for the advice and the wisdom.

[Raden Usman Djogja]

dear Alan,

I've heard but never seen motif of "bosokan" (decomposed "fruit"). As far as I heard that it was called bosokan motif because all or most of part of sheath was pelet. Perhaps forumities who have sheath with bosokan motif can share its picture. Merci par avance.

I just heard slempang motif. Do you think it is different from sampir (as if a long scarf or a shoulder-belt) motif. I have timoho sheath with sampir motif. I will upload it for this forum. Some people said it had 5 strips of sampir motif whilst others said it had 4 strips of sampir motif. What do you think wheter it has 4 or 5 strips?

Centini? Would you please to share what advices dan wisdoms that readers can get from Centini Book? I've never read it eventhough I've heard it thousand times.

Warm regards,
OeS