Opinions: large Kris w/ intricate inlay

[JeffS]

Out of curiosity, how do you guys have access to X-ray for tasks like this?

[Ian]

Jeff, I have an arrangement with a friend who is a veterinarian. I cannot generate the ray energy that was needed to produce Rick's picture. The unit I use is only a small one. Rick's image looks like it came from a more powerful metallurgical unit that can detect fine cracks in metal.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Rick

Now this comment is really interesting (at least to me).
How to interpret this has me more than a bit stumped.
Same area, same forging fault; same Smith ?

Rick, it would not surprise if that were the case.

[another_rick]

Originally Posted by JeffS

Out of curiosity, how do you guys have access to X-ray for tasks like this?

I asked my chiropractor and veterinarian. Both were willing, I picked chiro out of convenience. The x-ray machine was old but I didn't ask details. I also ran XRF for metallurgical info - just asked my local metal recycling facility.

[another_rick]

Originally Posted by Ian

Rick, it would not surprise if that were the case.

Would the same smith make blades this different? Welded tang, no separate gangya, also notice even the tang's more irregular & crude

[Ian]

Another-rick,

Good points. I don't know the answer and I doubt we ever will unless someone comes along to say that only one panday made these blades with naga down the middle.

Perhaps panday and those doing the carving had different grades of quality they were willing to make for their customers. I'm thinking that tools and weapons often share similar blade profiles, with weapons getting more attention to details and decoration.

Having been made a century or so ago, there may not be anyone today who knows who made them.

Regards, Ian

[Ian]

Here is a cropped and enlarged picture of one posted above by Gustav. It is a very nice blade and seems in good condition. In looking closely at the gangya, I can see three horizontal grooves engraved on the gandik side of the gangya: two are adjacent to the cocor and one is just above the lower lip of the lambe gaja. If a line of separation is present, it would run between the two lips of the lambe gaja. There is a wide opening and groove there, but like the other grooves on the gangya, it only runs to the unusual baca baca, None of these grooves, or any other line, is visible on the greneng side of the baca baca. Even on the most closely fitted examples, there is usually a faint separation line to be seen. Again, we need to have an X-ray to know for sure, but this looks likes another example that does not have a separate gangya.
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