Janggelan Hilt

[Interested Party]

It has been quiet so I thought I would post this very worn keris and see what the group has to say. It was in very bad condition so I have been using it to learn about restoration of keris. I know very little about the blade. The hilt I believe to be a well carved and deeply cracked Jangelan hilt made of a black horn. Is the motif at the base of the hilt considered to be a tumpal even though it is a rounded shape? At the top on each side there a design that reminds me of a scorpion. I do not know if the selut (angkup randu) and mendak are original to the hilt or if the blade belongs to the hilt assembly.

The wrangka is ladrang style made of timoho wood. Thanks to the holes in the wrangka it can be seen the color goes through the piece and was not painted on. There is a "74" written in ink on the back of the gandar. It was dry and cracked through in several places. The larger splits were filled with wood glue and clamped. The incomplete splits were shored up with cyanoacrylate.

The hilt and wrangka were treated with many coats of raw linseed. the blade was rubbed with a mixture of mineral oil and sandalwood. The hilt cracks did not close up but seem to have stabilized.

Should the blade undergo a vinegar soak and a complete clean or is it more correct for it to be left as is? Any other thoughts, comments, or insights would be appreciated.

I will load the most current photos first.