PawnShop Keris… looking for information

A. G. Maisey · 1st December 2023, 09:34 PM

That beadwork can drop off even on new mendak, its not a big deal, & this mendak has a bit of age & appears to be complete & overall OK. I'd stick with this one --- if it did not come apart when it is taken off the keris.

The out of kilter "thing is usually due in poor mating of the mendak with the bottom of the handle, if the handle has a recess intended to accept the mendak, that recess might need to be made a whisker wider, if it is a flat bottom it might need to be levelled, sometimes the problem can be with the tang, use alloy jaw liners, put the tang into a vice, very gently bend the tang to the appropriate angle --- if it is a cold day warm the tang.

A mendak should always be test mated to the hilt before mounting to the tang.

1st December 2023, 09:34 PM	#10
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,820	That beadwork can drop off even on new mendak, its not a big deal, & this mendak has a bit of age & appears to be complete & overall OK. I'd stick with this one --- if it did not come apart when it is taken off the keris. The out of kilter "thing is usually due in poor mating of the mendak with the bottom of the handle, if the handle has a recess intended to accept the mendak, that recess might need to be made a whisker wider, if it is a flat bottom it might need to be levelled, sometimes the problem can be with the tang, use alloy jaw liners, put the tang into a vice, very gently bend the tang to the appropriate angle --- if it is a cold day warm the tang. A mendak should always be test mated to the hilt before mounting to the tang.