Talismanic or just randomly placed copper dots

Bill · 6th September 2008, 02:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kai

However, AFAIK there's no verified notion (from within Moro culture as well as other SEA cultures) that the tang is anything special which needs to be replaced...

Regards,
Kai

Hi Kia, wasn't thinking this had to do with the tang at all but the area of the sword, the place, where the Jen stays. I don't know where exactly that is but was speculating the little square. & the only way to replace that, would require replacing the tang.
Don't expect to find hard solid rules. Research on mountain tribes in Luzon claims that rituals varied greatly from one clan to the next in the same village.
I haven't paid much attention to which groups these "tang replacements" come from but it strikes me, they are what Cato called cross overs. I believe that the so called cross overs are from the Cotabato areas, but am far from certain if limited to those area.
I've got 3 or 4 of these, I'll have to check for similarities.

Tim Simmons · 6th September 2008, 07:12 PM

I am just thinking aloud here. This thread is heating up which is nice. We are just collectors rather than qualified academics. However we have just the same ability to question and advance our understanding of the present ideas, we can pool so many examples?

This is the only Moro Keris I have but it displays the feature in discussion so well. I am not a blade smith but I would like to suggest that in this example the feature is not a repair or a replacement but all part of the original construction. I can only think by the size of the handle that the tang is short around 3-4 inches. It is also off set not following the centre line of the blade, this helps the weight forward feel in the hand. The short tang is aided by the clamps?

There are two parts to the blade, the blade and the base part. These elements are machted to each other in a very precise manner. I would like to suggest that all three parts blade, base and tang are assembled at the same time. First the blade and base are made to fit and as especially as the tang is off set it is forge welded in place so to accomadate the base element.

I make this only as a suggestion but I do question why every oddity has to be a replacement or a repair. A big question arises, do we see the tang feature in weapons without the seperate base element to the blade?????

I feel if you examine these pics it can be seen as three parts put together at the same time. Possibly this is a regional style? different smiths? possibly with some cultural meaning?

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6th September 2008, 07:12 PM	#2
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,843	I am just thinking aloud here. This thread is heating up which is nice. We are just collectors rather than qualified academics. However we have just the same ability to question and advance our understanding of the present ideas, we can pool so many examples? This is the only Moro Keris I have but it displays the feature in discussion so well. I am not a blade smith but I would like to suggest that in this example the feature is not a repair or a replacement but all part of the original construction. I can only think by the size of the handle that the tang is short around 3-4 inches. It is also off set not following the centre line of the blade, this helps the weight forward feel in the hand. The short tang is aided by the clamps? There are two parts to the blade, the blade and the base part. These elements are machted to each other in a very precise manner. I would like to suggest that all three parts blade, base and tang are assembled at the same time. First the blade and base are made to fit and as especially as the tang is off set it is forge welded in place so to accomadate the base element. I make this only as a suggestion but I do question why every oddity has to be a replacement or a repair. A big question arises, do we see the tang feature in weapons without the seperate base element to the blade????? I feel if you examine these pics it can be seen as three parts put together at the same time. Possibly this is a regional style? different smiths? possibly with some cultural meaning?