For discusion

A. G. Maisey · 23rd March 2011, 10:07 PM

My feeling about this blade is as follows, and it has my usual qualifications that if I had the blade in my hand I could alter what I have said, but in this case, not by too much.

I believe that this keris started life as a big, old Tuban blade.

A piece was cut from the point end of the blade and fire welded across the sorsoran.The existing gandik would have been incorporated into this weld.

The two puthut figures were carved from the added material, the blade profile was reshaped, and the gonjo reduced to fit.

The alteration of ordinary old blades to turn them into something more attractive from a commercial point of view seems to have been a very long standing practice in Jawa. My guess is that it goes back to the early part of the 19th century.

David, for a novice your guess was pretty good.Possibly demonstrates that most medicos are skilled observers.

23rd March 2011, 10:07 PM	#15
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	My feeling about this blade is as follows, and it has my usual qualifications that if I had the blade in my hand I could alter what I have said, but in this case, not by too much. I believe that this keris started life as a big, old Tuban blade. A piece was cut from the point end of the blade and fire welded across the sorsoran.The existing gandik would have been incorporated into this weld. The two puthut figures were carved from the added material, the blade profile was reshaped, and the gonjo reduced to fit. The alteration of ordinary old blades to turn them into something more attractive from a commercial point of view seems to have been a very long standing practice in Jawa. My guess is that it goes back to the early part of the 19th century. David, for a novice your guess was pretty good.Possibly demonstrates that most medicos are skilled observers.