Pamor Questions

A. G. Maisey · 3rd March 2012, 06:43 PM

I'm not nearly as certain as Richard that this observed result is intentional.

If it is a plug that goes right through the blade, there are a number of reasons to explain why this might have been done, and there is no way that we can know at this remove what the reason was. It could be to hide a flaw, it could be to incorporate a part of an older blade into this one, it could be for some esoteric reason, it could be for some reason that we would not even think of now.

If it is a patch, rather than a plug, a similar reason could apply as for the use of a plug. However, it could be an exposure of the core, and the only way I personally could be certain of that would be by examination under magnification. From a photo I simply cannot tell.

Usual keris production technique is that prior to welding the core into a blade, a length of pamor material is cut which provides the bakalan used to forge the gonjo, so the gonjo material is in fact the same as the pamor material in the blade. It is extremely unusual for a gonjo to be made of different material to the material that forms the outer faces of the blade.
Usually when a gonjo is of different material to the blade material, it is because the gonjo has been replaced, or because a plain black gonjo is required. Where a gonjo is of pamor material, that material will be expected to be the same as the pamor material in the blade.

3rd March 2012, 06:43 PM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	I'm not nearly as certain as Richard that this observed result is intentional. If it is a plug that goes right through the blade, there are a number of reasons to explain why this might have been done, and there is no way that we can know at this remove what the reason was. It could be to hide a flaw, it could be to incorporate a part of an older blade into this one, it could be for some esoteric reason, it could be for some reason that we would not even think of now. If it is a patch, rather than a plug, a similar reason could apply as for the use of a plug. However, it could be an exposure of the core, and the only way I personally could be certain of that would be by examination under magnification. From a photo I simply cannot tell. Usual keris production technique is that prior to welding the core into a blade, a length of pamor material is cut which provides the bakalan used to forge the gonjo, so the gonjo material is in fact the same as the pamor material in the blade. It is extremely unusual for a gonjo to be made of different material to the material that forms the outer faces of the blade. Usually when a gonjo is of different material to the blade material, it is because the gonjo has been replaced, or because a plain black gonjo is required. Where a gonjo is of pamor material, that material will be expected to be the same as the pamor material in the blade.