Maranao kris?

Sajen · 21st December 2012, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

Impressive work. Did not know it was even worse than expected.

Hello Jose,

there were missing small stripes of wood where the two halfes of the gandar meet. And yes, my friend is a great master of restore work.

Regards,

Detlef

Robert · 22nd December 2012, 02:51 AM

Hello Detlef, Very nice repair and restoration work your friend did on the scabbard. One question though, did the scabbards on any of the older pre WWII Philippine pieces have any finish on the wooden parts originally? None of the ones that I have ever been able to be lucky enough to have come with the sharp pointy items I have collected have had no protective coating on them other than ones that have had both the scabbard and the blade coated in grease or have been completely coated in lacquer by a previous collector as a protective measure. The only thing that I have ever done on the wood is to do a hand rubbed wax finish. Hopefully one of the experts can give an answer on what if any finish these items originally had when first made. Again, I would like to complement your friend for the great work that he has done.

Regards,
Robert

Sajen · 22nd December 2012, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Coleman

Hello Detlef, Very nice repair and restoration work your friend did on the scabbard. One question though, did the scabbards on any of the older pre WWII Philippine pieces have any finish on the wooden parts originally? None of the ones that I have ever been able to be lucky enough to have come with the sharp pointy items I have collected have had no protective coating on them other than ones that have had both the scabbard and the blade coated in grease or have been completely coated in lacquer by a previous collector as a protective measure. The only thing that I have ever done on the wood is to do a hand rubbed wax finish. Hopefully one of the experts can give an answer on what if any finish these items originally had when first made. Again, I would like to complement your friend for the great work that he has done.

Regards,
Robert

Hello Robert,

I am with you, I have seen protective coatings only by keris sheaths and by some few other weapons but never by this weak wood scabbards from Philippine kris. This weak wood is the reason why they are so many times are broken IMHO. Like you can see in last pic. from post # 16 and post # 22 there was done also a bigger repair at the crosspiece and the scabbard was heavily cratched (see pictures from the seller in up) so we decided to remove the old coating from grease and give it a finish with shellac. Not original anymore but kept the original scabbard in a way which will be save also for a time after my ownership. In my eyes a acceptable trade-off.
There will have been originally rattan bands to keep the two halfs of the scabbard in place.

Regards,

Detlef

Battara · 23rd December 2012, 04:53 AM

Well, sometimes I have seen a type of lacquer on some Moro/Philippine scabbards. Now the question is was that original or added later?

Other times it is difficult to tell from glossy patina and a thin veneer of lacquer.

Sajen · 23rd December 2012, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

Well, sometimes I have seen a type of lacquer on some Moro/Philippine scabbards. Now the question is was that original or added later?

Other times it is difficult to tell from glossy patina and a thin veneer of lacquer.

Do you think it's overdone? Ask also all others for opinion.

Regards,

Detlef

Battara · 23rd December 2012, 07:00 PM

Not really. Does not seem thick on the pictures. Besides we are custodians of fuse works of art and history. We need to preserve them for future generations.

Sajen · 24th December 2012, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

Not really. Does not seem thick on the pictures. Besides we are custodians of fuse works of art and history. We need to preserve them for future generations.

Exactly my point of view. The only other option would have been to keep the scabbard as I have get it.

Regards,

Detlef

22nd December 2012, 02:51 AM	#2
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Hello Detlef, Very nice repair and restoration work your friend did on the scabbard. One question though, did the scabbards on any of the older pre WWII Philippine pieces have any finish on the wooden parts originally? None of the ones that I have ever been able to be lucky enough to have come with the sharp pointy items I have collected have had no protective coating on them other than ones that have had both the scabbard and the blade coated in grease or have been completely coated in lacquer by a previous collector as a protective measure. The only thing that I have ever done on the wood is to do a hand rubbed wax finish. Hopefully one of the experts can give an answer on what if any finish these items originally had when first made. Again, I would like to complement your friend for the great work that he has done. Regards, Robert

23rd December 2012, 04:53 AM	#4
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,310	Well, sometimes I have seen a type of lacquer on some Moro/Philippine scabbards. Now the question is was that original or added later? Other times it is difficult to tell from glossy patina and a thin veneer of lacquer.

23rd December 2012, 07:00 PM	#6
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,310	Not really. Does not seem thick on the pictures. Besides we are custodians of fuse works of art and history. We need to preserve them for future generations.