Pictures of a kris for posterity

[ThePepperSkull]

I KNEW this thread existed, it took me forever to find it again. I am now fortunate to find myself in ownership of the kris in question

Quite possibly one of the best quality kris I own in terms of craftsmanship of the blade. It turns out that it is a twistcore and I can echo everyone's sentiments when they say that the hilt and baca-baca are not original to the blade (Although it seems as though its current dress is a very old, very well done replacement).

What strikes me most about this piece is how differently it "feels" when held/handled. It seems to have the thickness and heftiness of a Moro Kris made later, however it is balanced closer to the hilt much like typical older Kris. I can also agree with Gustav in saying that it does seem very well-preserved and the base of the blade is very well executed. The lines and fullers are sharp, crisp, and smooth (Upon inspection it seems no one took a belt sander to smooth it out like you see with a lot of these twistcore bringback pieces. The laminations can be seen in person and the fullers outlining the twistcore seem to be deep and not worn down).

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...7&postcount=18

[CharlesS]

I absolutely agree with the above regarding the age of the hilt vs. the blade.

[David]

I am not sure what all the talk about the preservation of this blade is about. Moro kris were not routinely acid washed like their Indonesian cousins so it does not seem surprising to me at all that a relatively well taken care of blade from the early 19th or even late 18th century would look like this.
Pepper, have you considered giving this blade a light vinegar etch to bring out the twisted core pattern? It's a rather gentle process that would not damage the blade and it would certainly look cool if that pattern stood out more.

[Gustav]

Originally Posted by David

I am not sure what all the talk about the preservation of this blade is about.

...

[David]

Sorry Gustav, i'm missing your point. Care to expound past the "..."

[ThePepperSkull]

I perhaps should have elaborated when I was referring to its state of preservation. My apologies for vagueness, David. In retrospect it may have made my last post seem pointless.

You are right in that Moro Kris were not as routinely or as deeply etched as their cousins, the keris.

I cannot speak for others who have posted, but by "preserved well" I personally was referring to two things.

The first is the shape that we find these in when in the ownership of people who bring these pieces back with them from the Philippines. I have seen a lot of twistcore blades brought back that have been taken to a belt sander in order for it to have a more shiny finish, fitting more western tastes/sensibilities about what a blade ought to look like. As a result, not only is the pattern obscured but unfortunately what also occurs is a loss of steel and the original blade geometry. The fullers (more specifically the narrow fullers you typically see outlining the twistcore pattern going down the length of the blade) become more shallow or in worst-case scenario all but disappear. I cannot speak to how common this is in reality but I have encountered my fair share of these intentionally worn down pieces. Makes me sad every time I come across one.

This piece seems to have no evidence of this having occurred, as well as a minimal amount of spot corrosion due to neglect of (although there are some small spots) or lack of oiling/cleaning the blade.

Perhaps I chose my words unwisely. By "Preserved well", I meant "undamaged by owner ignorance and/or neglect"

If assuming this is how other (some, not all) twistcores originally were in terms of geometry (Although I admit this is a big assumption), it makes me wonder about some other pieces I own and the extent of their modification after being brought back as souvenirs (I have one that is particularly thin that I assume was taken to a belt grinder)

This in and of itself is difficult to explain, perhaps I will update this thread soon with illustrations elaborating about what I mean when I refer to its 'geometry'.

Originally Posted by David

Pepper, have you considered giving this blade a light vinegar etch to bring out the twisted core pattern? It's a rather gentle process that would not damage the blade and it would certainly look cool if that pattern stood out more.

I've been delaying doing so for long enough. Spunjer has graciously shared his etching method with me (it seems like ages ago when this occured), so I think it will see a vinegar etch soon enough