Help! Advice on Repairs

vinny · 12th January 2005, 10:03 AM

Hi

I am a newbie on this forum. Hello to all.

I have a Rencong from Aceh, however, the hilt and sheath are made of a very brittle material and have broken (while in my training bag)

Does anyone have any advice on repairs? Is it best to find a good wood worker to make me a new hilt and sheath?

Regards
Vinny

Michel · 12th January 2005, 05:59 PM

Hi Winny,
welcome to the forum,
I love Rencong Aceh although most of my blades are keris. Achenese weapons have very specials forms and can be extreemly sophisticated. As you have not shown us what your Rencong was looking like it is a bit difficult to give you advice on how to repair its sheath and hilt. If you have the skill, why not try yourself at making a new sheath and a new hilt ?
As rencong are not really current where I live now, I did just that: forge a blade and then work the wood for the sheat and the hilt. I join a picture , just to show that it is possible even for a layman. It obvioulsy looks new and not really made in Aceh. This because, we do not have here the equivalent materials, in particular the wood.
Now your rencong may be worth repairing its sheath and hilt. Show us the rencong with decent photos and we may be in position to give a piece of advice.
Regards
Michel

capt.smash · 12th January 2005, 06:14 PM

Nice work michel

id say above layman skill there.

Battara · 12th January 2005, 09:19 PM

Michel is right, we need pictures. I can do the work, or with the nice work Michel has done with this rencong (way to go

), he can as well. But pics would help.

rahman · 13th January 2005, 02:16 AM

If your "hilt and sheath are made of a very brittle material", it may not be wood but buffalo horn. Are they black in color? Do a search on the old forums about caring for horn and ivory.

vinny · 13th January 2005, 10:02 AM

Hi Guys

Thank you all for you help. I will put some photos on, but I am away on a course at the moment, so will do at the weekend. Unfortunately I do not have any before photos.

I thought that the material was some kind of tropical hard wood at first, because it is dark brown with some kind ot grain pattern. But now it has broken, I can see it is yellow on the inside, and it is very hard. I will put some photos on at the weekend you can see.

Michael,

You workmanship looks fantastic.

Regards
Vinny

vinny · 14th January 2005, 08:04 PM

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the advice. I have a couple of photos. Let me know if you want to see better ones. I think htese are good enough to see the damage to the hilt and to the sheath.

Rahman - after looking back through the old posts, I think maybe it is made from buffalo horn.

Also, please see pictures of my Keris. I believe it is about my age. I think the pamur is water melon skin, but please correct me if I am wrong. If anyone can give me anymore info that would be great.

Thanks.

Vinny

nechesh · 14th January 2005, 08:59 PM

Hi Vinny. Judging from the creamy carmel colored "nougat" center to your Rencong's dress my guess is it is made of a plastic composite. This looks like the kind made for tourists with the Islamic inscriptions on the blade. This is a new piece. Crazy glue might work. Hope that's not too dissapointing.

rahman · 15th January 2005, 05:50 AM

Vinny - Hate to tell you this, but there is a long piece missing from the handle. Rencong normally have a long extenstion from where yours has broken off. Take a look at pictures here and elsewhere. See if you can locate it.

I don't know if it's plastic, but it's best to ask around. I have a plastic ukiran with an ugly hole because someone tested it by putting a hot needle (or cigarette butt) into it. The heat treatment on a small area around the break might help you confirm it.

vinny · 15th January 2005, 11:43 AM

Hi

I am not dissappointed, I suspected this may have been a 'tourist' piece, but was not sure; I turned up in a shop near where I live, and it was pretty cheap. Will try a heat test to see if it melts.

All said and done, I like the way it feels, and even if it is not the real thing, I would still like to get it fixed.

I know a piece is missing, I realise it should be an 'L' shape, but I have no idea what happened to that piece, it just diappeared! Hopefully, I can get someone local to make me a new hilt and sheath as my wood working skills are not very good.

Thanks guys!

Regards
Vinny

Henk · 15th January 2005, 09:40 PM

Don't give to much effort to this piece. The scabbard can be glued together with very fast drying glue. Maybe you can make the missing piece from the grip from a piece of wood and attach it to the remains of the grip.

This piece is certainly not a new grip and scabbard worth. It probably will cost you more than buying an authentic one.

Alam Shah · 25th January 2005, 05:45 PM

I have a rencong. Does this look like the real thing or a 'tourist' type?
Please let me know your frank opinions.
The handle is buffalo horn and the sheath is some kind of horn ,too (I think.)

Battara · 25th January 2005, 11:22 PM

Looks a little "toursity" and small. What are the dimensions?

Alam Shah · 26th January 2005, 02:52 AM

The blade is 6 inches, total is around 9 1/2 inches. It's belonged to a collector, someone's grandfather who had passed-on. His niece sold the piece to me.

That's all I know about this piece.
Thanks Battara for your attention.

Alam Shah · 26th January 2005, 03:04 AM

Michel,
Nice home-made piece you have there.

12th January 2005, 10:03 AM	#1
vinny Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: England Posts: 31	Help! Advice on Repairs Hi I am a newbie on this forum. Hello to all. I have a Rencong from Aceh, however, the hilt and sheath are made of a very brittle material and have broken (while in my training bag) Does anyone have any advice on repairs? Is it best to find a good wood worker to make me a new hilt and sheath? Regards Vinny

12th January 2005, 05:59 PM	#2
Michel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Switzerland Posts: 139	Hi Winny, welcome to the forum, I love Rencong Aceh although most of my blades are keris. Achenese weapons have very specials forms and can be extreemly sophisticated. As you have not shown us what your Rencong was looking like it is a bit difficult to give you advice on how to repair its sheath and hilt. If you have the skill, why not try yourself at making a new sheath and a new hilt ? As rencong are not really current where I live now, I did just that: forge a blade and then work the wood for the sheat and the hilt. I join a picture , just to show that it is possible even for a layman. It obvioulsy looks new and not really made in Aceh. This because, we do not have here the equivalent materials, in particular the wood. Now your rencong may be worth repairing its sheath and hilt. Show us the rencong with decent photos and we may be in position to give a piece of advice. Regards Michel Attached Images

14th January 2005, 08:04 PM	#7
vinny Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: England Posts: 31	Rencong photos Hi everyone, Thanks for all the advice. I have a couple of photos. Let me know if you want to see better ones. I think htese are good enough to see the damage to the hilt and to the sheath. Rahman - after looking back through the old posts, I think maybe it is made from buffalo horn. Also, please see pictures of my Keris. I believe it is about my age. I think the pamur is water melon skin, but please correct me if I am wrong. If anyone can give me anymore info that would be great. Thanks. Vinny Attached Images

15th January 2005, 11:43 AM	#10
vinny Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: England Posts: 31	Thanks Hi I am not dissappointed, I suspected this may have been a 'tourist' piece, but was not sure; I turned up in a shop near where I live, and it was pretty cheap. Will try a heat test to see if it melts. All said and done, I like the way it feels, and even if it is not the real thing, I would still like to get it fixed. I know a piece is missing, I realise it should be an 'L' shape, but I have no idea what happened to that piece, it just diappeared! Hopefully, I can get someone local to make me a new hilt and sheath as my wood working skills are not very good. Thanks guys! Regards Vinny

25th January 2005, 05:45 PM	#12
Alam Shah Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,248	I have a rencong. Does this look like the real thing or a 'tourist' type? Please let me know your frank opinions. The handle is buffalo horn and the sheath is some kind of horn ,too (I think.) Attached Images

12th January 2005, 06:14 PM	#3
capt.smash Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Devon ,England Posts: 80	Nice work michel id say above layman skill there.

12th January 2005, 09:19 PM	#4
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,220	Michel is right, we need pictures. I can do the work, or with the nice work Michel has done with this rencong (way to go ), he can as well. But pics would help.

13th January 2005, 02:16 AM	#5
rahman Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 84	If your "hilt and sheath are made of a very brittle material", it may not be wood but buffalo horn. Are they black in color? Do a search on the old forums about caring for horn and ivory.

13th January 2005, 10:02 AM	#6
vinny Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: England Posts: 31	Hi Guys Thank you all for you help. I will put some photos on, but I am away on a course at the moment, so will do at the weekend. Unfortunately I do not have any before photos. I thought that the material was some kind of tropical hard wood at first, because it is dark brown with some kind ot grain pattern. But now it has broken, I can see it is yellow on the inside, and it is very hard. I will put some photos on at the weekend you can see. Michael, You workmanship looks fantastic. Regards Vinny

14th January 2005, 08:59 PM	#8
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Hi Vinny. Judging from the creamy carmel colored "nougat" center to your Rencong's dress my guess is it is made of a plastic composite. This looks like the kind made for tourists with the Islamic inscriptions on the blade. This is a new piece. Crazy glue might work. Hope that's not too dissapointing.

15th January 2005, 05:50 AM	#9
rahman Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 84	Vinny - Hate to tell you this, but there is a long piece missing from the handle. Rencong normally have a long extenstion from where yours has broken off. Take a look at pictures here and elsewhere. See if you can locate it. I don't know if it's plastic, but it's best to ask around. I have a plastic ukiran with an ugly hole because someone tested it by putting a hot needle (or cigarette butt) into it. The heat treatment on a small area around the break might help you confirm it.

15th January 2005, 09:40 PM	#11
Henk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,209	Don't give to much effort to this piece. The scabbard can be glued together with very fast drying glue. Maybe you can make the missing piece from the grip from a piece of wood and attach it to the remains of the grip. This piece is certainly not a new grip and scabbard worth. It probably will cost you more than buying an authentic one.

25th January 2005, 11:22 PM	#13
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,220	Looks a little "toursity" and small. What are the dimensions?

26th January 2005, 02:52 AM	#14
Alam Shah Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,248	The blade is 6 inches, total is around 9 1/2 inches. It's belonged to a collector, someone's grandfather who had passed-on. His niece sold the piece to me. That's all I know about this piece. Thanks Battara for your attention.

26th January 2005, 03:04 AM	#15
Alam Shah Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,248	Michel, Nice home-made piece you have there.