Damascene and Pamor

[A. G. Maisey]

Josh, there is more than one way to skin a cat.

The usual way that we construct a pamor blade is by making the billet of pamor, and then welding it on each side of a piece of steel, effectively making a sandwich of it.

However, there are other methods of construction that we can use, and the pedang you have provided a pic of shows one of these methods.Sometimes a cross section through a blade will show a steel core, sometimes it will not, and the steel will only appear at the cutting edge, or edges. Sometimes there will be no core at all.

Whatever method we may use is really immaterial. The end result is what matters.

Yes, the making of pamor can be considered to be closely allied with what we refer to as "pattern welding".

[BluErf]

I have a specific question - pls see attached pic. How does the empu get the black steel between the silver wengkon and the main silver pamor?

Also, the black steel is of a different tone from the steel at the cutting edge. The black spots in the middle of the pamor are of that different black steel. Why is that so?

[A. G. Maisey]

To be certain about why this occurred it would be necessary to examine the blade, rather than a picture, but the highest probability is that this is evidence of less than careful work.

[BluErf]

Yes, that could be so. This blade was collected in Lombok and attributed to Sumbawa, where kerises are not subject to warangan (hence pamor is not normally shown). Perhaps the smiths there are less careful in this aspect compared to places where warangan is used. Here's the rest of the keris.

[Marcokeris]

Beautiful!

[A. G. Maisey]

What method has been used to fix the pesi?

[BluErf]

Hi Alan, like clarify that if your "fix the pesi" meant how the ganja was secured onto the pesi?

The ganja is fitted over an enlarged oval portion at the base of the pesi, without the use of any metal wedges. No gaps are visible between the ganja and the pesi.